归途 (guī tú) — homeward journey, one's way home

Definition

noun
homeward journeyone's way home

Examples

  • 归途，。
    Tā tà shàng le guī tú, xīn lǐ chōng mǎn le qī dài.
    He set out on his homeward journey, his heart full of anticipation.
  • 归途。
    Màn cháng de guī tú zài xī yáng xià xiǎn de gé wài níng jìng.
    The long homeward journey seemed especially peaceful in the sunset.
  • ，归途。
    Jīng guò jǐ tiān de bēn bō, tā zhōng yú jié shù le guī tú.
    After days of travel, he finally completed his journey 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
途túroad

归 means return and 途 means road or journey, giving the way home.

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 →

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
辶Written in full as辵chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
余
余yú途
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

途 is made from 辶 (written fully as 辵), a walking part, and 余, which gives the sound.

Open 途 →

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