远去 (yuǎn qù) — to disappear in the distance (lit. of a person or object); to travel far away; to go on a distant journey

Definition

Literary verb meaning 'to recede into the distance' — both physically (a train vanishing) and figuratively (time, a person, the past moving away). Carries a wistful, written tone uncommon in everyday speech.

verb
to disappear in the distance (lit. of a person or object)to travel far awayto go on a distant journey

Examples

  • 远去，。
    Huǒ chē jiàn jiàn yuǎn qù, xiāo shī zài yè sè zhōng.
    The train gradually disappeared in the distance, vanishing into the night.
  • 远去，。
    Tā wèi le lǐ xiǎng yuǎn qù tā xiāng, duō nián wèi guī.
    He traveled far to a foreign land for his ideals and hasn't returned for years.
  • 远去，。
    Shí guāng yuǎn qù, nà duàn jì yì yī rán qīng xī.
    Time has slipped away, but that memory is still vivid.

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.

远yuǎnfar
去qùgo

远 says how far and 去 says to go, so the word means to go away into the distance.

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chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
元
元yuán远yuǎn
Same sound today

远 combines 辶, meaning walk, with 元, used for its sound.

Open 远 →

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

去 pairs 大, a man, with 口, a mouth or object. The evidence reads this as a man leaving a place, a man opening his mouth, or a cover over an object.

Open 去 →

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