Dictionary › 留

留

liú

HSK 4 Character

What 留 means

1. to leave (a message etc)
2. to retain
3. to stay
4. to remain
5. to keep
6. to preserve

Other readings

留 is 多音字 — it is read more than one way, and the reading changes the meaning.

• liúold variant of {留|liú}
• liúold variant of {留|liú}

Example sentences

• 留下来了
  Liúxià lái le
  It is left here.
• 留下来！
  Stay!
• 留着吧。
  Keep it.
• 留点儿神！
  Be more aware!
• 你要留言吗？
  Nǐ yào liúyán ma?
  Would you like to leave a message?
• 我会留意的。
  Wǒ huì liúyì de.
  I'll see to it.

Words starting with 留

• 留下liú xiàto leave behind; to stay behind; to remain
• 留学liú xuéto study abroad
• 留言liú yánto leave a message; to leave one's comments; message
• 留恋liú liànreluctant to leave; to hate to have to go; to recall fondly
• 留念liú niànto keep as a souvenir; to recall fondly
• 留神liú shénto take care; to be careful
• 留学生liú xué shēngstudent studying abroad; returned student; foreign student; international student
• 留给liú gěito set aside for
• 留意liú yìto be mindful; to pay attention to; to take note of
• 留住liú zhùto ask sb to stay; to keep sb for the night; to await (classical)
• 留心liú xīnto be careful; to pay attention to
• 留有liú yǒuto remain in existence; to retain
• 留校liú xiàoto join the faculty of one's alma mater upon graduation…
• 留守liú shǒuto stay behind to take care of things
• 留影liú yǐngto take a photo as a souvenir; a souvenir photo
• 留存liú cúnto keep; to preserve; extant
• 留言簿liú yán bùvisitor's book
• 留情liú qíngto relent (to spare sb's feelings); to show mercy or forgiveness; to forbear
• 留宿liú sùto put up a guest; to stay overnight
• 留声机liú shēng jīgramophone; phonograph
• 留作liú zuòto set aside for; to keep as
• 留名liú míngto leave one's name; to leave one's mark
• 留级liú jíto repeat a year in school
• 留任liú rènto remain in office; to hold on to one's job

Words containing 留

• 保留bǎo liúto keep; to retain; to have reservations (about sth)
• 拘留jū liúto detain (as a prisoner); to keep sb in custody
• 遗留yí liúto leave behind; to hand down
• 残留cán liúto remain; to be left over; residual; remnant; residue
• 滞留zhì liú(of a person) to remain in (a place) (due to circumstances that prevent one leaving)…
• 停留tíng liúto stay somewhere temporarily; to stop over
• 逗留dòu liúto stay for a while; to sojourn
• 挽留wǎn liúto urge to stay; to detain
• 收留shōu liúto offer shelter; to have sb in one's care
• 居留jū liúto reside
• 拘留所jū liú suǒdetention center; prison
• 毫不留情háo bù liú qíngto show no quarter; ruthless; relentless
• 预留yù liúto set aside; to reserve
• 扣留kòu liúto detain sb; to hold sb against their will; to withhold (property, documents, funds etc)
• 去留qù liúgoing or staying
• 弥留mí liúseriously ill and about to die
• 自留地zì liú dìprivate plot allocated to an individual on a collective farm
• 久留jiǔ liúto stay for a long time
• 存留cún liúremaining; extant
• 居留证jū liú zhèngresidence permit
• 手下留情shǒu xià liú qínglit. start off leniently (idiom); please do not be too strict with me…
• 提留tí liúto withdraw (money) and retain it
• 保留价bǎo liú jiàreserve price (in an auction); (economics) reservation price
• 保留区bǎo liú qūreservation (for an ethnic minority)

Characters that look like 留

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 害hàito do harm to; to cause trouble to; harm
• 菌jūngerm; bacteria; fungus
• 窃qièto steal; secretly; (humble) I
• 笛díflute
• 圃pǔgarden; orchard
• 笞chīto whip with bamboo strips

Sounds the same

Read liú, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 流to flow; to disseminate; to circulate or spread
• 浏clear; deep (of water); swift
• 刘(classical) a type of battle-ax; to kill; to slaughter
• 瘤tumor
• 榴pomegranate
• 遛used in 逗遛
• 琉precious stone
• 硫sulfur (chemistry)
• 馏to distill; to break a liquid substance up into components by boiling
• 骝bay horse with black mane
• 旒tassel
• 镏(Taiwan; chemistry) lutetium