TongTong
Sign in

残留 (cán liú) — to remain; to be left over (of substances, traces, or feelings); to linger; to persist (of emotions or effects)

Definition

Used for substances, traces, or feelings that stay behind after the rest is gone. Unlike 剩余 (a surplus of countable goods), 残留 emphasizes unwanted residue or lingering effects.

verb
to remainto be left over (of substances, traces, or feelings)to lingerto persist (of emotions or effects)

Examples

  • 残留。
    Zhè zhǒng huà xué wù zhì huì zài tǔ rǎng zhōng cháng qī cán liú.
    This chemical substance will remain in the soil for a long time.
  • 残留。
    Nà cì shī bài de yīn yǐng yì zhí cán liú zài tā xīn zhōng.
    The shadow of that failure has lingered in his heart.
  • 残留。
    Kē xué jiā zhèng zài yán jiū rú hé qīng chú shuǐ zhōng cán liú de wū rǎn wù.
    Scientists are researching how to remove the residual pollutants in water.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

残cánremaining
留liústay

残 means remaining and 留 means stay, together describing something left behind.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 殘; 残 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
歹歹dǎivicious, bones
Sound part声符shēngfú
戔
戔jiān殘cán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 殘 pairs 歹, a bone shape for injury, with 戔 for its sound; the simplified 残 is a later shorthand.

Open 残 →

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
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Change & Process

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