Chinese word

留神

Pronunciation

Pinyinliú shén

Meaning

  • verbbe careful

Example

下楼时要留神，别摔倒。xià lóu shí yào liú shén bié shuāi dǎo

Be careful when going downstairs so you do not fall.

Illustration for 留神 (be careful)

More examples

开车时要留神，路上很滑。kāi chē shí yào liú shén lù shàng hěn huá

Be careful when driving; the road is very slippery.

Core concept

Holding attention at the point where a problem may arise, ready to notice it.

Common phrases

  • 留神开车liú shén kāi chē

    be careful while driving

  • 留神走路liú shén zǒu lù

    be careful while walking

Similar words

注意zhù yì: Directing the mind toward an important point that needs attention.
小心xiǎo xīn: Being careful to keep accidents or damage from happening.
留心liú xīn: Watching for small details and keeping them in mind.
当心dāng xīn: Watching out for danger or anything that could lead to a bad result.

Definition in Chinese

保持警觉，注意可能发生的危险或失误。bǎo chí jǐng jué zhù yì kě néng fā shēng de wēi xiǎn huò shī wù

Word origin

The compound 留 (liú, "keep") + 神 (shén, "mind") presents alertness as keeping the mind in place instead of letting it wander.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, this word can flag a loose step, a missed detail, or a possible mistake, not only an obvious physical danger.

Other meanings

  • pay attentionverb
  • be on guardverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word