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归宿 (guī sù) — place one returns to; home (where one belongs); final destination; ultimate outcome; final destination (for life, objects, etc.)

Definition

归宿 is an abstract, literary word for the place where one finally belongs — physical home or the meaning/ending of life. More emotional and written than 家 or 家园, which name an actual home.

noun
place one returns tohome (where one belongs)final destinationultimate outcomefinal destination (for life, objects, etc.)

Examples

  • ，归宿。
    Liú làng duō nián yǐ hòu, tā zhōng yú zhǎo dào le zì jǐ de guī sù.
    After wandering for many years, he finally found a place to call home.
  • 归宿。
    Zhè běn shū shēn rù tàn tǎo le rén shēng de guī sù.
    This book deeply explores the ultimate destination of life.
  • 归宿。
    Zhè xiē yì shù pǐn zhōng yú huí dào le tā men yīng yǒu de guī sù.
    These artworks have finally returned to their rightful home.

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.

归guīreturn
宿sùplace to stay

归 means return and 宿 means a place to stay, giving the sense of the place one returns to.

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.

  • 人人rénperson
  • 囗囗wéibamboo mat

The shape comes from an old drawing of 人, a person, resting on a mat.

Open 宿 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Abstract ConceptsHome & Housing

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