‘留下’ (liú xià) is a separable verb meaning ‘to leave behind’ or ‘to remain’. The first character 留 (liú) means ‘to keep’, ‘to retain’, or ‘to stay’, while 下 (xià) adds directional or resultative meaning—here indicating ‘down’, ‘behind’, or ‘in place’. Together, they express the idea of something or someone staying in a location, being left intentionally or unintentionally, or remaining after others have departed. It often implies permanence, consequence, or residue: a person may leave behind an object, a memory, or even offspring.

This verb commonly appears in both concrete and abstract contexts: physically leaving items (e.g., keys, luggage), emotionally leaving impressions (e.g., a lasting impression), or biologically leaving descendants. It frequently follows subject–verb–object structure and can take aspect particles like 了 (le) or 过 (guo). Unlike simple verbs, ‘留下’ is not used as a standalone noun or adjective—it functions exclusively as a verb and often requires an object or complement to complete its meaning.