leave
/liːv/ (bre, ipa) · /liːv/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈlēv/ (ame, mw)
leave — 動詞
- leavepresent simple I / you / we / they
- leaveshe / she / it
- leftpast simple
- leaving-ing form
1. to exit a location or to stop being with someone, going elsewhere
離開
離開某人或某地
to exit a location or to stop being with someone, going elsewhere
Ritu left the office early to catch her train home.
Ritu 提早離開辦公室去趕火車。
leave + place (direct object)
The bus leaves the station at six o'clock every morning.
公車每天早上六點離開車站。
Please leave the room quietly when the meeting ends.
會議結束時請安靜離開房間。
Élise left her hometown to study abroad in Japan.
Élise 離開家鄉到日本留學。
The family next door left their house and moved to Canada.
隔壁那家人離開房子搬到加拿大了。
文法句型
leave + place/person
leave (no object)
用法筆記
Can be used with or without an object. "I am leaving" (no object) simply means going away, while "Leave the room" (with object) specifies what is being left.
常見錯誤
2. to not carry a person or object with you when departing a location
遺留；忘帶
離開時未帶走某物或某人
to not carry a person or object with you when departing a location
Mathieu left his backpack on the bus this morning.
Mathieu 今早把背包忘在公車上了。
leave + object + [location prepositional phrase]
Yael left the keys on the kitchen table before going out.
Yael 出門前把鑰匙留在廚房的桌上。
Adisa accidentally left his umbrella at the restaurant last night.
Adisa 昨晚不小心把雨傘忘在餐廳裡。
Please do not leave your bags in the hallway near the stairs.
請不要把袋子放在樓梯附近的走廊上。
Ryo left a note for his roommate on the fridge door.
Ryo 在冰箱門上留了張紙條給室友。
文法句型
leave + object
leave + object + preposition + place
用法筆記
Often paired with a location phrase (at, in, on, by) or the adverb 'behind' to specify where the object was forgotten or placed.
常見錯誤
3. to produce a result, mark, or condition that continues after the cause has gone
留下；造成
造成某種持續的結果或痕跡
to produce a result, mark, or condition that continues after the cause has gone or stopped
The storm left a trail of broken trees across the small town.
暴風雨在小鎮各地留下一排斷裂的樹木。
leave + physical trace (direct object)
That spicy curry left a burning taste in my mouth for hours.
那道辣咖哩讓我的嘴裡燒了好幾個小時。
The hot iron left a dark scorch mark on the wooden table.
熱熨斗在木桌上留下了一個黑色的燒痕。
Years of wind and rain left deep cracks in the old stone wall.
多年的風雨在古老的石牆上留下了深深的裂縫。
文法句型
leave + effect/result as object
用法筆記
Subject is typically an event, action, or natural force (storm, accident, use), not a person deliberately creating an effect.
常見錯誤
4. to let something stay in the same state, position, or condition without touching
保持；留著
讓事物維持原狀不動或不變
to let something stay in the same state, position, or condition without touching or changing it
Cyrus left the cake on the counter for his daughter to find.
Cyrus 把蛋糕留在流理臺上讓女兒自己來拿。
Please leave the window open so fresh air comes inside.
請讓窗戶開著，好讓新鮮空氣進來。
leave + object + adjective (open)
The doctor told him to leave the bandage on for two days.
醫生叫他把繃帶繼續纏兩天。
Ritu left the letter exactly where she found it on the desk.
Ritu 把信留在她發現的那個書桌位置上。
Just leave the dirty dishes in the sink until the morning.
把髒盤子留在水槽裡就好，明天再洗。
文法句型
leave + object + adjective
leave + object + prepositional phrase
用法筆記
Frequently followed by object + adjective (open, closed, alone) or a prepositional phrase describing position. The complement describes the state you want the object to stay in.
常見錯誤
5. to go away while someone or something is still doing an activity
任由
離開時任由繼續進行某活動
to go away while someone or something is still doing an activity
Amihan left the children playing in the garden while she cooked dinner.
Amihan 讓孩子們繼續在花園裡玩耍，自己去煮晚餐。
leave + object + verb-ing (present participle)
The night-shift nurse left the patient sleeping quietly in the ward.
夜班護士讓病人繼續在病房裡安靜地睡著。
Imran left the rice simmering on the stove while he answered the phone.
Imran 讓爐上的米飯繼續煮著，自己去接電話。
The teacher left the students working on their final exam papers quietly.
老師讓學生繼續安靜地寫期末考卷。
- abandon to
stronger negative connotation; implies neglect
文法句型
leave + object + verb-ing
用法筆記
The verb-ing form after the object describes an ongoing action that continues after the subject has gone. The structure is leave + object + present participle.
常見錯誤
6. to consume only part of something, so that some is still there for later
沒吃完；留
未全部吃完或用完某物品
to consume only part of something, so that some is still there for later
Jack left half of his dinner because his stomach hurt.
Jack 晚餐剩了一半，因為他肚子不舒服。
leave + [quantity] of + [food]
Théo left some milk in the carton for his younger sister.
Théo 在牛奶盒裡留了一些給妹妹。
Please leave enough cake for your brother who arrives later tonight.
留一些蛋糕給你晚點到的弟弟。
The children left most of their vegetables on the dinner plate uneaten.
孩子們晚餐盤裡大部分的蔬菜都沒吃完。
Camila left some paint in the can in case she needed more later.
Camila 在油漆罐裡留了一些，以備之後還需要補漆。
文法句型
leave + quantity + of + noun
用法筆記
Object is typically food, drink, or other consumable resources. The focus is on the deliberate or accidental act of not finishing, not on the portion that remains (which is covered by a different sense).
常見錯誤
7. if people or things are left in a place, they are still there after the others h
剩下；遺留
他人離開後仍留著
if people or things are left in a place, they are still there after the others have moved away or been taken away — for example, a few students left in the classroom after the bell, or dishes left on the table after dinner.
After the fire alarm, only a few people were left inside the building.
火災警報響後，大樓裡只剩下幾個人。
passive: be left [in a place] after others go
The old toys were left in the attic when the family moved out.
家人搬走後，舊玩具就被留在閣樓裡。
A single piece of cake was left on the plate after the party.
派對結束後，盤子上只剩下一塊蛋糕。
Dahlia left her umbrella behind when she hurried off the bus.
Dahlia 匆匆下公車時，把雨傘遺留在車上。
Not many of the original workers are left at that factory now.
那間工廠現在剩下的老員工不多了。
- remain
'Remain' is a verb that does not take a direct object; 'be left' is the passive form of 'leave' and focuses on what stays after removal.
- stay behind
More active and voluntary than 'be left'; implies a choice to not go.
- go
'Go' focuses on departure; 'be left' focuses on what stays.
文法句型
something is left
leave + object
用法筆記
Often used in the passive form 'be left' to describe what remains after a removal process. Distinguish from sense 6, where 'leave' means not eating or using all of something intentionally.
常見錯誤
8. to still possess a certain quantity or number of something after some of it was
剩餘；還有
使用後仍有某數量
to still possess a certain quantity or number of something after some of it was consumed or spent — for example, having ten minutes left before the exam ends, or having some money left after shopping.
We only have twenty minutes left before the train departs.
我們距離火車發車只剩二十分鐘了。
have + time + left
After paying the bills, Liang had very little money left for food.
付完帳單後，Liang 剩下的錢只夠買食物。
There is still some rice left in the pot if you are hungry.
鍋裡還有一些飯，如果你餓了的話。
Christopher checked how many pages were left in his notebook.
Christopher 看了一下筆記本裡還剩幾頁。
No seats were left by the time we got to the theatre.
我們到電影院時已經沒有空位了。
文法句型
have + noun + left
there is/are + noun + left
用法筆記
Almost always used with a quantifier (some, any, no, a few, a little, a number) preceding the noun. The sense requires a remaining count or amount — distinguish from sense 7, which is about things staying in a location rather than amounts remaining after use.
常見錯誤
9. to stop doing an activity, working at a job, or attending a school, usually by m
離開；辭去
停止從事某活動或工作
to stop doing an activity, working at a job, or attending a school, usually by making a decision to quit — for example, leaving a company after many years, or leaving school at the age of sixteen.
Reema left her job at the hospital to travel around Asia.
Reema 辭去醫院的工作，去環遊亞洲。
leave + job — quit employment
Many students leave university early to start their own businesses.
許多學生提早離開大學去創業。
Ziad decided to leave the football team after his injury.
Ziad 受傷後決定退出足球隊。
The singer left the band to work on a solo album.
那位歌手離開樂團，去製作個人專輯。
Mayumi left the meeting early because she was feeling unwell.
Mayumi 因為身體不適，提早離開了會議。
- quit
More informal and abrupt than 'leave'; implies resignation or giving up.
- resign from
Formal term specifically for jobs or official positions.
- drop out of
Specifically for leaving school or a course before completion; often negative.
文法句型
leave + job/school/activity
用法筆記
Unlike sense 1 (go away from a place), this sense emphasises leaving an activity, role, or institution — the focus is on ending participation, not physical departure. The object is typically a role (job, school, team, club) rather than a physical place.
常見錯誤
10. to permanently end a romantic or marital relationship with someone by moving awa
離開；拋棄
結束伴侶或婚姻關係
to permanently end a romantic or marital relationship with someone by moving away from them or telling them it is over — for example, leaving a husband after years of unhappiness, or a partner leaving because the relationship stopped working.
Hassan left his wife after twenty years of marriage.
Hassan 在結婚二十年後離開了太太。
leave + spouse — end marriage
Ayana finally found the courage to leave her partner for good.
Ayana 終於鼓起勇氣，永遠離開了伴侶。
Noa's parents separated when her father left the family home.
Noa 的父親搬離家庭後，她的父母便分居了。
After the difficult conversation, Joaquín decided to leave his girlfriend.
那場艱難的談話後，Joaquín 決定和女友分手。
The documentary explored why some people stay in unhappy relationships instead of leaving.
這部紀錄片探討了為什麼有些人在不幸福的關係中選擇留下，而不是離開。
- abandon
Stronger and more negative than 'leave'; implies betrayal or irresponsibility.
- separate from
Less emotionally charged; often used in legal or formal contexts about married couples.
- walk out on
Informal and dramatic; suggests leaving suddenly without warning.
文法句型
leave + partner/spouse
用法筆記
The object must be a person (spouse, partner, fiancé). For ending a non-romantic relationship such as a friendship, 'leave' is less common — use 'stop being friends with' instead. Frequently used in the perfect tense: 'has left her husband.'
常見錯誤
11. to wait before doing something, choosing to do it later instead of now — for exa
拖延；擱置
延後做某事
to wait before doing something, choosing to do it later instead of now — for example, leaving the washing-up until morning, or leaving a difficult decision for another day.
Amani left answering the email until the next morning.
Amani 把回覆郵件的事拖到隔天早上。
leave + -ing + until + [time]
Let us leave the heavy bags here and pick them up later.
我們先把這些沉重的袋子留在這裡，晚點再來拿。
Christopher left filing his tax return until the very last day.
Christopher 把報稅的事拖到最後一天才做。
They left the decision about where to go on holiday until the last minute.
他們把去哪裡度假的決定拖到最後一刻。
Do not leave locking the front door until you are already in bed.
不要把鎖大門這件事拖到上了床才想起來。
- do immediately
Antonym as a phrase; 'leave' means to not do something now.
文法句型
leave + doing something
leave + it + until + [time]
leave + noun + for + [time]
用法筆記
Commonly followed by a gerund ('leave doing something') or a noun phrase with 'until'/'for' ('leave it until tomorrow'). Distinguish from sense 14 in chunk b3, where 'leave' means to allow someone else to make a decision — here, the delay is the speaker's own choice, not a delegation to someone else.
常見錯誤
12. if someone who dies leaves a family member, that person is still alive after the
身後留下
去世後家人仍在世
if someone who dies leaves a family member, that person is still alive after the death — for example, an elderly man who leaves a wife and three children when he passes away. Often expressed in the passive: 'is survived by.'
Élise's grandfather left behind a wife, four children, and seven grandchildren.
Élise 的祖父去世後，留下了妻子、四個孩子和七個孫子女。
leave behind — death context
The obituary said that Mr. Chen is survived by his daughter and two sons.
訃聞上寫道，陳先生身後留下女兒和兩個兒子。
passive: be survived by — formal death notice
When the pilot died in the crash, he left a young family with no savings.
那位飛行員在空難中過世後，留下了沒有積蓄的年輕家庭。
Ayana's grandmother passed away peacefully, leaving three generations of her family.
Ayana 的祖母安詳離世，留下了三代家人。
The soldier left a pregnant wife when he died in the war.
那位軍人在戰爭中陣亡時，留下了懷孕的妻子。
- be survived by
The passive form used in formal obituaries; more precise than 'leave' for this sense.
- leave behind
Slightly more emotional; often used when the death is sudden or tragic.
文法句型
leave + family members
be left by
be survived by
用法筆記
Primarily used in formal writing (obituaries, wills, news reports) or emotional storytelling. Distinguish from sense 13 in chunk b3, where 'leave' means to give property to someone in a will — sense 12 is about family relationships after death, not about belongings or inheritance.
常見錯誤
13. to state in a legal document (a will) that a particular person should receive yo
遺贈
死後把財產留給指定的人
to state in a legal document (a will) that a particular person should receive your money, property, or possessions after your death
Grandma Rosa left her entire book collection to the local library.
Rosa 奶奶把她全部的藏書遺贈給當地圖書館。
leave + direct object + to + recipient
In his will, Ignacio left each of his grandchildren a small sum of money.
Ignacio 在遺囑中留給每個孫子一筆小額的錢。
leave + someone + something (double object)
The farmer who owned the valley land left it to the village community.
擁有山谷那片地的農夫把它遺贈給了村莊社區。
Hari was surprised to learn that his great-aunt had left him a beautiful antique mirror.
Hari 驚訝地發現他的姑婆留給他一面漂亮的古董鏡子。
- inherit
reverse direction — the recipient receives; 'I inherited the watch my uncle left me'
文法句型
leave + something + to + someone
leave + someone + something
用法筆記
Frequently used with a to-phrase (leave something to someone) or a double-object structure (leave someone something). The legal context of a will is often implied even when not explicitly stated.
常見錯誤
14. to give someone the authority or responsibility to handle a situation, make a de
委託
把決定權或責任交給他人
to give someone the authority or responsibility to handle a situation, make a decision, or take care of a task or person
Pim left the decision about the wedding date entirely to his fiancée.
Pim 把婚期的決定權完全交給了未婚妻。
leave + decision/choice + to + someone
The project manager left it to her assistant to arrange the team meeting.
專案經理把安排團隊會議的事交給了她的助理。
leave it to + someone + to-infinitive
When the Watanabe family went abroad, they left their cat in the care of a neighbour.
渡邊一家人出國時，把貓咪託付給鄰居照顧。
The choice of restaurant was left to the guests of honour to decide.
餐廳的選擇交給了主賓們決定。
- handle oneself
to deal with a matter directly rather than giving it to someone else
- take on
to accept responsibility instead of passing it
文法句型
leave + something + to + someone
leave + someone + with + something
leave + it + to + someone + to-infinitive
用法筆記
Subject can be a person, group, or institution. The object is typically a decision, choice, arrangement, responsibility, or dependent (child, pet), not a simple physical object.
常見錯誤
leave — 名詞
1. time that you are allowed to spend away from your job, for example because you n
休假
工作中獲准的休息時間
time that you are allowed to spend away from your job, for example because you need a holiday or you are ill
Mizuki has three weeks of annual leave saved up for her trip to Japan.
Mizuki 為了她的日本旅行存了三週的年假。
collocation: annual leave / sick leave / maternity leave
The doctor gave Vikram a note for two days of sick leave.
醫生給 Vikram 開了一張兩天病假的證明。
Teachers at that school get twelve weeks of paid parental leave.
那所學校的老師享有十二週的帶薪育嬰假。
Henrik applied for unpaid leave to care for his elderly mother.
Henrik 申請了無薪假來照顧他年邁的母親。
New employees usually do not get holiday leave during their first month.
新進員工在試用期內通常無法請休假。
文法句型
annual leave
sick leave
maternity leave
paid leave
unpaid leave
用法筆記
Often appears with a preceding adjective naming the reason: annual leave, sick leave, maternity leave, parental leave. In British English, 'holiday' often replaces 'leave' for vacation time; 'leave' is used mainly for formally tracked categories.
常見錯誤
2. a specific period that your employer or school officially allows you to be away
請假
經正式批准的特定休假
a specific period that your employer or school officially allows you to be away from work or study for a particular purpose such as training, looking after family members, or personal reasons
Isabela was granted study leave to finish her master's degree.
Isabela 獲准了進修假以完成她的碩士學位。
collocation: study leave / compassionate leave / leave of absence
The company offers paternity leave of up to four weeks.
該公司提供長達四週的陪產假。
Hugo took a leave of absence from the university to travel.
Hugo 向大學申請了休假去旅行。
Yasmin needed compassionate leave after her grandmother passed away.
Yasmin 在祖母過世後需要請喪假。
- absence
broader; can be unauthorised or unexplained
- sabbatical
specifically a paid break for research or study, usually for academics
- attendance
the state of being present at work or school
文法句型
leave of absence
study leave
compassionate leave
paternity leave
用法筆記
Often appears in the fixed phrase 'leave of absence' or combined with a specific purpose noun (study leave, compassionate leave). Distinguish from sense 1 (TIME OFF WORK), which covers standard holiday and sick time; sense 2 emphasises formal, purpose-specific permission granted by an institution.
常見錯誤
3. formal permission given to someone to do something that would otherwise not be a
許可
法律或正式場合的准許
formal permission given to someone to do something that would otherwise not be allowed, especially in an official or legal situation
The judge granted Cyrus leave to appeal the court's decision.
法官准許 Cyrus 對判決提出上訴。
formal/legal register: leave to do something
The committee gave Gabriel leave to speak at the hearing.
委員會准許 Gabriel 在聽證會上發言。
Tuan asked for leave to submit the report after the deadline.
Tuan 請求允許在截止日期後提交報告。
Without the court's leave, the case cannot move forward.
未經法院許可，此案無法繼續進行。
- permission
more general; suitable for both formal and everyday use
- authorization
similar level of formality; often implies written approval
- consent
focuses on agreement rather than official approval
文法句型
leave to do something
leave of the court
grant leave
ask leave
用法筆記
Almost exclusively used in formal or legal contexts, especially in court proceedings. Followed by 'to + infinitive'. In everyday English, 'permission' is the natural choice instead of 'leave'.
常見錯誤
4. the act of saying goodbye and going away from someone, especially in a formal or
告別
辭別或離去的動作
the act of saying goodbye and going away from someone, especially in a formal or polite manner
Christopher took his leave of the guests and walked home.
Christopher 向客人告辭後走路回家了。
fixed phrase: take your leave / take leave of someone
Élise said goodbye and took her leave before the party ended.
Élise 道了別，在派對結束前離席。
After the formal dinner, the guests took their leave one by one.
正式晚宴結束後，賓客們一一告辭。
Without taking leave of anyone, Sophia slipped out the back door.
Sophia 沒向任何人告辭，就從後門溜了出去。
文法句型
take leave of someone
take your leave
take leave of your senses
用法筆記
Almost always found in the fixed expressions 'take leave of someone' or 'take your leave'. Rarely used in everyday conversation; 'say goodbye' or 'leave' are more natural alternatives. The idiom 'take leave of your senses' (to start behaving irrationally) is a separate, unrelated expression.