半路出家 (bàn lù chū jiā) — (figurative) to switch to a new profession or field without formal training; (literal) to become a monk or nun late in life

Definition

A 成语 meaning 'switched careers late without formal training' — taken literally, joining a monastery in middle age. Usually used figuratively for someone who enters a new field as a beginner.

idiom
(figurative) to switch to a new profession or field without formal training(literal) to become a monk or nun late in life

Examples

  • ，半路出家。
    Tā xué de shì kuài jì, hòu lái bàn lù chū jiā zuò le chéng xù yuán.
    He studied accounting and later switched to programming without formal training.
  • ，半路出家，。
    Bié kàn tā xiàn zài shì zhù míng dǎo yǎn, qí shí shì bàn lù chū jiā, yǐ qián zài gōng chǎng shàng bān de.
    Don't be fooled by his fame as a director — he actually made a late career switch, having worked in a factory before.
  • 半路出家，。
    Zhè wèi gāo sēng bàn lù chū jiā, sì shí suì cái chū jiā xiū xíng.
    This eminent monk became a monk late in life; he didn't ordain until forty.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

半路midway
半bànhalf路lùroad
偏正Modifier + head
出家leave home to become a monk
出chūleave家jiāhome
动宾Verb + object

半路 means midway and 出家 means leaving home to become a monk; together they picture entering a path late or switching professions.

Characters in this word

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

The shape pairs 八 (to divide) with 牛 (cow), showing a cow cut into two halves.

Open 半 →

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
足足zú
Sound part声符shēngfú
各
各gè路lù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

路 combines 足, a foot, with 各, which supplies the sound.

Open 路 →

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

出 combines 止 (foot) and 凵 (cave) to show a foot stepping out of a cave.

Open 出 →

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
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢑓
𢑓𢑓家jiā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The early drawing of 家 showed a roof 宀 over a male-pig sign 𢑓 that gave the pronunciation; the lower part later changed shape.

Open 家 →

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