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与世隔绝 (yǔ shì gé jué) — to be cut off from the rest of the world; to live in seclusion; (of a place) isolated, remote

Definition

Idiom meaning 'cut off from the world' — used for people living in seclusion or places that are isolated and remote. The 与世 ('from the world') part emphasizes total separation, stronger than just calling a place 偏僻.

idiom
to be cut off from the rest of the worldto live in seclusion(of a place) isolatedremote

Examples

  • ，与世隔绝。
    Tā tuì xiū hòu zhù zài shān lǐ, guò zhe yǔ shì gé jué de shēng huó.
    After retirement, he lived in the mountains, leading a life cut off from the world.
  • 与世隔绝，。
    Nà ge xiǎo cūn zhuāng jī hū yǔ shì gé jué, hěn shǎo yǒu wài rén lái.
    That small village is almost entirely isolated from the world; very few outsiders come.
  • 与世隔绝。
    Cháng shí jiān yǔ shì gé jué ràng tā bù xí guàn hé rén jiāo liú le.
    After a long period of isolation, he is no longer used to interacting with people.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 與; 与 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 與 is built from 舁 and 牙, and both parts give the sound.

Open 与 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 世 →

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
阝Written in full as阜fùwall
Sound part声符shēngfú
鬲
鬲gé隔gé
Same sound today

隔 puts 阝, a wall, with 鬲, which gives the sound gé, to show separating with a wall.

Open 隔 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 絕; 绝 is its simplified writing.

In the traditional form 絕, 刀 (knife) and 幺 (silk) show a knife cutting silk threads. The simplified 绝 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original picture.

Open 绝 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set Phrases

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