guardar

to keep, to save

verb gwahr-DAHR Less Common

Origin: Germanic *wardôn

Also means

to put away

Usage Note

Guardar derives from a Germanic root meaning 'to guard', and covers storing (guardar dinero — 'to save/keep money'), saving a file (guarda el archivo), and maintaining a state (guardar silencio — 'to keep silent'). The colloquial ¡Guárdate tus comentarios! means 'Keep your comments to yourself!' It differs from salvar, which specifically means 'to rescue'.

Examples

"Guarda el pasaporte en un lugar seguro."

Natural Translation

Keep your passport in a safe place.

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