溜
liū · HSK 7
to slip away
⛸️ 氵water + 留 liú (stay) gives the sound; slip away smooth as wet ice
The water radical 氵plus phonetic 留 (liú, to stay) builds 溜. Same liu sound as 留, just a higher tone. Sense slid from smooth-flowing water to slipping, sliding, and skating away unseen.
溜 — water 氵 + 留 (liú, stay)
A semantic-phonetic compound: the water radical 氵 gives the meaning (smooth, slippery, flowing) while 留 supplies the sound. Originally describing water flowing swiftly and smoothly, it extended to mean 'slip,' 'glide,' or 'sneak away,' as well as 'slippery' surfaces.