cannot keep/maintain; likely to happen
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 6 examplesverb
cannot keep; cannot maintain; to be unable to hold on to
Used to indicate the loss of something previously held, such as a position, a standard, or a harvest.
Yǐ以
qián前
yào要
shì是
yù遇
dào到
zhè这
yàng样
de的
dà大
hàn旱
，
zhè这
kuài块
dì地
de的
shōu收
cheng成
jiù就
bǎo保
bu不
zhù住
le了
。
In the past, if we encountered such a severe drought, the harvest from this field would be lost.
Gōng公
sī司
xiào效
yì益
bù不
hǎo好
，
tā他
zǒng总
jīng经
lǐ理
de的
wèi位
zhì置
kǒng恐
pà怕
bǎo保
bu不
zhù住
le了
。
With the company's poor performance, his position as general manager probably cannot be kept.
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Mì秘
mì密
yī一
dàn旦
xiè泄
lòu露
，
jiù就
zài再
yě也
bǎo保
bu不
zhù住
le了
。
Once a secret is leaked, it can no longer be kept.
adverb
hard to say; might; likely; possibly
informalExpresses uncertainty or a high likelihood of something happening, often used in spoken language. Synonym: 保不定 (bǎo bu dìng).
Zhè这
ge个
tiān天
（
er儿
）
hěn很
nán难
shuō说
，
bǎo保
bu不
zhù住
huì会
xià下
yǔ雨
。
This weather is hard to predict; it might very well rain.
Tā他
bǎo保
bu不
zhù住
yǐ已
jīng经
zhī知
dào道
zhè这
jiàn件
shì事
le了
。
It's quite possible he already knows about this.
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Nǐ你
zài再
bù不
chū出
fā发
，
bǎo保
bu不
zhù住
huì会
chí迟
dào到
。
If you don't leave now, you'll likely be late.