留 means “stay, keep”

りゅう · ryuu

Also: detain, fasten, halt, stop

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)
とめる, とまる, とどめる, とどまる, るうぶる
On'yomi (Chinese reading)
リュウ, ル

JLPT N3 · Taught in grade 5 · 10 strokes

The story

A rice field (田) anchors the bottom of 留, the kanji of staying put. 留学 is staying abroad to study, and 留守 means no one's home, so a 留守番 minds the house or the 留守番電話 takes the call.

Used in 留学 (ryuugaku, study abroad), 留守 (rusu, being away from home), and 書留 (kakitome, registered mail)

More from Coming & Going

Learn 留 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.