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留步 (liú bù) — (polite expression) please stay, don't bother to see me out

Definition

A polite phrase a host says when a guest is leaving, asking them not to walk them to the door. Used at the moment of farewell, not as a general 'stay'.

idiom
(polite expression) please staydon't bother to see me out

Examples

  • 留步，。
    Nín liú bù ba, bú yòng sòng le.
    Please stay, no need to see me out.
  • ，留步。
    Sòng dào mén kǒu jiù xíng le, qǐng liú bù.
    It's fine to see me to the door, please don't bother further.
  • ，，留步。
    Shí jiān bù zǎo le, wǒ jiù xiān gào cí le, nín liú bù.
    It's getting late, I'll take my leave now, please stay.

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
步bùsteps

留 and 步 mean keep and steps: keep the steps from going on, so the guest tells the host to stay and not see them out.

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 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

步 uses two 止 (foot) forms, one reversed, to show one foot stepping in front of the other.

Open 步 →
Appears in
Greetings & Politeness

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