If someone keeps or is kept in a particular state, they remain in it.

to run a household or act as a housekeeper

A well-kept building, street , garden , or other place is always neat and tidy because it is carefully looked after.

to persevere with or persist in

to stay indoors

to stay or cause to stay at a distance (from)

If you keep someone on , you continue to employ them, for example after they are old enough to retire or after other employees have lost their jobs .

to remain or cause to remain outside

If you keep to a rule , plan , or agreement , you do exactly what you are expected or supposed to do.

If you keep up with someone or something that is moving near you, you move at the same speed .

A secret is a fact that is known by only a small number of people, and is not told to anyone else.

to refrain or prevent from coming (near)

If you keep back part of something, you do not use or give away all of it, so that you still have some to use at a later time.

If you keep the number, size , or amount of something down , you do not let it get bigger or go higher .

to prevent or restrain (oneself or another); refrain or cause to refrain

to remain or cause to remain below (a surface)

If you keep on at someone, you repeatedly ask or tell them something in a way that annoys them.

If you keep in with someone, you stay friendly with them, often in order to gain some advantage for yourself because they have power or influence.

If you say that someone keeps on about something, you mean that they keep talking about it in a boring way.

( retain : receipt, money, job ) 保留 bǎoliú ⇒ Make sure you always keep your receipts. → 记住留着收据。 Jìzhù liúzhe shōujù.

怎么(麼)会(會)晚了？ zěnme huì wǎn le?

( invalid, child ) 不让(讓)外出 bù ràng wàichū

▶ to keep on doing sth 继(繼)续(續)做某事 jìxù zuò mǒushì ⇒ They kept on walking for a while in silence. → 他们继续走了一会儿，谁都没说话。 Tāmen jìxù zǒule yīhuìr, shuí dōu méi shuōhuà.

( observe : agreement ) 遵守 zūnshǒu

( maintain : standards ) 维(維)持 wéichí ⇒ It's important to keep up our standards. → 维持水准是很重要的。 Wéichí shuǐzhǔn shì hěn zhòngyào de.

▶ to keep sth/sb away (from sth) 使某物/某人不要来(來)(某处(處)) shǐ mǒuwù/mǒurén bù yào lái (mǒuchù) ⇒ Keep animals away from the kitchen. → 别让动物到厨房里。 Bié ràng dòngwù dào chúfáng li.

( reserve : paint, ingredients ) 保留 bǎoliú ⇒ Keep back enough juice to make the sauce. → 留足够的汁做调味汁。 Liú zúgòu de zhī zuò tiáowèizhī.

( control : prices, spending ) 控制 kòngzhì ⇒ We want to try and keep costs down. → 我们想尽量压缩费用。 Wǒmen xiǎng jǐnliàng yāsuō fèiyòng.

▶ to keep from doing sth 克制 kèzhì ⇒ She bit her lip to keep from crying. → 她咬着嘴唇克制着自己不要哭。 Tā yǎozhe zuǐchún kèzhìzhe zìjǐ bù yào kū.

使不接近 shǐ bù jiējìn ⇒ a bamboo shelter to keep the rain off → 挡雨的竹棚 dǎngyǔ de zhúpéng ⇒ Keep your dog off my lawn! → 别让你的狗接近我的草坪！ Bié ràng nǐ de gǒu jiējìn wǒ de cǎopíng!

( intruder, unwelcome visitor ) 阻拦(攔) zǔlán ⇒ a guard dog to keep out intruders → 阻止闯入者的看家狗 zǔzhǐ chuǎngrùzhě de kānjiāgǒu

搞好关(關)系(係) gǎohǎo guānxì ⇒ Now he is getting old he wishes he had kept in with his family. → 他年纪大了，后悔当初没有多亲近家人。 Tā niánji dà le, hòuhuǐ dāngchū méiyǒu duō qīnjìn jiārén.