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返乡 (fǎn xiāng) — to return to one's hometown (after a period away, often for work or study)

Definition

返乡 (fǎn xiāng) is the formal, written-style way to say 'return to one's hometown,' especially after a long absence for work or study (e.g., Spring Festival 春运). More literary than the everyday 回家 (huí jiā).

verb
to return to one's hometown (after a period away, often for work or study)

Examples

  • 返乡。
    Měi nián chūn jié dōu yǒu hěn duō rén fǎn xiāng.
    Every Spring Festival, many people return to their hometowns.
  • ，。
    Tā qù nián fǎn guò yí cì xiāng, jīn nián bù dǎ suàn huí qù le.
    He returned to his hometown once last year and doesn't plan to go back this year.
  • 返乡。
    Zhè cì fǎn xiāng ràng wǒ xiǎng qǐ le xiǎo shí hou de hěn duō shì.
    This return to my hometown reminded me of many things from my childhood.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

返fǎnreturn
乡xiānghometown

返 (return) names the action and 乡 the hometown, so it means returning home.

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
辶Written in full as辵chuòmovement
Sound part声符shēngfú
反
反fǎn返fǎn
Same sound today

返 pairs 辶 (movement) with 反 (sound, with the sense of returning); the whole character originally meant coming back along the path one came from.

Open 返 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 鄉; 乡 is its simplified writing.

  • 𠨍𠨍𠨍two people facing each other
  • 皀皀jía round-mouthed food vessel

The traditional form 鄉 combines two people facing each other with a round-mouthed food vessel, depicting a feast. The village meaning is connected to this feasting event.

Open 乡 →
Appears in
Travel & Tourism

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