TongTong
Sign in

久留 (jiǔ liú) — to stay for a long time (formal, often used in negative or polite requests)

Definition

Formal verb meaning 'to stay for a long time', commonly used in polite requests (请不要久留) or to say one cannot linger. Conveys deliberate, extended staying rather than a casual visit.

verb
to stay for a long time (formal, often used in negative or polite requests)

Examples

  • 久留。
    Qǐng bú yào zài zhè lǐ jiǔ liú.
    Please don't stay here long.
  • 久留。
    Tā zài péng you jiā jiǔ liú le yì zhěng tiān.
    He stayed at his friend's house for a whole day.
  • ，久留。
    Yīn wèi gōng zuò fán máng, tā bù néng jiǔ liú.
    Because work is busy, he cannot stay long.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

久jiǔlong
留liústay

「久」 means long, and 「留」 means stay, giving a sense of staying long.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

久 likely came from a simple drawing of an arrow tip.

Open 久 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
田田tiánfield
Sound part声符shēngfú
卯
卯mǎo留liú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

留 combines 田 (field) with 卯, which gives the sound.

Open 留 →
Appears in
Frequency & Duration

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.