客从何处来

客從何處來
kè cóng hé chù lái
quotation

Meanings

  1. 1 where has the guest come from?
  2. 2 'where are you from, stranger?' - a classical opening question

Examples

HSK 4
Diànshì jiémù 《 Kè Cóng Hé Chù Lái 》 jiùshì jiè zhè jù gǔshī zuò míng.
The TV show 'Where Does the Guest Come From?' takes its name from this old verse.
HSK 6
Lǎorén xiào zhe wèn: kè cóng hé chù lái? fǎngfú niàn qǐ le Hè Zhīzhāng de shī.
The old man smiled and asked 'where does the guest come from?' - as if reciting He Zhizhang's poem.

Tips

history
From 贺知章 He Zhizhang's 《回乡偶书》: 儿童相见不相识笑问客从何处来 - 'the children see me but don't know me, and laughing ask, where has the guest come from?' He Zhizhang had returned home after 50 years away.
usage
here is chù (place). Usually quoted with the preceding 笑问 - see the separate entry 笑问客从何处来 for the fuller line. CCTV's documentary 《客从何处来》 (2014-) is named after this.

Stroke Order

cóng
chǔ
lái