liú bù: 留步 - Please Stay, Don't See Me Out

• Keywords: liubu, liú bù, 留步, what does liubu mean, Chinese for don't see me out, Chinese guest etiquette, polite Chinese phrases, how to say goodbye in China, Chinese hospitality, 送客, sòngkè, 慢走, màn zǒu.
• Summary: 留步 (liú bù) is an essential polite Chinese phrase used by a departing guest, which literally means “stay your steps.” It's the equivalent of saying “Please stay, you don't need to see me out any further.” This common courtesy is a key part of Chinese guest etiquette, showing consideration for the host's time and effort. Understanding how and when to use 留步 is crucial for demonstrating cultural awareness and politeness in social interactions in China.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): liú bù
• Part of Speech: Verb Phrase
• HSK Level: N/A (though it's a fundamental expression for intermediate learners engaging in social situations)
• Concise Definition: A polite request from a guest to a host to stop escorting them out.
• In a Nutshell: In China, it's customary for a host to walk a guest to the door, the elevator, or even to their car. As the guest, saying `留步` (liú bù) is your way of politely signaling that they've done more than enough. It's a gesture of appreciation and consideration, essentially saying, “Thank you for your hospitality, but you can stop here. Please go back inside.”

• 留 (liú): To stay, to remain, to keep. It implies asking someone to remain in their current location.
• 步 (bù): Step, pace. It refers to the physical act of walking.
• When combined, 留步 (liú bù) literally translates to “remain your steps” or “keep your steps here.” It's a poetic and respectful way to ask someone to stop walking you out.

`留步` is more than just a phrase; it's part of a deeply ingrained social ritual known as 送客 (sòngkè), or “seeing a guest off.” In Chinese culture, showing warmth and hospitality is paramount. A good host will make an effort to escort their guest out, sometimes walking a considerable distance. This act demonstrates respect and shows that the host valued the guest's visit. However, the guest also has a role in this polite exchange. By saying `留步`, the guest demonstrates several key cultural values:

• Consideration (体谅, tǐliàng): The guest shows they are considerate of the host's time and effort.
• Reciprocity (礼尚往来, lǐshàngwǎnglái): Politeness is a two-way street. The host is polite by seeing the guest off; the guest is polite by telling them to stop.
• Avoiding Imposition: The guest relieves the host of their “duty,” preventing the host from feeling they must walk even further and preventing the guest from feeling like a burden.

Comparison to Western Culture: In the West, a host might walk a guest to the front door. The guest might say, “Don't get up!” or “You don't have to walk me out.” While the sentiment is similar, `留步` is a more standardized and expected part of the farewell script in China. It's a specific phrase for a specific moment, and its absence can feel slightly abrupt or less refined. The Western interaction is more casual, whereas the Chinese one is a more defined ritual of mutual respect.

`留步` is used almost exclusively in one specific scenario: when you are the guest and you are leaving.

• Who says it: The departing guest.
• Who it's said to: The host who is escorting the guest.
• When to say it: As the host is walking you out, you can say it at a natural stopping point, such as:
  • The apartment door.
  • The elevator lobby.
  • The building entrance.
  • The front gate of a complex.
  • By the car that is picking you up.

The host will often protest once (“没关系，我再送送你” - Méiguānxì, wǒ zài sòng sòng nǐ - “It's fine, I'll walk you a bit more”), and you might say `留步` a second time more firmly to end the polite dance. Formality: It is a polite and slightly formal term. It's perfect for visiting a teacher's home, a business associate, or your partner's parents. With very close friends of the same age, you might use the more casual 别送了 (bié sòng le).

• Example 1: (At the apartment door)
  • 好了，王老师，请留步。外面冷，您快回去吧。
  • Pinyin: Hǎo le, Wáng lǎoshī, qǐng liú bù. Wàimiàn lěng, nín kuài huíqù ba.
  • English: Okay, Teacher Wang, please stay here. It's cold outside, you should go back in quickly.
  • Analysis: A very common and polite usage. It shows concern for the host's well-being (mentioning the cold) while using the honorific “nín.”
• Example 2: (A business context, at the office entrance)
  • 李总，送到这里就可以了，请留步。我们保持联系。
  • Pinyin: Lǐ zǒng, sòng dào zhèlǐ jiù kěyǐ le, qǐng liú bù. Wǒmen bǎochí liánxì.
  • English: Director Li, seeing me to here is fine, please don't go any further. Let's keep in touch.
  • Analysis: This is standard professional etiquette. It's polite and marks a clear, efficient end to a meeting.
• Example 3: (Host insists on walking further)
  • 哎呀，真的不用送了，您请留步吧！
  • Pinyin: Āiyā, zhēn de búyòng sòng le, nín qǐng liú bù ba!
  • English: Oh my, you really don't need to see me off, please stay!
  • Analysis: The use of “哎呀” and “真的” adds a layer of friendly insistence, urging the host to stop.
• Example 4: (At the elevator)
  • 电梯来了，您请留步。谢谢今天的款待。
  • Pinyin: Diàntī lái le, nín qǐng liú bù. Xièxiè jīntiān de kuǎndài.
  • English: The elevator is here, please stay. Thank you for your hospitality today.
  • Analysis: This times the phrase with a clear physical cue (the elevator arriving), making it a natural point to end the farewell.
• Example 5: (Said to a group of people)
  • 大家都留步吧，不用送了！快进去吧！
  • Pinyin: Dàjiā dōu liú bù ba, búyòng sòng le! Kuài jìnqù ba!
  • English: Everyone, please stay, no need to see me off! Go back inside!
  • Analysis: `留步` can be addressed to a group of hosts who are all seeing you off.
• Example 6: (A simple, classic use)
  • 我到家了，您请留步。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ dào jiā le, nín qǐng liú bù.
  • English: I'm home now, please don't go any further.
  • Analysis: This is used when the host has walked the guest all the way to their own home. It's a very polite acknowledgement of their effort.
• Example 7: (When getting into a taxi)
  • 师傅，车来了。您快留步，我们下次再聊。
  • Pinyin: Shīfù, chē lái le. Nín kuài liú bù, wǒmen xià cì zài liáo.
  • English: Master (a polite term for an elder/mentor), the car is here. Please stay, let's talk again next time.
  • Analysis: `师傅 (shīfù)` is a respectful term of address, making `留步` the appropriate choice.
• Example 8: (More direct synonym)
  • 就到这儿吧，请回，请留步。
  • Pinyin: Jiù dào zhèr ba, qǐng huí, qǐng liú bù.
  • English: Let's just stop here. Please go back, please stay.
  • Analysis: Here, it's paired with 请回 (qǐng huí - please return), another polite phrase with a similar function, for added emphasis.
• Example 9: (After a family dinner with in-laws)
  • 爸，妈，我们走了。你们留步，早点休息。
  • Pinyin: Bà, mā, wǒmen zǒu le. Nǐmen liú bù, zǎodiǎn xiūxí.
  • English: Dad, Mom, we're leaving. Please stay, rest early.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates filial piety and consideration for the elders' health.
• Example 10: (Formal written context - less common)
  • 信已收到，感激不尽。来访时勿送，敬请留步。
  • Pinyin: Xìn yǐ shōu dào, gǎnjī bùjìn. Láifǎng shí wù sòng, jìngqǐng liú bù.
  • English: I have received your letter and am endlessly grateful. When you visit, do not see me off; I respectfully ask you to stay.
  • Analysis: While rare in modern conversation, `留步` can appear in formal, classical-style writing to convey a deep sense of old-fashioned politeness.

• The Host/Guest Mistake: The single biggest mistake a learner can make is mixing up the roles.
  • INCORRECT: (Host to guest) 您请留步。(Nín qǐng liú bù.)
  • Why it's wrong: The host is not leaving, so they cannot ask themselves to “stay their steps.” The host's job is to see the guest off.
  • CORRECT: (Host to guest) 您慢走。(Nín màn zǒu.) - “Please walk slowly / Take care.”
• It's Not a Command to “Stop”: `留步` is not the same as yelling “Stop!” or “Freeze!” in English. It is a polite social phrase, not a command to halt movement in a general context. You would not say it to stop a stranger on the street or a fleeing suspect.
• Overusing with Close Friends: While not strictly “wrong,” using the formal `请留步` with a very close buddy you see every day can sound a bit stiff or distant. In such cases, a more casual “回去吧” (huíqù ba - “go on back”) or “别送了” (bié sòng le) is more natural.

• 慢走 (màn zǒu): “Walk slowly.” The standard, polite phrase a host says to a departing guest. It is the natural counterpart to `留步`.
• 送客 (sòngkè): The act of seeing a guest off. `留步` is a key phrase used during this social ritual.
• 别送了 (bié sòng le): “Don't see me off (anymore).” A more colloquial and slightly less formal synonym for `留步`.
• 请回 (qǐng huí): “Please go back.” A very polite and slightly more formal synonym, often used interchangeably with `留步`.
• 告辞 (gàocí): “To take one's leave.” A formal verb used by a guest to announce their intention to depart, usually said before the host begins to `送客`.
• 客气 (kèqi): Polite, courteous. The entire exchange involving `送客`, `留步`, and `慢走` is a performance of being `客气`.
• 打扰 (dǎrǎo): To disturb, to trouble. A guest might say “今天打扰了” (jīntiān dǎrǎo le - Sorry for the disturbance today) as part of their farewell.