1to stay, to remain; to preserve, to keep; to leave a message;
2to retain
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March 24, 2026
留(㽞)liú(liu2)
The character 留 (liú) primarily means 'to stay' or 'to remain.' It is commonly used in contexts where someone is staying in a place or retaining something. Additionally, it can refer to leaving a message for someone, indicating a sense of preservation or keeping something intact.
Strokes10Radical田Frequency#374DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, 留 often conveys a sense of hospitality, as it is common to ask guests to 'stay' longer or to leave messages for friends or family. This reflects the value placed on maintaining relationships.
Memory Tip
Imagine a person at a train station (the character 留 looks like a person standing still) deciding not to board the train, thus choosing to 'stay' instead. The sound 'liú' can be remembered by thinking of a 'glue' that keeps things together.
Meanings of 留
liú(liu2)
1to stay, to remain; to preserve, to keep; to leave a message;
2to retain
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 留
留Simplified
㽞Traditional
10Strokes
田Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#374Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L4HSK 3.0L4ElementaryTOCFLL2HSKKL1CEFRA1
Podcast: 留
Podcast: 留
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AI Study Notes for 留
Quick Contrast
留 (liú) vs 停 (tíng) — use 留 when emphasizing the act of staying or retaining, whereas 停 focuses on stopping or halting an action.
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse 留 with other similar-sounding verbs, such as 留下 (liúxià, to leave behind) and 保留 (bǎoliú, to preserve). This character is used in both formal and informal contexts, but ensure to use it appropriately in phrases, as it often pairs with words indicating location or context.
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK Level 4 word, 留 connects well with related verbs and phrases, such as 留下 (to leave behind) and 留意 (to pay attention). Focus on constructing sentences using 留 in various contexts to enhance understanding and usage.
Common Mistakes
A common mistake is using 留 when you mean to say 'to forget,' as in 'I forgot my bag' (should be 忘了, wàngle). Another error is using 留 alone without context, which may confuse the listener; it's better to use it in phrases.
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Pronunciation of 留
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Phonosemantic compound. 田 represents the meaning and 卯 represents the sound.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
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Exercise 1 of 1
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 留?
Decomposition of 留
IDS Structure⿱卯田
留Full Character
=
卯mao3
top
田Tian2
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 留?
How to say to stay, to remain; to preserve, to keep; to leave a message; in Chinese
“to stay, to remain; to preserve, to keep; to leave a message;” in Chinese is留liú
The character 留 (liú) primarily means 'to stay' or 'to remain.' It is commonly used in contexts where someone is staying in a place or retaining something. Additionally, it can refer to leaving a message for someone, indicating a sense of preservation or keeping something intact.
When to use 留
Learners often confuse 留 with other similar-sounding verbs, such as 留下 (liúxià, to leave behind) and 保留 (bǎoliú, to preserve). This character is used in both formal and informal contexts, but ensure to use it appropriately in phrases, as it often pairs with words indicating location or context.
留 or something close to it
留 (liú) vs 停 (tíng) — use 留 when emphasizing the act of staying or retaining, whereas 停 focuses on stopping or halting an action.
What learners get wrong
A common mistake is using 留 when you mean to say 'to forget,' as in 'I forgot my bag' (should be 忘了, wàngle). Another error is using 留 alone without context, which may confuse the listener; it's better to use it in phrases.
Write 留
留
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Grammar Patterns of 留
留 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 4 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
You know you are liable to be cross-examined mercilessly about the assault.
7
的确，她的死是我间接造成的。我不该把她留在那里。
de què， ， tā de sǐ shì wǒ jiān jiē zào chéng。 de 。 wǒ bù gāi bǎ tā liú zài。
Indirectly, I did cause her death. I shouldn'thave left her there.
8
弗兰开始不由自主地唠叨起乔恩是怎样无可避免地被扣留的。
fú lán kāi shǐ bù yóu zì zhǔ dì lào tāo qǐ qiáo ēn shì zěn yàng wú kě bì miǎn dì bèi kòu liú de。
Fran began her automatic patter about how Jon had been unavoidably detained.
9
留下了20名骨干人员。
liú xià le20 20 míng gǔ gān rén。
A skeleton staff of 20 is being kept on.
10
我先挑出了所有通常留到最后的人。
wǒ xiān tiāo chū le suǒ yǒu tōng cháng liú dào zuì hòu de rén。
I picked first all the people who usually were left till last.
Cultural Notes for 留
💡Did you know?
'留' is often used in phrases like '留学' (liúxué), meaning to study abroad. This reflects the importance of education and cultural exchange in Chinese society.
📜Proverb
There's a Chinese saying, '留得青山在，不怕没柴烧,' which means 'As long as there's green mountains, you won't worry about firewood.' It emphasizes the importance of preserving resources and not losing what is valuable.
Word Family of 留
Compounds25
溜liu1to slip away
瘤liu2tumor
榴liu2pomegranate
遛liu2to walk, to stroll
馏liu2distill, distillation
骝liu2a legendary horse
蹓
熘liu1to steam, to stir-fry
罶
镏liu2to distill; lutetium; surname
霤
飗
塯
媹
嵧
廇
瑠
磂
蒥
鎦liu2to distill; lutetium; surname
飀
餾liu2distill, distillation
騮liu2a legendary horse
鬸
鰡
Words Containing This Character20
留liúto retain
留下liúxiato leave behind
保留bǎoliúto retain
留言liúyánmessage
留给to set aside for留給
停留tíngliúto stop over
留意liúyìto be mindful
留学liúxuéto study abroad留學
拘留jūliúto detain (a prisoner)
残留cánliúto remain殘留
遗留yíliúto leave behind遺留
留学生liúxuéshēngstudent studying abroad留學生
滞留zhìliúto detain滯留
留恋liúliànreluctant to leave留戀
留守to stay behind to take care of things
留心liúxīnto be careful
收留shōuliúto offer shelter
扣留kòuliúto detain
逗留to stay at
留念liúniànto recall fondly
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 溜 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 留
Yes, 留 (liú) is a common character in Chinese, especially in contexts related to staying or retaining something. It appears frequently in both spoken and written Chinese.
Common phrases that include 留 (liú) are 留下 (liú xià) meaning 'to leave behind', and 留言 (liú yán) meaning 'to leave a message'. These phrases can be helpful in everyday conversations.
留 (liú) means to retain, stay, remain, keep, or preserve. It is often used in contexts such as留学生 (liú xué shēng) meaning 'international student' or 留下 (liú xià) meaning 'to leave behind'.
You can use 留 (liú) in a sentence to express the concept of staying or keeping something. For example, you could say '我想留在这里' (Wǒ xiǎng liú zài zhèlǐ), which means 'I want to stay here'.
留 means 'to stay' or 'to remain,' while 留下 specifically means 'to leave behind' something.
Yes, 留 can be used in formal contexts, especially when referring to leaving a message or indicating a request to stay.
Yes, it appears in phrases like 留心 (to pay attention) and 留言 (to leave a message).
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