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天涯海角 (tiān yá hǎi jiǎo) — the ends of the earth; far-off places; separated by a great distance; worlds apart

Definition

A chengyu meaning 'the ends of the earth' — used both literally for a place impossibly far away and figuratively for two people separated by a huge distance.

idiom
the ends of the earthfar-off placesseparated by a great distanceworlds apart

Examples

  • 天涯海角，。
    Wú lùn nǐ zài tiān yá hǎi jiǎo, wǒ dōu huì zhǎo dào nǐ.
    No matter where you are at the ends of the earth, I will find you.
  • 天涯海角，。
    Tā men suī rán xiāng gé tiān yá hǎi jiǎo, dàn xīn què yǒng yuǎn zài yì qǐ.
    Although they are separated by the ends of the earth, their hearts are forever together.
  • 天涯海角，。
    Qù nián wǒ qù le hǎi nán de tiān yá hǎi jiǎo, fēng jǐng fēi cháng zhuàng guān.
    Last year I went to Tianya Haijiao in Hainan, the scenery was spectacular.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

天涯edge of the sky
天tiānsky涯yáedge
偏正Modifier + head
海角corner of the sea
海hǎisea角jiǎocorner
偏正Modifier + head

天涯 makes the edge of the sky and 海角 makes a corner of the sea, meaning far ends of the earth.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
大大dà
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng天tiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape comes from a frontal standing man 大 with a head; 天 pairs 大 with 丁 for sound.

Open 天 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
厓
厓yá涯yá
Same sound today

涯 puts 氵 (water) beside 厓 (cliff; to limit), showing a cliff by the water and giving the sense of a shore or edge.

Open 涯 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
每
每měi海hǎi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

海 pairs 氵 (water) with 每, which gives the sound. The 氵 side shows it is about water.

Open 海 →

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

The form 角 is a picture of a horn.

Open 角 →
Appears in
Geography & LandformsIdioms & Set Phrases

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