Word · Frequency #171
keep
生计；生活费
核心释义
Money or food needed to support a person; livelihood or maintenance.
- 1.
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.
- 2.
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.
- 3.
固定某物(如轴箱)的盖子。
A cap for holding something, such as a journal box, in place.
状态；状况；固定盖；定位盖；维持某人生存和健康所需的食物或金钱；生计,供养。；被保持的状态；由此产生的状况；情况。；固定某物(如轴箱)的盖子。
用法In use
The castle's keep was the strongest part, with thick stone walls.
用法提示：Keep作为名词，指城堡中的主塔。
From the top of the keep, the lord could survey his entire domain.
用法提示：Keep在此句中作名词，表示城堡主塔。
The attackers tried to breach the keep but failed.
用法提示：Keep作为名词，指城堡的核心防御塔。
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。
pay for one's keep
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。
相关词与表达Connections
搭配Collocations
- earn one's keep
- 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。
- worth one's keep
- 值得养活；没白养
- A good dog is well worth its keep.一只好狗完全值得养。
- pay for one's keep
- 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。
习语与比喻表达Idioms & figurative uses
- keep in mind
- 记住；牢记Please keep in mind that the meeting starts at 9 a.m.
学习提示Learner notes
记忆技巧Memory Tip
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。
语境与语域Context & Register
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。
发音与拼写Pronunciation & Spelling
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.
高价值词汇High-value vocabulary
该词属于 Oxford 核心词汇，值得优先掌握常见搭配和句型。
用法优先级Usage priority
Collins 词频等级为 5，建议结合例句记忆，而不是只背中文释义。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY, WORDNET.