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落叶归根

落葉歸根
luòyè-guīgēn
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 fallen leaves return to their roots
  2. 2 to return to one's birthplace or origin (esp. in old age)

Examples

老人退休后回到了老家，落叶归根。
Lǎorén tuìxiū hòu huídào le lǎojiā, luòyèguīgēn.
After retiring, the old man returned to his hometown — leaves return to their roots.
海外华侨总有一天会落叶归根。
Hǎiwài huáqiáo zǒng yǒu yì tiān huì luòyèguīgēn.
Overseas Chinese will one day return to their ancestral home.

Tips

history
From 宋·释道原《景德传灯录》 — a Chan Buddhist compendium where the line '叶落归根, 来时无口' expresses the natural return to origin.
culture
A deeply felt trope in Chinese diaspora literature — the moral pull to be buried near one's ancestral home, not abroad.

Stroke Order

落 luò
叶 yè
归 guī
根 gēn