留

• Pinyin: liú
• Hanzi breakdown: 留 = 卯 (phonetic) + 田 (field) — originally to stay in a field

Meaning

To stay; to remain; to keep; to leave behind. Indicates keeping something in place or not departing.

Versatile verb used for staying in a place, keeping or saving something, leaving something behind for someone, or asking someone to stay. Also appears in many common compounds like 留学 (study abroad) and 留言 (leave a message).

Examples

1. 请把你的电话号码留给我。 Please leave me your phone number.
2. 这本书你先留着吧。 You can keep this book for now.
3. 他决定留在北京工作。 He decided to stay in Beijing and work.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, requests

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 你能留一下吗？(Can you stay for a bit?)
• 请留下你的联系方式。(Please leave your contact information.)

Don't Say

• 不要混淆'留'和'流' (Don't confuse 留 (stay/keep) with 流 (flow) — they sound similar but mean very different things)

Origin & History

Phonosemantic character: 卯 (phonetic component) + 田 (field). Originally meant to remain in a field, later generalised to staying or keeping.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal