浪迹天涯 (làng jī tiān yá) — to wander all over the world, to roam far and wide

Definition

A literary idiom for roaming the world with no fixed home — a life of wandering. Pairs naturally with 侠客, 诗人, or 周游列国.

idiom
to wander all over the worldto roam far and wide

Examples

  • 浪迹天涯，。
    Tā nián qīng shí céng làng jī tiān yá zhōu yóu liè guó, jiàn duō shí guǎng.
    When he was young, he roamed the world and traveled to many countries, becoming well-traveled and knowledgeable.
  • 浪迹天涯。
    Zhè bù diàn yǐng jiǎng shù le yí wèi làng jī tiān yá de xiá kè de gù shi.
    This movie tells the story of a wandering knight-errant.
  • 浪迹天涯，。
    Wǒ mèng xiǎng yǒu yì tiān néng làng jī tiān yá, gǎn shòu bù tóng wén huà de mèi lì.
    I dream of one day roaming the world and experiencing the charm of different cultures.

Origin

Characters in this word

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
水水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
良
良liáng浪làng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

浪 pairs 水 (water) with 良, which supplies the sound. The water part points to its meaning of waves.

Open 浪 →

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chuòmove
Sound part声符shēngfú
朿
朿cì迹jì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

迹 pairs 辶, a movement part, with 亦, a sound part; an older form used 朿.

Open 迹 →

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
大大dà
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng天tiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape comes from a frontal standing man 大 with a head; 天 pairs 大 with 丁 for sound.

Open 天 →

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
厓
厓yá涯yá
Same sound today

涯 puts 氵 (water) beside 厓 (cliff; to limit), showing a cliff by the water and giving the sense of a shore or edge.

Open 涯 →

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