Learn a Chinese Character - 留

1. Character Basics

Radical: 田 (tián, field radical)

Stroke Count: 10

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: liú (Second tone)

3. Meaning

To keep; to retain; to leave; to stay; to remain; to preserve; to save; to leave behind; to ask someone to stay; to detain; to reserve; to hold back; to leave a message; to stay in place

4. Common Words

• 留下 (liúxià) - To leave behind; to stay
• 保留 (bǎoliú) - To preserve; to keep; to retain
• 停留 (tíngliú) - To stay; to stop; to remain
• 留心 (liúxīn) - To be careful; to pay attention; to take notice
• 留言 (liúyán) - To leave a message; a message
• 留学生 (liúxuéshēng) - International student; overseas student
• 留恋 (liúliàn) - To be reluctant to leave; to cherish the memory of
• 挽留 (wǎnliú) - To persuade someone to stay; to keep

5. Grammar & Usage

As a verb: Mainly means "to keep", "to retain", "to leave", or "to stay". It is often used to indicate the act of preserving something, making someone stay, or remaining in a place. It can be combined with other characters to form verbs with specific meanings related to keeping or staying.

6. Cultural Background

In Chinese culture, the concept of "留" (keeping/staying) has important social and cultural meanings. For example, 挽留 (persuading someone to stay) reflects the value placed on interpersonal relationships and hospitality. The character also appears in terms like 留学生 (international student), which represents the exchange and preservation of knowledge across cultures. Additionally, the idea of keeping traditions and heritage is often associated with the character 留.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

The character 留有 10 strokes. It consists of 田 (tián, field) and 丣 (yǒu, an old character meaning "wine jug" or "to store"). You can remember it by visualizing keeping or storing something in a field (田), which relates to the meaning of retaining or preserving.