留情 (liú qíng) — to show mercy, to spare (someone)
Definition
Almost always used in the negative: 毫不留情 / 不留情 means showing no mercy, treating someone harshly or candidly. Rarely used on its own in the affirmative.
verb
to show mercyto spare (someone)
Examples
- 。Tā duì dí rén háo bù liú qíng.He showed no mercy to the enemy.
- 留情,。Qǐng nǐ shǒu xià liú qíng, bié chéng fá dé tài zhòng.Please have mercy—don't punish too harshly.
- 。Zài zhè zhǒng chǎng hé bù néng liú yì diǎn qíng.In this kind of situation, you cannot show any mercy.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.