拘留
jū liú · HSK 7
to keep sb in custody
🚔🔒 拘 = detain/restrain + 留 = keep/stay, so to hold someone in custody
拘 (jū) means to restrain or arrest; 留 (liú) means to keep or retain. Together they describe holding a prisoner so they cannot leave — police detention or custody.
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).