留 (liú) is a Chinese character meaning “to stay”. It is written from 𠂎 (sideways pressing hand (left-side form of the claw/hand component)) and 刀 (knife) and 田 (field; farmland), one above the other, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “to stay; to keep”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
𠂎 + 刀 + 田
Top–bottom structure
- 𠂎 sideways pressing hand (left-side form of the claw/hand component) remnant
- 刀 knife · dāo remnant
- 田 field; farmland · tián meaning
Structure from: 说文解字·田部：留，止也。从田丣聲（现代字形上部已写作𠂎与刀）
Memory aid
A hand (𠂎) and a knife (刀) hover over a field (田): you stay behind to mark out your plot and keep it. That is 留, to stay or to keep.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 留下liú xiàto stay behind; to leave (something) behind留 = liú
- 保留bǎo liúto keep; to retain; to reserve留 = liú
- 逗留dòu liúto stay for a while; to stop over留 = liú
- 挽留wǎn liúto urge someone to stay留 = liú
- 拘留jū liúto detain (in police custody)留 = liú
Go deeper
All readings
to stay; to keep
to stay; to remain; to keep; to leave behind
停在某处不走；保存、不让离开；遗留下来。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 留下liú xiàto stay behind; to leave (something) behind留 = liú
- 保留bǎo liúto keep; to retain; to reserve留 = liú
- 逗留dòu liúto stay for a while; to stop over留 = liú
- 挽留wǎn liúto urge someone to stay留 = liú
- 拘留jū liúto detain (in police custody)留 = liú
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 留 mean?
留 (liú) means to stay; to remain; to keep; to leave behind.
How do you pronounce 留?
It is pronounced liú.
What parts is 留 made of?
𠂎 (sideways pressing hand (left-side form of the claw/hand component)) and 刀 (knife) and 田 (field; farmland), one above the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字·田部：留，止也。从田丣聲（现代字形上部已写作𠂎与刀）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 留 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 留?
田. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 留?
Common ones are 留下, 保留, 逗留, 挽留. The reading of 留 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.