停薪留职 (tíng xīn liú zhí) — to take unpaid leave while retaining one's job position

Definition

A formal HR term: stop paying salary but keep the job open for the employee to return to. Often used for studying abroad, starting a business, or other personal projects.

idiom
to take unpaid leave while retaining one's job position

Examples

  • 停薪留职，。
    Tā shēn qǐng le tíng xīn liú zhí, qù guó wài xué xí yì nián.
    He applied for unpaid leave with job retention to study abroad for a year.
  • 停薪留职，。
    Gōng sī yǔn xǔ yuán gōng tíng xīn liú zhí, dàn xū yào tí qián sān gè yuè shēn qǐng.
    The company allows employees to take unpaid leave with job retention, but they need to apply three months in advance.
  • 停薪留职，，。
    tíng xīn liú zhí Qī jiān, dān wèi bú zài fā gōng zī, dàn bǎo liú zhí wèi.
    During the unpaid leave period, the employer stops paying salary but keeps the position open.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

停薪stop salary
停tíngstop薪xīnsalary
动宾Verb + object
留职retain job
留liúretain职zhíjob
动宾Verb + object

停薪 means 'stop salary' and 留职 means 'retain job', so unpaid leave while keeping a post.

Characters in this word

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
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
亭
亭tíng停tíng
Same sound today

The left side 亻 is a person, and the right side 亭 gives the sound tíng; this forms 停.

Open 停 →

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
新
新xīn薪xīn
Same sound today

In 薪, the top 艹 (plants, written 艸) marks plant material, and 新 (xīn) gives the sound.

Open 薪 →

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 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 職; 职 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
耳耳ěrear
Sound part声符shēngfú
戠
戠zhí職zhí
Same sound today

The traditional form 職 pairs 耳 (ear) with 戠, which gives its sound; the simplified 职 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical parts.

Open 职 →

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