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何去何从 (hé qù hé cóng) — what course to follow; which direction to take (when facing a dilemma)

Definition

A four-character idiom used when facing a serious decision or crossroads — 'which way to go, what path to take.' It carries a strong tone of uncertainty and weight, more literary than simply saying 选择.

idiom
what course to followwhich direction to take (when facing a dilemma)

Examples

  • ，何去何从，。
    Miàn duì wèi lái de zhí yè fā zhǎn, tā gǎn dào hé qù hé cóng, shí fēn mí máng.
    Facing his future career development, he felt at a loss about what course to follow.
  • ，何去何从。
    Gōng sī jīng yíng kùn nan, yuán gōng men dōu zài sī kǎo hé qù hé cóng.
    The company is having operational difficulties, and employees are all wondering which way to go.
  • 何去何从，。
    hé qù hé cóng, Zhè shì měi gè bì yè shēng dōu yào miàn duì de wèn tí.
    What course to follow — this is a question every graduate has to face.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

The old form of 何 drew a person carrying something on their shoulder. If the carried thing was a 戈, the 人 and 戈 parts together showed that picture.

Open 何 →

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

去 pairs 大, a man, with 口, a mouth or object. The evidence reads this as a man leaving a place, a man opening his mouth, or a cover over an object.

Open 去 →

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

The old form of 何 drew a person carrying something on their shoulder. If the carried thing was a 戈, the 人 and 戈 parts together showed that picture.

Open 何 →

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 從; 从 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辵辵chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
从
从cóng從cóng
Same sound today

The traditional form 從 pairs 辵 (walk) with 从, which gives the sound; the character was originally written 从.

Open 从 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set Phrases

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