维 wéi to preserve
to preserve; to maintain; to hold together
How to remember 维: 纟 thread + 隹 pigeon = to preserve. With strong thread grandpa ties the broken door of his pigeon loft, hoping it is enough to preserve for one more year.
Component breakdown
维 = 纟 thread + 隹 pigeon
- 纟 thread
- 隹 pigeon
With strong thread grandpa ties the broken door of his pigeon loft, hoping it is enough to preserve for one more year.
How it is used
- 维 is bound and covers two senses: to hold/preserve something together, and mathematical 'dimension.'
- 维护 wéihù and 维持 wéichí both mean 'to maintain,' but 维护 protects a state or interest (维护和平 maintain peace) while 维持 keeps something going as-is (维持秩序 maintain order, 维持生活 make ends meet).
- 维修 wéixiū is specifically repair/maintenance of machines or buildings, e.g. 维修站 (wéixiūzhàn) repair shop.
- The dimension sense shows up in 三维 sānwéi (3D), 二维码 èrwéimǎ (QR code, literally '2D code'), and 思维 sīwéi (a person's mode of thinking).