📖 Meaning
To leave some room for maneuver when speaking or acting, rather than taking things to the extreme. It advises keeping a margin of flexibility so that one can adjust or retreat if circumstances change. The idiom emphasizes prudence and foresight in dealings with people and affairs.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase comes from a poem written by the Song dynasty poet Wang Ling (王令), who lived from 1032 to 1059. In his poem '寄介甫' (Sent to Jiefu), addressed to his friend Wang Anshi (whose courtesy name was Jiefu), he wrote the line '终见乘桴去沧海，好留余地许相依' — 'In the end we shall ride the raft across the vast sea; it is good to leave some room to rely on each other.' The line suggests keeping spare space or leeway for future companionship, which later gave rise to the idiom's meaning of leaving room to maneuver.
💡 Example Usage
说话办事都要留有余地，不要把话说得太满。
One should leave some room for maneuver in both speech and action, and not speak too absolutely.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 留有余地
- Pinyin: liú yǒu yú dì
- Literal Translation: leave, have, surplus, room
- Category: Wisdom
- Characters: 4