归去 (guī qù) — to go back, to return (literary)

Definition

Literary/poetic way to say 'go back, return.' Used in classical-style writing rather than daily speech.

verb
to go backto return (literary)

Examples

  • 归去，。
    Tā jué dìng guī qù gù xiāng, zài yě bù huí lái le.
    He decided to return to his hometown, never to come back again.
  • 归去，。
    Shī rén xiě xià le guī qù de shī jù, biǎo dá le duì zì yóu de xiàng wǎng.
    The poet wrote verses about returning, expressing his longing for freedom.
  • 归去。
    guī qù Èr zì zài zhōng guó gǔ shī zhōng cháng dài yǒu shēn shēn de xiāng chóu.
    The word 'guī qù' often carries deep nostalgia in classical Chinese poetry.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

归guīreturn
去qùgo

归 means return and 去 indicates going away, so together they mean to go back.

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 歸; 归 is its simplified writing.

  • 𠂤𠂤𠂤ancient form of {{zh-l|*師|troops}}
  • 帚帚zhǒubroom; sweep

The traditional form 歸 combines 𠂤 (troops) and 帚 (broom; sweep) to show sweeping away an enemy and returning; the simplified 归 is a later abbreviation.

Open 归 →

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 →

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