收留

• Pinyin: shōu liú
• Hanzi breakdown: 收 = 丩 + 攴 (to receive, take in); 留 = 田 + 刀 (to keep, to allow to remain — holding something in its place)

Meaning

To take in; to shelter; to give refuge to. To accept and house someone who is homeless, displaced, or in need.

Emphasises the act of providing a physical refuge to someone without a place to go. Typically used for taking in refugees, orphans, stray animals, or persons in distress. Implies a degree of compassion or moral duty. Contrast: 收容 (to receive into an institution — more official and less personal; often used for detention or social welfare facilities); 接纳 (to accept/include — broader and more abstract, not necessarily about physical shelter).

Examples

1. 战乱期间，这座寺庙先后收留了逾三百名失去家园的难民，僧侣们以有限的粮食和医药支撑着这批流离失所的民众度过了最艰难的数月。 During the war, this temple took in more than 300 refugees who had lost their homes; with limited food and medicine, the monks supported these displaced people through the hardest months.
2. 老人在院子里发现了一只受伤的流浪猫，毫不犹豫地将其收留，悉心喂养调理，三个月后那只猫已完全康复，成了家中最受宠爱的成员。 The elderly man found an injured stray cat in his yard and took it in without hesitation, caring for it carefully; three months later, the cat had fully recovered and had become the most beloved member of the household.
3. 收留无家可归的未成年人必须依法办理手续，私下收留既无保障，也可能让好心人陷入法律风险。 Taking in homeless minors must be handled through legal procedures; privately sheltering them offers no protection and can also put well-meaning people at legal risk.

Usage Guide

Context: humanitarian, social welfare, daily life, law

Tone: compassionate

Do Say

• 民政部门救助流浪儿童时，应先由专业机构临时收留，再启动寻亲程序，确保安全和权益。(When helping homeless children, civil affairs departments should first have a professional institution provide temporary shelter, then begin the search for their families, so their safety and rights are protected.)
• 收留难民的国家既要承受巨大整合压力，也要在人道责任和本国福祉之间谨慎权衡。(Countries that take in refugees must bear huge integration pressure and also carefully balance humanitarian duty with the wellbeing of their own people.)

Don't Say

• 收留 when referring to official institutional intake — use 收容 (to receive into an institution, to shelter institutionally — more administrative); 收留 carries a personal, voluntary, and compassionate tone that is inappropriate for describing formal government detention or managed reception facilities

Origin & History

收 (to receive, to take in) + 留 (to keep, to allow to stay — 田 field + 刀 knife, originally suggesting keeping something in place)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal