bǎoxiǎn: 保险 - Insurance, To Insure, Safe

• Keywords: 保险, baoxian, Chinese for insurance, buy insurance in China, car insurance China, health insurance China, life insurance China, travel insurance China, shehui baoxian, social insurance, Chinese vocabulary, learn Chinese.
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese word 保险 (bǎoxiǎn), which means insurance. This comprehensive guide breaks down the characters, explains its vital role in modern Chinese culture, and provides practical examples for everything from buying car insurance (车险) and health insurance (医疗保险) to understanding China's mandatory social insurance (社会保险). This is your go-to resource for using a term crucial for living, working, or traveling in China.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): bǎoxiǎn
• Part of Speech: Noun, Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: A contract (policy) that provides financial protection or reimbursement against losses; the act of insuring something.
• In a Nutshell: `保险 (bǎoxiǎn)` is the direct Chinese equivalent of the English word “insurance.” It's a fundamental concept for managing risk in modern life, covering everything from your health and car to your home and travel plans. The word itself literally means “protect from danger,” perfectly capturing the sense of security and peace of mind that insurance aims to provide.

• 保 (bǎo): This character means “to protect,” “to defend,” or “to keep.” The left-side radical, 亻, is a person. You can imagine a person (亻) standing guard to protect something valuable.
• 险 (xiǎn): This character means “danger,” “risk,” or “peril.” The left-side radical, 阝 (a variation of 阜), depicts a mound or a steep hill. The right side, 佥, gives the sound. Together, they evoke the image of a perilous, steep place that one must navigate with caution.
• The two characters combine beautifully to mean “to protect (保) from danger (险),” which is the core function of insurance.

Historically, the “insurance” for most Chinese people was the family unit and the local community. In times of hardship, one would rely on parents, siblings, or neighbors. However, with China's rapid economic development, urbanization, and the breakdown of traditional multi-generational households, this informal safety net has become less reliable. Consequently, formal, contractual `保险 (bǎoxiǎn)` has become increasingly important in modern Chinese society. This reflects a significant cultural shift towards individual financial planning and risk management. A key difference from the typically private insurance landscape in the United States is China's mandatory `社会保险 (shèhuì bǎoxiǎn)`, or “Social Insurance.” This is a state-run system that all formal employees and their employers must contribute to. It covers five main areas:

1.  Pension (养老保险)
2.  Medical (医疗保险)
3.  Unemployment (失业保险)
4.  Work-related Injury (工伤保险)
5.  Maternity (生育保险)

This system is a cornerstone of social stability in China and is a non-negotiable part of working legally in the country. For Chinese citizens, commercial insurance is often purchased as a supplement to this basic state coverage.

`保险` is a standard, neutral term used in both formal contracts and everyday conversations. The most common phrase you'll hear is `买保险 (mǎi bǎoxiǎn)`, which means “to buy insurance.”

You'll often see `保险` combined with other words to specify the type:

• 医疗保险 (yīliáo bǎoxiǎn): Medical / Health Insurance
• 汽车保险 (qìchē bǎoxiǎn): Car Insurance. Often shortened to 车险 (chēxiǎn) in conversation.
• 人寿保险 (rénshòu bǎoxiǎn): Life Insurance (literally “human life insurance”).
• 旅游保险 (lǚyóu bǎoxiǎn): Travel Insurance.
• 意外险 (yìwài xiǎn): Accident Insurance.

`保险` can also be used as a verb meaning “to insure.”

• `我给我的新车保险了。(Wǒ gěi wǒ de xīn chē bǎoxiǎn le.)` - I insured my new car.

• Example 1:
  • 你买保险了吗？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ mǎi bǎoxiǎn le ma?
  • English: Have you bought insurance?
  • Analysis: A very common and direct question. `买 (mǎi)` is the standard verb used with `保险`.
• Example 2:
  • 在中国工作，公司必须为我们交社会保险。
  • Pinyin: Zài Zhōngguó gōngzuò, gōngsī bìxū wèi wǒmen jiāo shèhuì bǎoxiǎn.
  • English: When working in China, the company must pay social insurance for us.
  • Analysis: This sentence highlights the mandatory nature of `社会保险 (shèhuì bǎoxiǎn)`. The verb `交 (jiāo)` means “to hand in” or “to pay” in this context.
• Example 3:
  • 我的汽车保险快到期了，我得续保。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ de qìchē bǎoxiǎn kuài dàoqī le, wǒ děi xùbǎo.
  • English: My car insurance is about to expire, I have to renew it.
  • Analysis: `到期 (dàoqī)` means “to expire.” `续保 (xùbǎo)` is a specific word that means “to renew insurance.”
• Example 4:
  • 你最好买一份旅游保险，以防万一。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ zuìhǎo mǎi yī fèn lǚyóu bǎoxiǎn, yǐ fáng wàn yī.
  • English: You'd better buy a travel insurance policy, just in case.
  • Analysis: `一份 (yī fèn)` is a measure word for documents or policies. `以防万一 (yǐ fáng wàn yī)` is a great idiom meaning “just in case” (literally “to prevent the one in ten thousand”).
• Example 5:
  • 这次手术的费用可以走医疗保险报销吗？
  • Pinyin: Zhè cì shǒushù de fèiyòng kěyǐ zǒu yīliáo bǎoxiǎn bàoxiāo ma?
  • English: Can the cost of this surgery be reimbursed through medical insurance?
  • Analysis: `走保险 (zǒu bǎoxiǎn)` is a colloquial way to say “to go through insurance.” `报销 (bàoxiāo)` is the key verb for “to reimburse” or “to make a claim.”
• Example 6:
  • 不同的保险公司，保费也不同。
  • Pinyin: Bùtóng de bǎoxiǎn gōngsī, bǎofèi yě bùtóng.
  • English: Different insurance companies have different premiums.
  • Analysis: This shows how `保险` is used as a modifier. `保费 (bǎofèi)` is the specific word for “insurance premium.”
• Example 7:
  • 他是这份人寿保险的受益人。
  • Pinyin: Tā shì zhè fèn rénshòu bǎoxiǎn de shòuyìrén.
  • English: He is the beneficiary of this life insurance policy.
  • Analysis: A more formal sentence you might see in a contract. `受益人 (shòuyìrén)` means “beneficiary.”
• Example 8:
  • 出事后，我马上给保险公司打了电话。
  • Pinyin: Chūshì hòu, wǒ mǎshàng gěi bǎoxiǎn gōngsī dǎle diànhuà.
  • English: After the accident, I immediately called the insurance company.
  • Analysis: `出事 (chūshì)` means “to have an accident.” This is a very practical sentence for anyone driving in China.
• Example 9:
  • 这个古董太贵重了，我们必须给它保险。
  • Pinyin: Zhège gǔdǒng tài guìzhòng le, wǒmen bìxū gěi tā bǎoxiǎn.
  • English: This antique is too valuable, we must insure it.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates the verb usage of `保险`. The structure `给 + [object] + 保险` is common.
• Example 10:
  • 虽然听起来有点迷信，但买个保险能让我更安心。
  • Pinyin: Suīrán tīngqǐlái yǒudiǎn míxìn, dàn mǎi ge bǎoxiǎn néng ràng wǒ gèng ānxīn.
  • English: Although it sounds a bit superstitious, buying insurance can make me feel more at ease.
  • Analysis: This sentence touches on the psychological aspect of insurance. `安心 (ānxīn)` means “peace of mind” or “to feel at ease.”

• `保险 (bǎoxiǎn)` vs. `安全 (ānquán)`: This is a common point of confusion.
  • `保险 (bǎoxiǎn)` refers specifically to the financial product or contract of insurance. It's about mitigating financial risk.
  • `安全 (ānquán)` means “safe” or “safety” in a general sense—physical safety, security, etc.
  • Correct: `开车时要注意安全。(Kāichē shí yào zhùyì ānquán.)` - Pay attention to safety when driving.
  • Incorrect: `开车时要注意保险。` (This would strangely mean “pay attention to the insurance policy while driving.”)
  • Correct: `我买了汽车保险。(Wǒ mǎi le qìchē bǎoxiǎn.)` - I bought car insurance.
  • Incorrect: `我买了汽车安全。` (This is grammatically and logically incorrect.)
• Using `保险` as a Verb: While you can say `给车保险 (gěi chē bǎoxiǎn)` (to insure the car), it's far more common for learners and native speakers alike to use the phrase `买保险 (mǎi bǎoxiǎn)` (to buy insurance). When in doubt, use `买`. For example, instead of `你保险你的手机了吗？`, it's more natural to say `你给你的手机买保险了吗？`.
• Saying “I am insured”: English speakers often want a direct translation. There isn't a simple “I am insured” phrase with a state-of-being verb. Instead, you express it through action:
  • `我有保险。(Wǒ yǒu bǎoxiǎn.)` - I have insurance.
  • `我买了保险。(Wǒ mǎi le bǎoxiǎn.)` - I bought insurance.

• 安全 (ānquán) - Safety, security. The state of being that `保险` helps protect financially.
• 风险 (fēngxiǎn) - Risk. The danger or peril that insurance is designed to cover.
• 保费 (bǎofèi) - Insurance premium. The fee you pay for an insurance policy.
• 赔偿 (péicháng) - To compensate; indemnity. The money the insurance company pays out after a claim.
• 报销 (bàoxiāo) - To reimburse. The specific action of claiming money back, especially for medical or business expenses.
• 合同 (hétong) - Contract. An insurance policy is a type of `合同`.
• 社会保险 (shèhuì bǎoxiǎn) - Social Insurance. The mandatory government-run insurance system in China.
• 车险 (chēxiǎn) - Car insurance. The common colloquial term for `汽车保险`.
• 受益人 (shòuyìrén) - Beneficiary. The person who receives the payout from an insurance policy.
• 投保 (tóubǎo) - To insure; to take out an insurance policy. A more formal/written term for buying insurance.