故地重游 (gù dì chóng yóu) — to revisit a place one has been to before; to go back to a familiar place (often with nostalgic feelings)

Definition

A chengyu meaning to revisit a familiar place, usually with nostalgia. Implies the place holds personal memories, not just any return visit.

verb
to revisit a place one has been to beforeto go back to a familiar place (often with nostalgic feelings)

Examples

  • ，故地重游，。
    Shí nián hòu, tā zài cì gù dì chóng yóu, gǎn kǎi wàn qiān.
    Ten years later, he revisited the old place, filled with mixed emotions.
  • 故地重游，，。
    Zhè cì gù dì chóng yóu, fā xiàn biàn huà hěn dà, jī hū rèn bù chū lái le.
    This revisit to the old place revealed huge changes, almost unrecognizable.
  • 故地重游，。
    Lǎo rén měi nián dōu huì gù dì chóng yóu, huí yì nián qīng shí de shí guāng.
    The old man revisits the old place every year, recalling his youthful days.

Origin

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
攵Written in full as攴pū
Sound part声符shēngfú
古
古gǔ故gù
Same sound today

故 uses 古 for the sound and 攵, written in full as 攴, for the meaning.

Open 故 →

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
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
也
也yě地dì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

地 is built from 土 (earth) and 也, which gives its sound.

Open 地 →

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
人人rénman
Sound part声符shēngfú
東
東dōng重zhòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

重 developed from a picture of a man carrying a bag, with 人 for the man and 東 for the bag; a later ground element was folded into the form.

Open 重 →

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
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
斿
斿yóu游yóu
Same sound today

游 combines 水 (water) with 斿, which gives the sound yóu and also relates to travelling.

Open 游 →

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