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留给 (liú gěi) — to reserve (something) for (someone)

Definition

A result verb: 'leave / set aside for (someone)'. Pairs with 给 to mark the recipient — the focus is the act of reserving or handing over, not the recipient relationship itself.

verb
to reserve (something) for (someone)

Examples

  • 留给。
    Tā bǎ zhè běn shū liú gěi le wǒ.
    He left this book for me.
  • 留给。
    Mā ma liú gěi wǒ yì wǎn tāng.
    Mom left me a bowl of soup.
  • 留给。
    Jī huì zǒng shì liú gěi yǒu zhǔn bèi de rén.
    Opportunities are always reserved for prepared people.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

留liúleave
给gěito

留 leave and 给 to together mean reserving something for someone.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 給; 给 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
合
合hé給gěi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 給 uses 糸 (silk) for meaning and 合 for sound, and its old sense was rich, abundant, perhaps referring to precious silk; 给 is a later simplified form.

Open 给 →
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