溜
Meanings · lau4
- to skate
- to slide
- to glide
Meanings · lau6
- slippery
- smooth
- rapids
- torrents
Meanings · liu1
- to slip away
- to escape in stealth
- to sneak away
- in
- to slip off
Meanings · lau1
- to slip away
- to escape in stealth
- to sneak away
- in
- to slip off
About these definitions
Source definition segments, in their original order. Characters a definition cites are shown without their Mandarin pinyin; classifier lists that CC-Canto copied from CC-CEDICT are marked Mandarin. The community dictionary is not independently verified by zimai.
Reading & tones
Schematic citation-tone diagrams from the source numbers. These are not recordings or predictions of connected speech.
Tone difference from Unihan
- 溜 is read lau4 here; Unihan’s citation reading is lau6. Same syllable, different tone across these source readings. CC-Canto also lists 溜 lau4 as its own entry.
Computed by zimai: each syllable of the CC-Canto word reading is compared with Unihan 17.0.0 kCantonese for its character. The comparison does not say why a reading differs (a changed tone, 變音, a reading tied to one meaning, or a source variant).
Same syllable, six tones
Characters whose customary Unihan reading (kCantonese) is this syllable in each tone, chosen as in the tone atlas (2013 standard level, then the number of CC-CEDICT words they form), with CC-Canto 2017's meaning for that reading; a dash means no catalogue character has that reading. Checked syllables (-p, -t, -k) normally carry tones 1, 3 and 6. Character readings, not word readings; no frequency implied.
Written characters
Both source spellings are represented. Written membership is not an etymological or semantic claim.
Mandarin comparison · separate source entries
CC-CEDICT, the Mandarin–English dictionary, lists the same written form:
- 溜 liū CC-CEDICT · Mandarinto slip away; to escape in stealth; to skate
- 溜 liù CC-CEDICT · Mandarinswift current; rapids; (dialect) (of speech, actions etc) skilled; proficient; (of movements) quick; speedy; (bound form) rain runoff from a roof; (bound form) roof gutter; classifier for rows, lines etc; surroundings; neighborhood; (dialect) to practice; (dialect) to plaster; to fill in the cracks (with cement, lime plaster etc)
A separate source entry, shown for comparison. The same characters can carry different senses in Mandarin and in Cantonese; zimai does not align these senses.
CC-Canto includes this pinyin reference: liu1. It does not establish a Mandarin word with the same meaning.
Look up this spelling in the Mandarin dictionary ↗Compare dictionary sources Rime · Wiktionary
Rime Cantonese 粵拼
lau4 · lau6 · liu1
Cantonese word readings for 溜. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.
CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack
Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section
Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.
character
- to slide; to glide; to slip
- to sneak off; to sneak away; to escape
- smooth; glossy
- along
- (alt-of, alternative) alternative form of 熘 (liū, “to coat food with sauce made from thickened starch with sugar or vinegar added after deep-frying or stir-frying under high heat”)
- (dialectal) to glance; to take a look
- (dialectal) extremely; highly; very
- expressive suffix appended to adjectives, often used in the reduplicated form 溜溜
- (Jinan Mandarin) capable and skillful in handling affairs
- (Nanjing Mandarin) to stroll; to wander about (usually for a short time)
- (Jin) to plaster with lime, cement, etc. (of wall cracks)
- (Jin) to swing and strike with a strip-like object
- (literary, archaic) to pilfer; to steal; to snatch
- (archaic or Harbin Mandarin) to fawn on; to curry favour with; to flatter
character
- (～水) archaic name for the Liu River in modern-day Guangxi Province
- (of water or other liquids) to flow downwards; to drip; to dribble
- water drop or water stream
- (alt-of, alternative) alternative form of 霤 (liù, “eavesdrop; part of the eaves where rainwater drips down; eaves gutter”)
- swift current; rapids
- (of water) rapid; swift and violent
- (of an action) quick; swift; speedy; prompt
- to shoot a glance at; to cast a sidelong glance at
- (alt-of, alternative) alternative form of 遛 (“to stroll; to saunter”)
- to summon; to call for; to send for
- Classifier for objects arranged in lines, rows or strings.
- surroundings; neighborhood
- (dialectal) to fill slits with viscous substance
Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack