别 bié / biè — leave; depart; separate; distinguish; classify; other
上课的时候别说话。Shàng kè de shí hou bié shuō huà.Do not talk during class.
Common words: 别人 (bié ren)、别的 (bié de)、特别 (tè bié)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "leave"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "leave", including 别 (bié / biè), 留 (liú), 避 (bì). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "leave" covers 3 different Chinese characters — 别 (bié / biè), 留 (liú), 避 (bì) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 3 characters do not share a sound — their readings span bié, biè, liú, bì — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 别 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 别 bié / bièleave; depart; separate; distinguish; classify; otherUseful words: 别人, 别的
- 留 liúleave (message); to retain; to stay; to remain; to keep; to preserveUseful words: 留下, 留学生
- 避 bìavoid; shun; flee; escape; leave; to keep awayUseful words: 避免, 逃避
Common words for these 3 "leave" characters
Anchor each of these 3 characters in a word you can picture — start with 别 (bié / biè) — so "leave" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
别人bié renother people; others; other person别的bié deelse; other特别tè biéunusual; special; very; especially留下liú xiàto leave behind; to stay behind; to remain; to keep留学生liú xué shēngstudent studying abroad; returned student; foreign student; international student保留bǎo liúto keep; to retain; to have reservations (about sth); to hold back (from saying sth)避免bì miǎnto avert; to prevent; to avoid; to refrain from逃避táo bìto escape; to evade; to avoid; to shirk回避huí bìto shun; to avoid (sb); to skirt; to evade (an issue)
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 3 ways to say "leave".
留 liú — leave (message); to retain; to stay; to remain; to keep; to preserve
请把座位留给老人。Qǐng bǎ zuò wèi liú gěi lǎo rén.Please leave the seat for the elderly.
Common words: 留下 (liú xià)、留学生 (liú xué shēng)、保留 (bǎo liú)
避 bì — avoid; shun; flee; escape; leave; to keep away
下雨了，我们到屋檐下避一避雨。Xià yǔ le, wǒ men dào wū yán xià bì yi bì yǔ.It is raining; let us take shelter under the eaves.
Common words: 避免 (bì miǎn)、逃避 (táo bì)、回避 (huí bì)
All 3 characters
Open 别、留、避 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.