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verb HSK 4
liú xià
to leave behind · to stay behind · to remain · to keep

Meaning

留下 is a common verb meaning to leave something or someone behind, or to remain in a place. It combines 留 (to stay, remain) with 下 (down, indicating a completed action). The word can refer to physical objects left somewhere, people staying in a location, or abstract things like impressions or memories.

Usage

Native speakers use 留下 in both formal and informal contexts. It commonly appears with objects (留下钱 - leave money), people as subjects staying somewhere (我留下来 - I'll stay), or abstract legacies (留下印象 - leave an impression). It's more versatile than just 留 alone, emphasizing the result of staying or leaving something.

Examples

  1. 01
    请把你的电话号码留下。
    Qǐng bǎ nǐ de diàn huà hào mǎ liú xià.
    Please leave your phone number.
  2. 02
    他决定留下来帮助我们完成这个项目。
    Tā jué dìng liú xià lái bāng zhù wǒ men wán chéng zhè ge xiàng mù.
    He decided to stay behind to help us complete this project.

Characters

Common collocations

  • 留下来
    liú xià lái
    to stay (behind)
  • 留下印象
    liú xià yìn xiàng
    to leave an impression
  • 留下联系方式
    liú xià lián xì fāng shì
    to leave contact information
  • 留下痕迹
    liú xià hén jì
    to leave traces

Antonyms

Origin

The character 留 originally depicted keeping livestock in a field, conveying the idea of retention. 下 as a directional complement reinforces the sense of settling or depositing something in place.

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