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遗留 (yí liú) — to leave behind, to hand down (often abstract things like problems, heritage, traces)

Definition

遗留 means problems, traces, or heritage left behind from the past — more formal and abstract than 留下. Use it for historical baggage, not everyday 'leave' (e.g. an umbrella); 遗失 is for losing something by accident.

verb
to leave behindto hand down (often abstract things like problems, heritage, traces)

Examples

  • 遗留。
    Zhè xiē lì shǐ yí liú wèn tí xū yào rèn zhēn jiě jué.
    These historical problems left behind need to be carefully resolved.
  • 遗留。
    Gǔ dài yí liú de wén huà yí chǎn zhí dé hǎo hǎo bǎo hù.
    The cultural heritage left from ancient times is worth protecting well.
  • 遗留。
    Xiàn chǎng yí liú le xǔ duō zhòng yào xiàn suǒ.
    The scene left behind many important clues.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

遗yíleave behind
留liúremain

遗留 combines 遗 (leave behind) and 留 (remain) to mean leave behind or hand down.

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 遺; 遗 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辶Written in full as辵chuòmove
Sound part声符shēngfú
貴
貴guì遺yí
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 遺 pairs 辶 (move) with 貴 as a sound part; the simplified 遗 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the old sound part.

Open 遗 →

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

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