切切故乡情

切切故鄉情

qièqiègùxiāngqíng

phrase

Meanings

1 keen and piercing, the longing for home
2 (fig.) intense, heart-rending homesickness
3 (lit.) urgent-urgent home-village feeling

Characters

urgent / earnest

urgent (切切 = intensely)

home village (故乡 = hometown)

feeling / longing

Examples

在国外每逢佳节，他总有切切故乡情。

Zài guówài měi féng jiājié, tā zǒng yǒu qièqiè gùxiāng qíng.

Every festival spent abroad, he feels a 'keen, piercing longing for home.'

这首歌道尽了游子那一份切切故乡情。

Zhè shǒu gē dào jìnle yóuzǐ nà yīfèn qièqiè gùxiāng qíng.

The song captures completely the wanderer's sharp, aching homesickness.

Tips

history

From 张九龄《西江夜行》(Zhang Jiuling, 'Night Journey on the Western River,' early Tang): 悠悠天宇旷，切切故乡情 (Far and wide the heavens stretch vast; keen and piercing, longing for home). The contrast of cosmic vastness against intimate homesickness is the couplet's power.

usage

Reading: 切 here = qiè (urgent/earnest), not qiē (to cut). The reduplication 切切 strengthens the urgency — 'intensely, earnestly.' Usually quoted with its partner line 悠悠天宇旷.

Stroke Order

切 qiē

故 gù

乡 xiāng

情 qíng