留话 (liú huà) — to leave a message (spoken, not a written note)

Definition

A spoken message left for someone via a third party or by phone — not a written note, which is 留言. Implies the recipient hears it through another person or recording.

verb
to leave a message (spoken, not a written note)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 。
    Tā zǒu zhī qián gěi wǒ liú le huà.
    He left a message for me before leaving.
  • ，。
    Qǐng zhuǎn gào tā, wǒ míng tiān huì gěi tā liú gè huà.
    Please tell her I'll leave her a message tomorrow.
  • 留话。
    liú huà De shí hou bié wàng le shuō zì jǐ de míng zì.
    When leaving a message, don't forget to say your own name.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

留liúleave
话huàwords

留 means leave and 话 means words; together leaving a spoken message.

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 話; 话 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánword
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠯑
𠯑𠯑話huà
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 話, 言 relates to words and 𠯑 gives the sound; the simplified 话 is a shorthand, so its right side is not that sound part.

Open 话 →

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