留影 (liú yǐng) — to take a photo as a memento (often at a scenic spot or special event)

Definition

Literally 'keep a shadow/image' — to take a photo as a keepsake, usually at a scenic spot or special event. The focus is on the photo as a memento, not the act of photographing.

verb
to take a photo as a memento (often at a scenic spot or special event)

Examples

  • 留影。
    Wǒ men zài gōng yuán rù kǒu liú yǐng jì niàn.
    We took a photo at the park entrance as a souvenir.
  • 。
    Tā zài gù gōng liú le yì zhāng yǐng.
    He took a photo at the Forbidden City.
  • 留影。
    Qǐng wèi wǒ zài hǎi biān liú yǐng.
    Please take a memento photo of me by the sea.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

留liúkeep
影yǐngshadow

留 means keep and 影 means shadow or image; together keeping a photo as a memory.

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
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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
彡彡shān
Sound part声符shēngfú
景
景jǐng影yǐng
Same sound today

影 pairs 景, which gives the sound and also carries the idea of image, with 彡, the part that points to shadow.

Open 影 →

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