落葉歸根

See also: 落叶归根

Chinese

		fallen leaves; to lose leaves	to go back; to return	radical (chem.); root; basis
trad. (落葉歸根)		落葉	歸	根
simp. (落叶归根)		落叶	归	根
alternative forms		葉落歸根／叶落归根
Literally: “fallen leaves will return to the roots”.

Etymology

From Song dynasty book《景德傳燈錄》by 釋道原, originally written as 葉落歸根／叶落归根 (yèluòguīgēn):

葉落歸根，來時無口。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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叶落归根，来时无口。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: 宋·釋道原《景德傳燈錄》

Yèluòguīgēn, lái shí wú kǒu. [Pinyin]

(please add an English translation of this usage example)

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): luòyèguīgēn

  (Zhuyin): ㄌㄨㄛˋ ㄧㄝˋ ㄍㄨㄟ ㄍㄣ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): lok⁶ jip⁶ gwai¹ gan¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: luòyèguīgēn
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄨㄛˋ ㄧㄝˋ ㄍㄨㄟ ㄍㄣ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: luòyègueigen
    • Wade–Giles: lo⁴-yeh⁴-kuei¹-kên¹
    • Yale: lwò-yè-gwēi-gēn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: luohyehgueigen
    • Palladius: лоегуйгэнь (lojegujgɛnʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ jɛ⁵¹ ku̯eɪ̯⁵⁵ kən⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: lok⁶ jip⁶ gwai¹ gan¹
    • Yale: lohk yihp gwāi gān
    • Cantonese Pinyin: lok⁹ jip⁹ gwai¹ gan¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: log⁶ yib⁶ guei¹ gen¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɔːk̚² jiːp̚² kʷɐi̯⁵⁵ kɐn⁵⁵/

Idiom

落葉歸根

1. a person who has been away from his or her hometown for a long time would eventually return

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (落葉歸根):

• → Korean: 낙엽귀근 / 락엽귀근(落葉歸根) (nagyeopgwigeun / ragyeopgwigeun)

Other(s)

• → Vietnamese: lá rụng về cội (calque)