留有余地

留有餘地
liúyǒu-yúdì
idiom #65,857

Meanings

  1. 1 to leave some leeway
  2. 2 to allow margin for the unexpected
  3. 3 not to push things to the limit

Examples

HSK 3
Shuōhuà yào liúyǒuyúdì, búyào bǎ huà shuō sǐ.
Leave some room in what you say - don't commit to absolutes.
HSK 3
Pīpíng biérén yě yào liúyǒuyúdì.
Even when criticizing, leave some room for face.
HSK 7-9
Zuò jìhuà yào liúyǒuyúdì, yǐfángwànyī.
Leave some margin in your plan, just in case.

Tips

history
From Wang Ling's poem 《寄介甫》 (Northern Song): 好留余地许相依 - 'leave me some space for us still to lean on each other'. Originally about emotional closeness, now about practical and rhetorical margin.
usage
Essential in Chinese communication culture - commitments, promises, and criticisms should leave 余地 for future adjustment or for preserving 面子 (face). Strongly advised in business and diplomatic language.

Stroke Order

liú
yǒu