Chinese word

留下

Pronunciation

Pinyinliú xià

Meaning

  • verbleave behind

Example

他把钥匙留下了。tā bǎ yào shi liú xià le

He left the key behind.

Illustration for 留下 (leave behind)

More examples

请在表格上留下你的电话号码。qǐng zài biǎo gé shàng liú xià nǐ de diàn huà hào mǎ

Please leave your phone number on the form.

Core concept

Making something remain instead of taking it away, whether it stays in a place or is carried forward by later people.

Common phrases

  • 把钥匙留下bǎ yào shi liú xià

    leave the key behind

  • 留下电话号码liú xià diàn huà hào mǎ

    leave a phone number

  • 在桌子上留下zài zhuō zi shàng liú xià

    leave on the table

Similar words

留给liú gěi: Keep something for a specific person to receive or use.
剩下shèng xià: Be left over after people use or take part of something.
放下fàng xià: Set down something that the hands are holding.
留住liú zhù: Cause a person or thing to remain in a place.

Definition in Chinese

把某人或某物留在原地，使其不随自己离开。bǎ mǒu rén huò mǒu wù liú zài yuán dì shǐ qí bù suí zì jǐ lí kāi

Word origin

留 (liú, "stay") + 下 (xià, "down") forms the idea of making someone or something stay in place after another person moves away.

Usage tips

  • When the subject is the person who stays, Chinese commonly adds 来 (lái, "come") to form 留下来 (liúxiàlái, "stay behind"), rather than using the basic verb alone.

Other meanings

  • pass downverb
  • stayverb
  • keepverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word