leave
liːv
You Walk Out — and Something Stays Behind
The picture Your body slips out of a place while the place itself stays put. As you go, something is left standing there behind you. STAY is remaining in the spot; LEAVE is slipping out of it while something stays in it.
Where the picture shows up in leave
-
slip out of a place
The last train leaves at eleven.
ðə lɑːst treɪn liːvz æt ɪˈlevən
The last train goes at eleven.
The train sliding out while the platform stays exactly where it was.
-
an object stays behind
I left my phone in the taxi.
aɪ left maɪ foʊn ɪn ðə ˈtæksi
My phone is still in that taxi.
The passenger gets out; the phone sits alone on the seat.
-
words stay behind
Please leave a message after the tone.
pliːz liːv ə ˈmesɪdʒ ˈɑːftər ðə toʊn
Say your message after the beep.
Putting a note on the desk on your way out.
-
don't touch it, let it sit
Just leave it there, I'll clean it up later.
dʒʌst liːv ɪt ðeər aɪl kliːn ɪt ʌp ˈleɪtər
Don't worry about it — I'll tidy up later.
A hand pulling back and letting the thing stay where it was.
-
hand it over and step back
Leave the rest to me.
liːv ðə rest tuː miː
I'll take care of the rest.
Setting the job down in someone else's hands and stepping away.
leave A to B = put A in B's hands.
All of it in one picture
LEAVE is a body going out and something staying behind. When you are the one going, it is departure; when an object stays behind, you forgot it; when words stay behind, it is a message; when you go without touching anything, it is leaving it alone; when the work stays behind, someone else takes it. Every use carries the same beat: I go, that stays.