后顾之忧 (hòu gù zhī yōu) — worries about the future (especially family mat…

Definition

A set phrase for 'worries back home' — typically family or practical concerns that hold you back from acting freely. It is a specific burden, not a general state, so it contrasts with 无忧无虑, which describes a carefree person with no worries at all.

phrase

worries about the future (especially family matters) that hinder one's freedom of actionin negative expressions (e.g. 无后顾之忧) meaning 'to have no further worries or concerns'

Examples

，后顾之忧。
Jiě jué le hái zi de jiào yù wèn tí, tā jiù méi yǒu hòu gù zhī yōu le.
After solving the children's education problem, he has no more worries about the future.
，后顾之忧。
Wǒ xiǎng tí qián ān pái hǎo yí qiè, yǐ miǎn yǒu hòu gù zhī yōu.
I want to arrange everything in advance to arrange everything well, to avoid having any worries about the future.
，后顾之忧。
Yǒu le zhè bǐ cún kuǎn, tā zhōng yú kě yǐ méi yǒu hòu gù zhī yōu dì zuò zì jǐ xiǎng zuò de shì le.
With this deposit, he can finally do what he wants without any worries about the future.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 後; 后 is its simplified writing.

幺幺yāothread
夊夊suīfoot

The traditional form 後 showed 夊 (foot) bound by 幺 (thread), a foot caught by a rope and lagging behind; the simplified 后 is a later abbreviation, and 后 also has a different meaning.

Open 后 →

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 顧; 顾 is its simplified writing.

雇頁顧

Meaning part形符xíngfú

頁頁yè

Sound part声符shēngfú

雇

雇gù顧gù

Same sound today

The traditional form 顧 combines 雇 as a sound part and 頁 as a meaning part; 顾 is the simplified form of 顧.

Open 顾 →