<p><strong>留(下)</strong> is your best bet.</p>

<p>Here's an example from <em>Oxford C-E</em>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>我留下20块钱，下剩的给你。<br>
  I'll keep 20 <em>yuan</em> and the rest is for you.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-18T02:08:53.627Z
2019-08-18T02:08:53.627Z
Mou某
<p>In your example, I'll give you these two apples, but I'll keep them it means:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>保留</strong></p>
</blockquote>

<p>'to keep' can be said that <strong>保持 保存 维持</strong>.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Like<BR/>That's why I must trust you to keep this secret <BR/>那就是为什么我必须得相信你会<strong>保守</strong>这个秘密的原因。<BR/>
  I had to keep in with the people who mattered. <BR/>我得和管事儿的人<strong>保持</strong>良好关系<BR/>I wanted to keep in touch, but when I called him he gave me the brush-off. <BR/>我想和他<strong>保持</strong>联系，但当我打电话给他时，他却不理睬我。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>'to keep' is a sense of <strong>continuity</strong><BR/>Its effect is to put something in a certain state</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-18T04:53:57.603Z
2019-08-20T05:51:04.300Z
2019-08-20T05:51:04.300Z
sypicky
<p>'I have 3 apples, I'll give you two apples, I'll keep this one'.<br>
我有三个苹果，我给你两个，一个留给我自己。</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-18T22:53:59.863Z
2019-08-18T22:53:59.863Z
Pedroski
<p>Seems like an easy question, but there doesn't seem to be an easy answer!
If I have three apples in my hands and I give you two, I could say 'I'll give you these two apples, but I will keep this one'.
What is the verb for 'to keep' in this scenario? 拥有? 保持? 留下?
All thoughts much appreciated!
Hashamyim</p>

<vocabulary>
How to say 'to keep' in Chinese?
# How to say 'to keep' in Chinese?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-08-18)

Seems like an easy question, but there doesn't seem to be an easy answer!
If I have three apples in my hands and I give you two, I could say 'I'll give you these two apples, but I will keep this one'.
What is the verb for 'to keep' in this scenario? 拥有? 保持? 留下?
All thoughts much appreciated!
username_0

**Tags:** vocabulary


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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-08-18. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

**留(下)** is your best bet.

Here's an example from *Oxford C-E*:

> 我留下20块钱，下剩的给你。  
> I'll keep 20 *yuan* and the rest is for you.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2019-08-18. Score: 1

In your example, I'll give you these two apples, but I'll keep them it means:

> **保留**

'to keep' can be said that **保持 保存 维持**.

> Like  
> That's why I must trust you to keep this secret   
> 那就是为什么我必须得相信你会**保守**这个秘密的原因。  
> I had to keep in with the people who mattered.   
> 我得和管事儿的人**保持**良好关系  
> I wanted to keep in touch, but when I called him he gave me the brush-off.   
> 我想和他**保持**联系，但当我打电话给他时，他却不理睬我。

'to keep' is a sense of **continuity**  
Its effect is to put something in a certain state


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### Answer by username_3 on 2019-08-18. Score: 0

'I have 3 apples, I'll give you two apples, I'll keep this one'.  
我有三个苹果，我给你两个，一个留给我自己。


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