留 liú remain
remain; to leave behind; to keep
How to remember 留: ⿰𠂎刀 barred + 田 field = remain. After the festival, the gate is barred and one lost tourist in the field has no choice but to remain.
Component breakdown
留 = ⿰𠂎刀 barred + 田 field
- ⿰𠂎刀 barred
- 田 field
After the festival, the gate is barred and one lost tourist in the field has no choice but to remain.
How it came to be
Two halves standing open, over a field. A gate left open onto the land and nobody going through it: what stays behind rather than what goes.
How it is used
- "To keep behind / stay" - 留下 (liúxia) leave behind, 留言 (liúyán) leave a message, 保留 (bǎoliú) retain.
- In 留学 (liúxué) it means to stay abroad to study; a 留学生 (liúxuéshēng) is an international student.
- Contrast with 剩 (shèng, be left over): 留 is a deliberate keeping; 剩 is a passive remainder.
Characters built with 留
Words with 留
- 留学liú xuéstudy abroadHSK 3
- 留学生liúxuéshēngstudent studying abroadHSK 3
- 留下liúxiato leave behindHSK 4
- 保留bǎoliúto keepHSK 5
- 停留tíngliúto stay somewhere temporarilyHSK 5
- 留言liúyánto leave a messageHSK 5
- 收留shōuliúto offer shelterHSK 7
- 留心liúxīnto be carefulHSK 7
- 留意liúyìto be mindfulHSK 7
- 扣留kòuliúto detain somebodyHSK 8
- 拘留jūliúto detain (as a prisoner)HSK 8
- 残留cánliúto remainHSK 9
- 滞留zhìliúto remain in (a place)HSK 9
- 留念liúniànto keep as a souvenirHSK 9
- 留恋liúliànreluctant to leaveHSK 9
- 留神liúshénto take careHSK 9
- 逗留dòuliúto stay for a whileHSK 9
- 遗留yíliúto leave behindHSK 9
Example sentences
- 把美好的回忆留在心中。 Bǎ měihǎo de huíyì liú zài xīnzhōng.Hold your beautiful memories in your heart.
- 他们是外国留学生。 Tāmen shì wàiguó liúxuéshēng.They're foreign students.