KeepvsRemain

'Keep' means actively maintaining something; 'remain' means simply continuing to be in the same state, without action.

Side-by-side comparison

Keep

verb

"Keep" means to hold on to, maintain, or continue doing something actively: keeping an object, keeping a promise, continuing an action.

Keep the receipt in case you need to return it.
She always keeps her promises, even the small ones.
Keep working on the project while I check with the client.

Remain

verb

"Remain" means to continue existing in the same state or place, without changing. It's more formal and describes a condition, not an action.

Despite the bad news, she remained calm during the meeting.
The situation remains unclear until we get more information.
Only a few tickets remain for Saturday's show.

Common mistake

"Remain calm" and "keep calm" both exist but mean slightly different things: "keep calm" (an active effort to stay calm) vs "remain calm" (staying in that state, more passive/formal). The typical mistake is using "remain" when there's a clear action: "remain working" sounds odd, the natural phrase is "keep working".

Trick to remember it

"Keep" implies YOU do something to make it stay that way (hold, maintain, continue doing). "Remain" implies things simply STAY that way, without anyone actively doing anything.

Quick rule

Is there an action or effort behind it? "Keep". Is it just a condition or state that continues? "Remain".

Did you know?

"Remain" comes from Old French "remanoir", from Latin "remanere" (to stay behind, to remain), literally "re-" (again) + "manere" (to stay). "Keep" has a much humbler origin: from Old English "cēpan", which meant "to watch over" or "to observe" (like a guard watching something). That's why "keeper" still means "guardian" today (zookeeper, goalkeeper); that original idea of "actively watching over something" is exactly the difference with "remain".