故土难离
故土难离 (gù tǔ nán lí) literally means “native soil hard to leave” and expresses “hard to leave one's homeland”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy. It originates from ancient Chinese literature and remains commonly used in modern Mandarin.
Also searched as: gu tu nan li, gu tu nan li,故土难离 meaning, 故土难离 in english
Hard to leave one's homeland
Pronunciation: gù tǔ nán lí
Literal meaning: Native soil hard to leave
Origin & Usage
This idiom describes native (故) soil (土) being hard (难) to leave (离). It captures the emotional attachment to one's homeland that makes departure difficult. The phrase recognizes the deep bonds between people and places. Modern usage describes the difficulty of leaving one's hometown or country, the pull of familiar places and people that makes relocation emotionally challenging.
Examples
English: "Despite the opportunities elsewhere, he couldn't bring himself to leave."
Chinese: 尽管别处有机会，他仍故土难离。
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 故土难离 mean in English?
故土难离 (gù tǔ nán lí) literally translates to “Native soil hard to leave” and is used to express “Hard to leave one's homeland”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 故土难离 used?
Situation: This idiom applies when describing situations involving hard to leave one's homeland.
What is the pinyin for 故土难离?
The pinyin pronunciation for 故土难离 is “gù tǔ nán lí”.