异国他乡 (yì guó tā xiāng) — foreign land, a place far from one's homeland (often with nostalgic or lonely connotations); (idiom) living as an expatriate in a foreign place

Definition

Literary idiom for a foreign land far from home, with a built-in sense of homesickness or loneliness. Use it in writing or reflective speech, not casual chat.

idiom
foreign landa place far from one's homeland (often with nostalgic or lonely connotations)living as an expatriate in a foreign place

Examples

  • 异国他乡。
    Hěn duō rén wéi le gōng zuò lái dào yì guó tā xiāng.
    Many people come to a foreign land for work.
  • 异国他乡，。
    Tā zài yì guó tā xiāng shēng huó le duō nián, yǐ jīng xí guàn zhè lǐ de shēng huó.
    He has lived in a foreign land for many years and has become accustomed to life there.
  • 异国他乡，。
    Tā shēn chǔ yì guó tā xiāng, cháng cháng xiǎng qǐ jiā xiāng de měi shí.
    She is in a foreign land and often thinks of the delicious food from her hometown.

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 異; 异 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 異 depicts a person with a mask 田 over the face, so the face looks different. The simplified 异 is a later shorthand.

Open 异 →

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 國; 国 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
囗囗wéiclosure
Sound part声符shēngfú
或
或huò國guó
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 國 uses 囗 to show closure and 或 to give the sound.

Open 国 →

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
亻Written in full as人rénman
Sound part声符shēngfú
也
也yě他tā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

他 combines 亻 (a person) with 也, which was chosen for its sound.

Open 他 →

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 →

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