Garder vs. conserver
The French words 'garder' and 'conserver' both translate to 'to keep', 'to retain', or 'to hold on to' in English, yet they have nuances that dictate their usage in different contexts. Understanding these subtleties is key to using each word correctly in the French language.
Garder
To keep in the sense of holding onto something or someone, often implying a physical or visible form of keeping or taking care of.
Gardez vos billets jusqu'à la fin du voyage.
(Keep your tickets until the end of the journey.)
Je garde les enfants ce soir.
(I am looking after the children tonight.)
Il faut garder le silence pendant la cérémonie.
(One must keep silent during the ceremony.)
Conserver
To keep in the sense of preserving, maintaining something's state, or preventing it from being lost or wasted, often with a notion of continuity over time.
Pour conserver la confiture, mettez-la dans un endroit frais et sombre.
(To preserve the jam, store it in a cool, dark place.)
Il est important de conserver l'énergie pour protéger l'environnement.
(It is important to conserve energy to protect the environment.)
Cet hôpital conserve des dossiers médicaux pendant 20 ans.
(This hospital retains medical records for 20 years.)
Summary
While 'garder' and 'conserver' both revolve around the concept of keeping, 'garder' is more frequently used when referring to taking care of someone or something for a certain period or ensuring that a physical state or silence is maintained within a given scope. 'Conserver', on the other hand, has a nuance of preservation and maintenance over an extended duration and is less about immediate physical custody than it is about ensuring longevity and preventing decay or loss over time. The use of one over the other depends greatly on these subtle contextual differences.