背井离乡

背井離鄉

bèijǐng-líxiāng

idiom #25,958

Meanings

1 to leave one's hometown
2 to be far from home (especially unwillingly)

Characters

to turn one's back on, to leave behind

well (water well); hometown

to leave, to separate from

hometown, native place, countryside

Examples

HSK 3

为了找工作，他背井离乡来到大城市。

Wèile zhǎo gōngzuò, tā bèijǐng-líxiāng láidào dà chéngshì.

To find work, he left his hometown and came to the big city.

HSK 7-9

战争迫使许多人背井离乡。

Zhànzhēng pòshǐ xǔduō rén bèijǐng-líxiāng.

War forced many people to leave their hometowns.

Tips

culture

This idiom reflects deep Chinese cultural roots in attachment to one's native place (乡土情结). 井 (well) represents the communal well around which village life centered - to leave the well is to leave the community itself.

Stroke Order

背 bēi

井 jǐng

离 lí

乡 xiāng