keep
verbVerb Forms
Idioms Phrasal Verbs| present simple I / you / we / they keep | |
| he / she / it keeps | |
| past simple kept | |
| past participle kept | |
| -ing form keeping |
- [transitive] keep something
to continue to have something and not give it back or throw it away 保有；留着；不退还 He kept all her letters. 他保存了她的所有信件。 She handed the waiter a hundred dollar bill and told him to keep the change. 她递给侍者一张100美元的钞票，并告诉他不用找了。 Always keep a backup of the file. 始终保留文件的备份。
- [transitive] keep something + adv./prep.
to put or store something in a particular place 放，存放，贮存（在某处） Extra ExamplesWhere do you keep the sugar? 你把糖放哪儿了？ The documents are all kept under lock and key. 文件都锁起来收好了。
- [transitive] (especially British English)
to save something for somebody （为某人）保留，留下 - [intransitive, transitive]
to stay in a particular condition or position; to make somebody/something do this （使）保持，处于 - keep + adj.
We huddled together to keep warm. 我们挤在一起来保暖。 I could not keep silent any longer. 我再也不能保持沉默了。 - keep + adv./prep.
The notice said ‘Keep off (= Do not walk on) the grass’. 牌子上写着 “勿践踏草地”。 Keep left along the wall. 沿着墙靠左边走。 - keep somebody/something + adj.
The doctors worked miracles to keep him alive. 医生创造奇迹让他活了下来。 Winning the contract means they can now keep the factory open. 赢得合同意味着他们现在可以保持工厂的开放。 She kept the children amused for hours. 她陪孩子们玩了好几个小时。 Keep your PIN safe. 确保您的个人识别码的安全。 - keep somebody/something + adv./prep.
He kept his coat on. 他一直穿着大衣。 Don't keep us in suspense—what happened next? 别跟我们卖关子了，接下来发生了什么事？ - keep something
She had trouble keeping her balance. 她保持平衡有困难。 - keep somebody/something doing something
I'm very sorry to keep you waiting. 对不起，让你久等了。
Extra ExamplesI'm amazed that she keeps so cheerful. 我很惊讶她还能如此快乐。 Keep close to me. 靠紧我。 She needed to keep busy. 她需要一直有事干。 Sit down and keep calm! 坐下，保持镇静！ Try to keep active in the cold weather. 天冷时要尽量多活动。 We managed to keep dry by standing in a doorway. 我们站在门口设法保持干燥。
- keep + adj.
- [intransitive]
to continue doing something; to do something repeatedly 继续，重复（做某事） - [transitive] keep a secret | keep something secret (from somebody)
to know something and not tell it to anyone 保守（秘密） - [transitive] keep something
to do what you have promised to do; to go where you have agreed to go 遵守；笃守；恪守 She kept her promise to visit them. 她遵守诺言去看望了他们。 Mary kept her word and Henry was never informed. 玛丽信守诺言，亨利从未被告知。 He failed to keep his appointment at the clinic. 他未能按预约的时间去诊所。
- [transitive]
to write down something as a record 记下，记录，记载（日记、账目、记录等） She kept a diary for over twenty years. 她记了二十多年的日记。 We keep a record of all complaints that we receive. 我们对收到的所有投诉都有记录。 Keep a note of where each item can be found. 把每样物品的位置记录下来。 I kept a weekly account of my workload and activities. 我每周都记录我的工作量和活动。
Extra ExamplesSeparate accounts must be kept for each different business activity. 每一笔生意都要分别记账。 Village clerks were unable to keep a proper record of deaths because they were so frequent. 村务人员无法保留适当的死亡记录，因为他们经常死亡。
- [transitive] keep something
to own and care for animals 养；饲养 to keep bees/goats/hens 养蜜蜂／山羊／母鸡 My grandmother kept chickens in her back yard. 我奶奶在后院养鸡。 Residents are not allowed to keep pets. 禁止居民养宠物。
- [transitive] keep something (especially British English)
to own and manage a shop or restaurant 开设，经营，管理（商店或餐馆） - [transitive] keep somebody/yourself
to provide what is necessary for somebody to live; to support somebody by paying for food, etc. 供养；养活 Extra ExamplesAt the time many working men did not earn enough to keep a wife and children. 当时，许多工人挣的钱不足以养活妻子和孩子。 He kept himself by giving private lessons. 他通过上私人课来养活自己。
- [transitive] keep somebody
to delay somebody 使耽搁；使延误 You're an hour late—what kept you? 你晚了一小时，什么事把你给耽误了？ I won't keep you long. I've just got a couple of quick questions. 我不会耽误你很长时间，我就问几个简单的问题。
- [intransitive] + adv./prep. (informal)
used to ask or talk about somebody’s health （询问或谈论某人的健康） - [intransitive]
to remain in good condition 保持不坏 Finish off the pie—it won't keep. 把馅饼都吃了吧，这东西不耐放。 Milk and cream should keep quite well in a fridge. 牛奶和奶油放在冰箱里应当保存得好。 - (informal, figurative)
‘I'd love to hear about it, but I'm late already.’ ‘That's OK—it'll keep (= I can tell you about it later).’ “我很想听听，不过我已经迟到了。” “好吧，我以后再告诉你。”
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- well
- [transitive] (formal)
to protect somebody from something 保护；使免受 - [transitive] keep goal/wicket
(in football (soccer), hockey, cricket, etc. 足球、曲棍球、板球等 to guard or protect the goal or wicket 守门；把守球门
not give back不退还
put/store放；存放
save for somebody为某人保留
stay保持
continue继续
secret秘密
promise/appointment承诺；约会
diary/record日记；记录
animals动物
shop/restaurant商店；餐馆
support somebody供养
delay耽搁
about health健康
of food食物
protect保护
in sport体育运动
Word Originlate Old English cēpan ‘seize, take in’, also ‘care for, attend to’, of unknown origin.
Idioms Most idioms containing keep are at the entries for the nouns and adjectives in the idioms, for example keep house is at house.
keep going
to make an effort to live normally when you are in a difficult situation or when you have experienced great pain and difficulty （在身处困境或遭难时）尽力维持下去，坚持活下去 - (informal)
used to encourage somebody to continue doing something （用于鼓励）继续下去，坚持下去
keep somebody going