残る vs 残す
JLPT N4 vocabulary · what is the difference?
残る is intransitive — something stays behind on its own (ご飯が残る, the rice is left over). 残す is transitive — a person deliberately leaves something behind (ご飯を残す, you leave rice on your plate). Same event, different viewpoint: 残る reports what is still there, 残す points at whoever left it.
When to use each
残る
のこる
Use 残る when you are describing the leftover itself — food still on the table, people still at the office, a memory that stays with you. The thing that remains takes が. 会社に残る is the normal way to say you stayed late at work, usually because of 残業 (overtime).
ご飯が少し残っています。
ごはんがすこしのこっています。
There's a little rice left.
今日は残業で、九時まで会社に残りました。
きょうはざんぎょうで、くじまでかいしゃにのこりました。
I worked overtime today and stayed at the office until nine.
残す
のこす
Use 残す when a person is responsible for the leftover — leaving food uneaten, saving cake for someone, leaving a message. The leftover takes を and the person is the subject. 食べ残す means specifically to leave food on the plate.
ご飯を残さないでください。
ごはんをのこさないでください。
Please don't leave any rice.
弟にケーキを残しておきました。
おとうとにケーキをのこしておきました。
I saved some cake for my little brother.
Sentences where only one works
子どもが野菜を残しました。
こどもがやさいをのこしました。
The child left the vegetables uneaten.
The child is the one doing it, so 残す. 野菜が残りました would only report that vegetables were left, without pointing at anyone.
パーティーの後、料理がたくさん残りました。
パーティーのあと、りょうりがたくさんのこりました。
A lot of food was left over after the party.
Nobody chose this; it is just the state of the table, so 残る with が.
留守番電話にメッセージを残しました。
るすばんでんわにメッセージをのこしました。
I left a message on the answering machine.
Leaving a message is a deliberate act, so only 残す works here.
あの映画は今でも心に残っています。
あのえいがはいまでもこころにのこっています。
That movie has stayed with me even now.
心に残る is fixed as the intransitive form. 心に残す would mean deliberately keeping something in your heart, which is not what this says.
Common mistakes
ご飯を残っています。
ご飯が残っています。
残る never takes を. If you want を, the verb has to be 残す: ご飯を残しています。
昨日は会社に残しました。
昨日は会社に残りました。
You stayed at the office yourself, so it is intransitive 残る. 会社に残す would mean you left some object behind at the office.
すみません、少し残りました。
すみません、少し残してしまいました。
Apologising for food you did not finish means you are the cause, so 残す. 残りました sounds like you are just reporting that food happens to be there.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between 残業 and 会社に残る?
残業 is the word for overtime work itself (残業します = to work overtime). 会社に残る just says you stayed at the office, which is usually overtime but could also be for a meeting or to wait for someone.
Is 食べ残す different from just 残す?
食べ残す is narrower: it only means leaving food uneaten. 残す covers that plus leaving messages, saving a portion for someone, and leaving things behind in general.
Can both be used about the same plate of food?
Yes, and this is the clearest way to feel the difference. 料理が残っている describes the plate; 料理を残した points at the person who did not finish it.