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How to write 留 (liú, “to leave”)

留 (liú), an HSK 2 character, means “to leave”, “to retain” and “to stay”. As a top-bottom character it splits into 卯 (“mortise”), strokes 1–5; 田 (“field”, the radical), strokes 6–10, written the top first. On its own it is an HSK 4 word; it also forms 留学 (“to study abroad”), 留学生 (“student studying abroad”) and 留下 (“to leave behind”). Japanese reads it ryuu, “detain”, as a JLPT N3 kanji.

Pinyin
liú
Strokes
10
HSK
2
Radical
田 (“field”)

Stroke by stroke

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  1. topdownwards → down and left
  2. top leftdownwards → up and right
  3. topdown and right
  4. toprightwards → downwards
  5. topdown and left
  6. leftdownwards
  7. leftrightwards → downwards
  8. bottomrightwards
  9. centerdownwards
  10. bottom leftrightwards

Names of the strokes

Japanese and Chinese

The two models differ in shape, so our comparison does not claim an order; compare the numbered frames yourself (10 strokes in Japanese, 10 strokes in Chinese).

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Japanese · KanjiVG · 10 strokes
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Chinese · Make Me a Hanzi · 10 strokes

Trace it

Follow the numbers. Tracing help

Pinyin and meaning

PinyinMeaningsTraditionalIn words
liú
second tone
to leave (a message etc); to retain; to stay; to remain; to keep—留学 留学生 留下 留言
HSK 2025 syllabus
level 2
2021 standard
level 2
HSK 2.0
in a level 4 word
Words with it
115 in CC-CEDICT

Words with 留

WordPinyinMeaning
留liúto leave (a message etc); to retain HSK 4
留学 留學liúxuéto study abroad HSK 3
留学生 留學生liúxuéshēngstudent studying abroad; returned student HSK 3
留下liúxiato leave behind; to stay behind HSK 4
留言liúyánto leave a message; to leave one's comments HSK 5
保留bǎoliúto keep; to retain HSK 5
停留tíngliúto stay for a time; to stop HSK 5
留意liúyìto be mindful; to pay attention to HSK 7-9
收留shōuliúto offer shelter; to have sb in one's care HSK 7-9
留心liúxīnto be careful; to pay attention to HSK 7-9

HSK words first (CC-CEDICT).

Practice sheet

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Keep going

HSK 2, in list order: