回老家 (huí lǎo jiā) — return to one's hometown; (colloquial euphemism) to pass away, to die
Definition
回老家 literally means 'go back to one's hometown' but is also used as a soft, colloquial euphemism for 'pass away' — the journey-home meaning is always literal, the dying meaning is figurative.
verb
return to one's hometown(colloquial euphemism) to pass awayto die
Examples
- 回老家。Chūn jié wǒ dǎ suàn huí lǎo jiā guò nián.I plan to go back to my hometown for the Chinese New Year.
- 。Wǒ yǐ jīng sān nián méi yǒu huí yí cì lǎo jiā le.I haven't gone back to my hometown even once in three years.
- 回老家。Tīng shuō lǐ dà yé qù nián yǐ jīng huí lǎo jiā le.I heard that Uncle Li passed away last year.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.