归隐 (guī yǐn) — to retire from public life and live in seclusion

Definition

Literary verb meaning to withdraw from public/official life and live in seclusion — common in classical and literary writing about scholars, poets, or officials who give up their careers to live in the mountains or countryside.

verb
to retire from public life and live in seclusion

Examples

  • 归隐。
    Tā cí guān hòu xuǎn zé guī yǐn shān lín.
    After resigning from office, he chose to live in seclusion in the mountains.
  • 。
    Zhè wèi shī rén nián qīng shí jiù yǐ jīng guī le yǐn.
    This poet had already retired into seclusion when he was young.
  • 归隐。
    Gǔ dài hěn duō wén rén dōu yǒu guī yǐn de yuàn wàng.
    Many ancient literati had the wish to live in seclusion.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

归guīreturn
隐yǐnlive in seclusion

归 means return, and 隐 means live in seclusion.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 隱; 隐 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阝Written in full as阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
㥯
㥯㥯隱yǐn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 隱 pairs 阝 (阜) with 㥯 to give the sound; the simplified 隐 is a shorthand, so its right side is not 㥯.

Open 隐 →

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