留学生 (liúxuéshēng) means “international student” or “student studying abroad” in Chinese. It refers to someone who goes to another country to pursue their education. Let’s break down the original structure and meaning of each character:

留 (liú)

• Original Structure: This character was originally composed of two parts: “田” (tián – field) and “卯” (mǎo – a kind of spear). “田” represented a cultivated field, while “卯” symbolized a weapon used for hunting. The combination suggested the idea of staying or remaining in a place, possibly for farming or hunting.
• Meaning: to stay / to remain / to keep / to preserve / to detain / to leave (a message, etc.)

学 (xué)

• Original Structure: This character was originally composed of two parts: “爻” (yáo – to interweave or connect) and “子” (zi – child). “爻” represented the interweaving of knowledge or ideas, while “子” symbolized a child or learner. The combination suggested the idea of children learning and acquiring knowledge.
• Meaning: to learn / to study / to imitate / science / -ology

生 (shēng)

• Original Structure: This character was originally a pictogram depicting a plant sprouting from the ground.
• Meaning: to be born / to grow / life / living / student / raw / uncooked / unfamiliar

Combined Meaning

When combined as 留学生 (liúxuéshēng), the meaning becomes “international student” or “student studying abroad.” It signifies someone who stays in a foreign country to learn and study.

Evolution of Meaning

The combination of “stay” (留), “learn” (学), and “student” (生) accurately captures the essence of being an international student. It highlights the act of residing in a different country for the purpose of education.