wai3 lau4慰留

Jyutpingwai3 lau4

Yalewai làuh

Definition

To persuade (employees) to stay; to urge someone to stay on

neutralwork

How it's used

Used primarily in professional or workplace contexts when a valued staff member hands in their resignation. It implies a sense of appreciation for the person's contribution and a genuine desire to retain their talent. While formal in tone, it is frequently used in office settings to describe the process of counter-offering or discussing future prospects to change someone's mind.

Examples

lou5 baan2 hou2 sing4 han2 gam3 wai3 lau4 keoi5

老闆好誠懇咁慰留佢。

The boss sincerely persuaded him to stay.

nei5 daa2 syun3 dim2 joeng2 wai3 lau4 nei4 wai6 jyun4 gung1 aa4

你打算點樣慰留呢位員工呀？

How do you plan to persuade this employee to stay?

Common phrases

gik6 lik6 wai3 lau4

極力慰留

to try hard to persuade someone to stay

wai3 lau4 sat1 baai6

慰留失敗

failed to persuade someone to stay

Common mistake

Do not confuse this with simply asking someone to stay for a social visit, which would use 留. 慰留 specifically carries the weight of professional retention and negotiation.