溜

• Pinyin: liū
• Hanzi breakdown: 溜 = 氵(water radical, slippery) + 留 (remain, stay)

Meaning

To slip away; to sneak off. To leave or move quietly and unobtrusively, often to avoid notice.

Commonly used in informal speech. Can describe slipping away from a situation one wants to avoid or moving smoothly and quietly. Also used in the compound 溜走 (to slip away) and 溜达 (to stroll). Has a slightly playful or mischievous tone.

Examples

1. 会议还没结束，他就悄悄溜出了会议室，没有人注意到他的离开。 Before the meeting was even over, he quietly slipped out of the conference room without anyone noticing he’d left.
2. 孩子趁父母不注意，溜进厨房偷吃了几块糕点。 When his parents weren’t paying attention, the child snuck into the kitchen and stole a few pieces of pastry.
3. 她不想参加聚会，便找了个借口悄悄溜走了。 She didn’t want to go to the gathering, so she made an excuse and quietly slipped away.

Usage Guide

Context: casual, colloquial

Tone: playful

Do Say

• 他悄悄溜出教室，去操场踢球了。(He quietly slipped out of the classroom to play football on the field.)
• 她趁大家不注意溜走了，没有跟任何人打招呼。(She slipped away while no one was paying attention, without saying goodbye to anyone.)

Don't Say

• 把溜用于正式书面语表达离开的行为 — 溜 is colloquial and implies sneaking or slipping away; use 离开 or 退出 in formal contexts (Don't use 溜 in formal writing — use 离开 or 悄然退出 to express departure formally)

Origin & History

Phonosemantic compound: 氵(water) + 留 (stay) — originally denoting smooth or slippery movement; extended to mean slipping away unnoticed.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal