坚守
jiān shoǔ · HSK 7
to hold fast to
🛡️ 坚 firm + 守 guard = firmly guard your post = hold fast
坚 means firm or solid, and 守 means to guard or defend. Put them together and you get the sense of guarding something firmly: standing your ground and sticking to it no matter what.
守 — roof 宀 + hand/measure 寸
Originally depicts a hand (寸) under a roof (宀), suggesting someone guarding or maintaining a household. The combination evokes the idea of holding or keeping watch over a place. From this concrete image of guarding a home, the meaning broadened to 'guard,' 'protect,' 'keep,' and 'observe (rules).'