to guarantee; guarantee
HSK level
保证 is written with 16 strokes (保: 9, 证: 7). The animation replays automatically.
保证 (bǎozhèng) is a verb meaning 'to guarantee,' 'to assure,' or 'to pledge,' and it also works as the noun 'guarantee.'
It expresses a firm commitment that something will happen or hold true: 我保证按时到 ('I guarantee I'll arrive on time'). It can take a clause (保证 + [that something happens]) or an object (质量保证, 'quality guarantee'). Unlike English 'guarantee,' 保证 in speech is often a personal vow of reliability rather than a legal warranty — a speaker saying 保证没问题 is promising, not signing a contract.
As a noun it appears in fixed terms like 保证金 ('deposit/security') and 保证书 ('written pledge'). It is neutral in register, common in both everyday promises and formal commercial or official language.
Note: Neutral. In speech it often functions as a confident promise ('I guarantee it'); in writing and commerce it appears in warranties, pledges, and formal assurances.
Character by character
Memory hook: 保 (ensure) + 证 (proof): to ensure-and-prove — you back your word with certainty, a guarantee.
我保证明天一定还你钱。
Wǒ bǎozhèng míngtiān yídìng huán nǐ qián.
I promise I'll pay you back tomorrow for sure.
spoken
这家店保证一个月内可以退货。
Zhè jiā diàn bǎozhèng yí gè yuè nèi kěyǐ tuìhuò.
This shop guarantees you can return items within a month.
neutral
谁也不能保证明天不下雨。
Shéi yě bùnéng bǎozhèng míngtiān bú xiàyǔ.
No one can guarantee it won't rain tomorrow.
spoken
公司保证按时完成这个项目。
Gōngsī bǎozhèng ànshí wánchéng zhège xiàngmù.
The company guarantees the project will be completed on time.
written
承诺 ('to promise / commit') is more formal and often written, used for pledges and undertakings. 保证 is stronger and more emphatic in speech, stressing that the outcome is certain, not just intended.
确保 ('to ensure / make certain') focuses on taking action so an outcome definitely happens, and is more written/formal. 保证 can be a personal vow to another person, which 确保 usually isn't.
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