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回乡 (huí xiāng) — to return to one's hometown (village)

Definition

回乡 specifically means returning to one's rural hometown or home village. It is a separable verb: insert 了/过 or a measure phrase (回过一次乡, 回了一趟乡).

verb
to return to one's hometown (village)

Examples

  • 回乡。
    Tā měi nián dōu huí xiāng guò nián.
    He returns to his hometown every year for Chinese New Year.
  • ，。
    Tā huí le yí cì xiāng, kàn wàng fù mǔ.
    He returned to his hometown once to visit his parents.
  • 回乡。
    Tā hěn jiǔ méi huí xiāng le.
    He hasn't returned to his hometown for a long time.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

回huíreturn
乡xiānghometown

回 gives the motion of returning, and 乡 names the hometown as the place returned to.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

回 comes from a drawing of a spiral, showing something turning around.

Open 回 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 鄉; 乡 is its simplified writing.

  • 𠨍𠨍𠨍two people facing each other
  • 皀皀jía round-mouthed food vessel

The traditional form 鄉 combines two people facing each other with a round-mouthed food vessel, depicting a feast. The village meaning is connected to this feasting event.

Open 乡 →
Appears in
Countryside & Rural

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