保留
bǎoliú · HSK 3
reserve
🛡️ 保 (protect) + 留 (stay) = keep something protected and staying
保 means to protect or guard; 留 means to stay or remain. Together they mean to retain or hold back — to keep something in a protected, staying state. Used for reserving rights, retaining staff, or holding back opinions.
保 — person 亻 + 呆 (child/protect phonetic)
Originally an ideograph showing an adult carrying a child on the back, meaning to protect or shield. The right side 呆 evolved from a depiction of a swaddled infant. Over time the meaning broadened from 'protect a child' to 'preserve, guarantee, keep safe.'
留 — 卯 (top) + 田 (field)
Originally a phono-semantic compound: 田 (field) suggests staying on the land, with 卯 hinting at the sound. Over time it came to mean 'remain, stay, keep,' as in keeping someone on the land or holding something in place. Modern uses include 留学 (study abroad) and 保留 (retain).