离群索居 (lí qún suǒ jū) — to live in solitude, to live apart from society

Definition

Literary idiom meaning to withdraw from people and live in solitude — implies a deliberate, often philosophical choice rather than loneliness.

idiom
to live in solitudeto live apart from society

Examples

  • 离群索居，。
    Tā tuì xiū hòu jiù lí qún suǒ jū, hěn shǎo yǔ wài jiè lián xì.
    After retiring, he lived in solitude and rarely contacted the outside world.
  • 离群索居，。
    Hěn duō rén xiàng wǎng lí qún suǒ jū de shēng huó, dàn zhēn zhèng néng zuò dào de rén hěn shǎo.
    Many people long for a life of solitude, but very few can truly achieve it.
  • ，，离群索居。
    Zài shēn shān lǐ, tā měi tiān dú shū xiě zuò, guò zhe lí qún suǒ jū de rì zi.
    In the deep mountains, he read and wrote every day, living a life of solitude.

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.

离群leave one's group
离líleave群qúngroup
动宾Verb + object
索居live in solitude
索suǒapart居jūlive
偏正Modifier + head

离群 means leaving companions, while 索居 means living in solitude.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 離; 离 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
隹隹zhuībird
Sound part声符shēngfú
离
离lí離lí
Same sound today

The traditional form 離 pairs 隹, a bird, with the sound part 离; the simplified 离 is a shorthand. This form first wrote a black-naped oriole, and the sound was borrowed for 'leave'.

Open 离 →

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
羊羊yáng
Sound part声符shēngfú
君
君jūn群
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

群 pairs 羊, a sheep, to point to a herd or group, with 君 giving the sound.

Open 群 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 糸糸mìthread
  • 𣎳𣎳𣎳strip fibres off a hemp stalk

索 combines 糸 (thread) and 𣎳 (stripping fibres from a hemp stalk), showing threads or rope being pulled out from a fabric.

Open 索 →

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
尸尸shī
Sound part声符shēngfú
古
古gǔ居jū
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

居 is built from 尸 as the meaning part and 古 (gǔ) as the sound part.

Open 居 →

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