不知秋思落谁家

不知秋思落誰家

bùzhīqiūsīluòshéijiā

phrase

Meanings

1 who knows whose household this autumn longing will settle on
2 (fig.) on a shared moonlit night, everyone feels the same ache — and yet whose heart the sorrow lands in most deeply, none can say
3 (lit.) not know autumn thoughts land whose house

Characters

thought / longing (秋思 = autumn longing)

Examples

中秋月圆，人人望月，不知秋思落谁家。

Zhōngqiū yuè yuán, rén rén wàng yuè, bù zhī qiū sī luò shéi jiā.

On Mid-Autumn's full moon, all gaze up — 'who knows whose house this autumn longing settles on.'

读到今夜月明人尽望，不知秋思落谁家，令人动容。

Dú dào jīnyè yuè míng rén jìn wàng, bù zhī qiū sī luò shéi jiā, lìng rén dòngróng.

Reading 'Tonight the moon is bright, all gaze at it — who knows whose house autumn's longing falls on?' is deeply moving.

Tips

history

From 王建《十五夜望月寄杜郎中》(Wang Jian, 'Gazing at the Moon on the Fifteenth Night, Sent to Magistrate Du,' middle Tang, late 8th c.): 中庭地白树栖鸦，冷露无声湿桂花。今夜月明人尽望，不知秋思落谁家 (The courtyard's earth is white; crows roost in the trees. Cold dew, soundless, dampens the osmanthus. Tonight the moon shines bright, all gaze up — who knows whose house this autumn longing will fall on?). A Mid-Autumn Festival classic.

usage

秋思 = 'autumn thoughts,' a traditional literary mood combining homesickness, regret, and the pang of passing time. Always quoted with 今夜月明人尽望. A standard Mid-Autumn reference.

Stroke Order

不 bù

知 zhī

秋 qiū

思 sī

落 luò

谁 shéi

家 jiā