举目无亲 (jǔ mù wú qīn) — to be alone and helpless with no one to turn to (often in a strange place)

Definition

Literally 'lift one's eyes and see no kin' — a chengyu for being completely alone in a strange place with no relatives or friends to rely on.

idiom
to be alone and helpless with no one to turn to (often in a strange place)

Examples

  • ，举目无亲，。
    Tā gāng dào zhè zuò chéng shì, jǔ mù wú qīn, xīn lǐ hěn bù ān.
    He just arrived in this city, with no one to turn to, and felt very uneasy.
  • 举目无亲，。
    Yí gè rén zài hǎi wài jǔ mù wú qīn, zhǐ néng kào zì jǐ màn màn shì yìng.
    A person alone abroad with no one to turn to can only rely on themselves to gradually adjust.
  • 举目无亲，。
    Tā jǔ mù wú qīn, lián gè shāng liang de rén dōu zhǎo bú dào.
    She had no one to turn to, couldn't even find someone to discuss things with.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

举目raise eyes
举jǔraise目mùeye
动宾Verb + object
无亲no relatives
无wúno亲qīnrelative
动宾Verb + object

举目, raising the eyes, and 无亲, no relatives, are set side by side to picture a lonely stranger.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 舉; 举 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
與
與yǔ舉jǔ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 舉 pairs 與, which gives the sound, with 手, a hand; the simplified 举 is a later shorthand.

Open 举 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

目 began as a drawing of a human eye, turned sideways.

Open 目 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 無; 无 is its simplified writing.

For the simplified 无, the story is about 無. 無 drew a person dancing with ox tails held in both hands to pray for rain, then was borrowed for 'have no', so the picture does not explain that meaning.

Open 无 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 親; 亲 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
見見jiànsee
Sound part声符shēngfú
辛
辛xīn親qīn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 親 uses 見 (see) for sense and 辛 (a chisel) for sound; the simplified 亲 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 亲 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.