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earn one's keep
keep 作名词时意为“生活费、生计”，earn one's keep 是常用固定搭配，表示靠自己的劳动养活自己。
He earns his keep by helping around the house.
他靠帮忙做家务挣自己的生活费。
生计；生活费
先理解核心含义，再看它在真实句子里的用法。
生计；生活费
Money or food needed to support a person; livelihood or maintenance.
He earns his keep by helping around the house.
他靠帮忙做家务挣自己的生活费。
维持某人生存和健康所需的食物或金钱；生计,供养。
The food or money required to keep someone alive and healthy; one's support, maintenance.
被保持的状态；由此产生的状况；情况。
The state of being kept; hence, the resulting condition; case.
固定某物(如轴箱)的盖子。
A cap for holding something, such as a journal box, in place.
The castle's keep was the strongest part, with thick stone walls.
城堡的主塔是最坚固的部分，有着厚实的石墙。
From the top of the keep, the lord could survey his entire domain.
从主塔的顶端，领主可以俯瞰他的整个领地。
The attackers tried to breach the keep but failed.
攻击者试图闯入主塔，但失败了。
keep 作名词时意为“生活费、生计”，earn one's keep 是常用固定搭配，表示靠自己的劳动养活自己。
He earns his keep by helping around the house.
他靠帮忙做家务挣自己的生活费。
pay for one's keep 强调“花钱支付食宿等生活费用”，与 earn one's keep（用劳动换取）相对。
She pays for her keep with a part-time job.
她靠兼职来支付自己的生活费。
Not this
He makes his keep by doing odd jobs.
Use this
He earns his keep by doing odd jobs.
keep 作名词表示“生计、生活费”时，固定搭配是 earn one's keep（挣得食宿费用），不能受汉语“谋生/挣钱”中“make a living”的影响而说 make one's keep。
Not this
The children did chores to earn their keeps.
Use this
The children did chores to earn their keep.
keep 在“生活费、食宿费”这一义项上是不可数名词，不能加 -s；即使主语是多人，仍用单数 keep。
Focus on the distinctions below. Other candidates are kept compact until a reliable usage note is available.
自食其力；挣得生活费
He earns his keep by delivering newspapers.
他靠送报纸自食其力。
值得养活；没白养
A good dog is well worth its keep.
一只好狗完全值得养。
支付食宿费；缴纳生活费
She pays for her keep by helping with chores.
她靠帮忙做家务来抵食宿费。
记住；牢记
Please keep in mind that the meeting starts at 9 a.m.
请记住，会议上午九点开始。
照看；留神
Could you keep an eye on my bags while I buy a ticket?
我去买票时，你能帮我照看一下行李吗？
跟上
She walks so fast that I can hardly keep up with her.
她走得很快，我几乎跟不上她。
Use keep naturally, then get feedback on meaning, tone, grammar, and phrasing.
Revisit a common error or keep this word in your review list.
把动词 keep（保持）联想为名词：保持生活所需=生计；保持的状态=状态；保持零件就位的小盖=定位盖。
语域：mixed 常见场景：everyday conversation、literary or old-fashioned writing、technical/engineering manuals 名词 keep 的语域因具体义项而不同：表示“生计、生活/食宿费用”时多用于日常或书面语，常见于 earn one's keep；表示“状态、状况”比较常见于较旧或文学性文本；表示“定位盖、固定盖”则多用于技术/机械说明。总体差异较大，建议按搭配判断。
Genuine rhymes: sheep, sleep, deep, cheap — all end with the /i:p/ sound (note that cheap is spelled with “ea”). Lookalikes to watch out for: keen /ki:n/ and key /ki:/ start like “keep” but do not rhyme with it because the final sound differs.
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY, WORDNET.