保ちます（たもちます、tamochimasu）
- to maintain

The Japanese verb 保ちます (たもちます) primarily means "to keep," "to maintain," "to preserve," or "to retain." It implies holding onto something, whether it's a physical object, a state, a condition, or a characteristic. It suggests a continuation or prevention of change. This verb covers a range of meanings, depending on the context.

⚫︎ 品質を保ちます Translation: To maintain the quality. ⚫︎ 健康を保ちます Translation: To maintain (one's) health. ⚫︎ バランスを保ちます Translation: To maintain the balance.

⚫︎ 保ちます (たもちます) is used in formal situations and is a polite form. It's the -masu form of the verb 保つ (たもつ). ⚫︎ Use it when you are speaking about keeping a quality, state, or condition. ⚫︎ It is often used in business contexts, scientific discussions, or when discussing personal health or well-being.

⚫︎ The base form is 保つ (たもつ), written with the kanji 保 (meaning "to keep," "to protect") and hiragana つ (tsu). ⚫︎ The polite form is 保ちます (たもちます), where the stem 保ち (tamochi) is combined with the polite suffix ます (masu). ⚫︎ Variations in okurigana (the hiragana after the kanji) are not typical with this verb. ⚫︎ The word is always written using the kanji 保. ⚫︎ Other conjugations include: 　　 - 保つ (たもつ) - dictionary form/plain form 　　 - 保った (たもった) - past tense (polite) 　　 - 保てます (たもてます) - potential form 　　 - 保ちたい (たもちたい) - want to keep 　　 - 保ちます (たもちます) - more polite form

⚫︎ 維持します (いじします) - to maintain, to sustain (formal, often used for systems or structures). ⚫︎ 守ります (まもります) - to protect, to defend (often used for protecting something from harm). ⚫︎ 保持します (ほじします) - to hold, to retain (formal, used for holding onto something, such as data or records).

⚫︎ 失います (うしないます) - to lose, to forfeit. ⚫︎ 破壊します (はかいします) - to destroy. ⚫︎ 劣化します (れっかします) - to deteriorate.

この冷蔵庫は食品の鮮度を保ちます。 ・Translation: This refrigerator keeps the freshness of the food. ・Explanation: The sentence illustrates how 保ちます (たもちます) is used to express the function of maintaining the state of freshness.

定期的な運動は健康を保ちます。 ・Translation: Regular exercise maintains (your) health. ・Explanation: This example shows how 保ちます (たもちます) is used in the context of health and well-being, indicating a positive outcome of a habit.

The kanji 保 means "to keep," "to hold," "to protect," or "to preserve." The verb 保つ (たもつ) has its roots in classical Japanese, reflecting a fundamental concept of preserving something.