guarantee
Definitions
A formal promise that something will be done or will meet a standard.
保证，担保。
A written assurance that a product will be repaired or replaced if faulty.
保证书，质保单。
To promise that something will happen or is certainly true.
保证，担保（某事会发生或确实如此）。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedThe doublet of warrant: the same Frankish warand, but through Central French where Germanic w- became gu-. So guarantee = 'warrant' in a French accent. It means to vouch that something will hold true — a promise backed by your assurance.
Root warrant still carries 6 more wordsWhy It Means This
Why do guarantee and warranty look unrelated yet mean almost the same? Because the same Germanic word entered English twice. Norman French kept the w- (giving warrant/warranty); Central French changed w- to gu- (giving guarantee). The pair joins other w-/gu- doublets: ward/guard, warden/guardian. Spotting the pattern turns 'odd French words' into familiar relatives.
Common Collocations
- 1.money-back guarantee退款保证
- 2.guarantee of quality质量保证
- 3.guarantee a refund保证退款
- 4.no guarantee无法保证
Example Sentences
- 1.
The manufacturer offers a two-year guarantee on all its appliances.
- 2.
Paying more does not guarantee better quality.
Easily Confused
guarantee vs warranty — In daily speech they overlap (a promise of quality). Legally, a warranty is the written clause in a contract about a product's condition, while a guarantee is the broader promise to repair/replace or refund. Also note: guarantee is freely a verb ('I guarantee it'); warranty is almost only a noun.