留学
to study abroad
liúxué
What does 留学 mean?
留学 (liúxué) means 'to study abroad' — leaving your home country to pursue education in another country, usually at a university. The characters literally mean 'stay-study': 留 ('stay / remain') + 学 ('study'), because the original sense was 'stay in another country to study.' It is a separable verb that typically takes a place phrase with 在 or 去: 去美国留学 ('go to America to study abroad'), 在中国留学 ('study abroad in China'). The person doing it is a 留学生 (liúxuéshēng, 'study-abroad student / international student').
Cultural note: 留学 is a major life event in modern Chinese society, often discussed in terms of family investment and future career. Don't confuse with simply 'studying' (学习) or 'going to school' (上学) — 留学 specifically implies crossing borders. The opposite implication is 回国 (huíguó, 'return to one's home country')
Character breakdown
to stay; remain; leave (something) behind
to study; learn
Memory hook: 留 (stay) + 学 (study) — stay in another country to study.
Example sentences
我想去美国留学。
Wǒ xiǎng qù Měiguó liúxué.
I want to study abroad in the US.
neutral
他在英国留学了三年。
Tā zài Yīngguó liúxué le sān nián.
He studied in the UK for three years.
neutral
我们班有很多留学生。
Wǒmen bān yǒu hěn duō liúxuéshēng.
Our class has a lot of international students.
neutral
留学不容易，但是很有意思。
Liúxué bù róngyì, dànshì hěn yǒu yìsi.
Studying abroad isn't easy, but it's very interesting.
neutral
Common phrases with 留学
Synonyms
出国 means 'go abroad' for any reason — work, travel, or study. 留学 specifically means going abroad to study. People often combine them: 出国留学.
Don't confuse 留学 with
学习 is the general verb 'to study / learn' — any subject, any place. 留学 is specifically studying in a foreign country. You 学习中文 anywhere; you 留学 only by going abroad.
上学 means 'go to school / attend school' — daily school attendance. 留学 is the broader life decision to study in another country. A 留学生 still has to 上学 every day.
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