迷途知返 (mí tú zhī fǎn) — to realize one's mistakes and mend one's ways (idiom)

Definition

A chengyu meaning to realize one has gone astray and turn back — to repent and return to the right path. Literary/idiomatic register, stronger than everyday 改正.

idiom
to realize one's mistakes and mend one's ways (idiom)

Examples

  • ，？迷途知返。
    Rén fēi shèng xián, shú néng wú guò? zhòng yào de shì néng gòu mí tú zhī fǎn.
    No one is a sage; who can avoid mistakes? The important thing is to realize one's errors and mend one's ways.
  • 迷途知返，。
    Zhǐ yào nǐ yuàn yì mí tú zhī fǎn, wǒ men jiù hái dāng nǐ shì péng you.
    As long as you are willing to realize your mistakes and turn back, we will still consider you a friend.
  • ，迷途知返，。
    Zhè jiā qǐ yè céng yīn wéi fǎ jīng yíng bèi chǔ fá, hǎo zài hòu lái mí tú zhī fǎn, zǒu shàng le zhèng guǐ.
    This company was once penalized for illegal operations, but fortunately it later realized its mistakes and got back on track.

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
辵辵chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
米
米mǐ迷mí
Same sound today

迷 uses 辵, the walking part, and 米, which gives the sound.

Open 迷 →

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chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
余
余yú途
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

途 is made from 辶 (written fully as 辵), a walking part, and 余, which gives the sound.

Open 途 →

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

An early form of 知 showed 大 (adult), 口 (mouth), and 子 (child): an adult speaking to a child to pass on knowledge. The 子 part was dropped, and the 大 part changed shape.

Open 知 →

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 →

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