The kanji character 留 primarily conveys the idea of "staying," "stopping," "keeping," or "remaining." It implies a state of being in a particular place or condition without moving or changing. It can also suggest holding something back or preserving something.

・On-yomi (音読み): ⚫︎ *ryuu* リュウ ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): ⚫︎ *to(maru)* とまる - to stop, to halt ⚫︎ *to(meru)* とめる - to stop (something), to detain ⚫︎ *ru(su)* るす - absence

⚫︎留学 Translation: Studying abroad ⚫︎停留所 Translation: Bus stop; station ⚫︎保留 Translation: Suspension; postponement; reservation

The kanji 留 is a *形声文字* (keisei moji), a phono-semantic compound. The left side is a part related to rice fields, and the right side is "no". However, the exact semantic component is unknown. It originally depicted the act of a bird stopping at a place or a person staying in a place. Over time, it developed the meanings of "stopping," "staying," and "keeping."