守ります（まもります、mamoriまsu）
- to protect

The Japanese verb 守ります (まもります, *mamorimasu*) primarily means "to protect," "to defend," "to keep," "to obey," or "to guard." It implies taking action to prevent harm, damage, or loss. The specific nuance depends on the context. 守ります can refer to safeguarding people, things, rules, or even a promise. It conveys a sense of responsibility and care.

⚫︎子供たちを 守ります。 Translation: I will protect the children. ⚫︎ルールを 守ります。 Translation: I will obey the rules. ⚫︎秘密を 守ります。 Translation: I will keep the secret.

You use 守ります when you want to express the act of safeguarding something or someone. This could be in situations like: ⚫︎Protecting people from danger: "I will protect my family." ⚫︎Defending a position or territory. ⚫︎Following rules or regulations. ⚫︎Maintaining secrets or promises. ⚫︎Preserving something valuable. When speaking, consider the relationship you have with the person or thing you are 守ります. If it is someone you respect or something important, the usage will sound appropriate.

守ります is written with the kanji 守 (meaning "to protect") and the hiragana ります (*rimasu*), which is the polite present/future tense ending for verbs in Japanese. The verb stem is 守 (*mamo-*) and is conjugated in various forms like: ⚫︎守る (*mamoru*) - plain form ⚫︎守らない (*mamoranai*) - negative ⚫︎守った (*mamotta*) - past tense ⚫︎守ろう (*mamorou*) - let's protect/defend Okurigana is fixed, using り for the stem and then the appropriate conjugation ending.

Some synonyms, depending on the context, include: ⚫︎護る (*mamoru*) - (a more formal/literary version of 守ります, often used to protect from physical harm) ⚫︎庇う (*kakau*) - to protect or shield someone ⚫︎防ぐ (*fusegu*) - to prevent or defend against (e.g., to prevent an attack) ⚫︎保つ (*tamotsu*) - to maintain, to preserve. ⚫︎守備する (*shubi suru*) - to defend (often used in sports context)

Some antonyms include: ⚫︎攻撃する (*kougeki suru*) - to attack ⚫︎破る (*yaburu*) - to break (a rule, promise, etc.) ⚫︎破壊する (*hakai suru*) - to destroy ⚫︎傷つける (*kizutsukeru*) - to hurt, to wound

大切な人を 守り たいです。 ・Translation: I want to protect the important person. ・Explanation: This sentence expresses a desire to protect someone dear to you. 守り (*mamori*) is the stem form used to create the phrase "want to protect."

法律を 守らなければ いけません。 ・Translation: You must obey the law. ・Explanation: This sentence emphasizes the necessity of following the law. The phrase 守らなければ (*mamoranakereba*) indicates an obligation to protect the law.

The kanji 守 (*mamo-*) is composed of the radical 宀 (roof) and 寸 (inch/small amount). This can be interpreted to mean "to take care of what is under the roof," implying a sense of protection and care. The verb's root goes back to old Japanese, evolving to its current form with the addition of the modern conjugation.