cố quận

Ông ấy luôn nhớ về cố quận của mình ở miền quê.

Definitions

1. Noun:
   • Native place, homeland: "cố quận" refers to one's birthplace, ancestral homeland, or hometown, often with a sense of nostalgia and deep emotional attachment. It is a literary and somewhat archaic term.
   • Old country: It can also refer to the old country from which one's family originated, especially when living abroad or in a different region.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Ông ấy luôn nhớ về cố quận của mình ở miền quê. (He always remembers his native place in the countryside.)
  • Dù đã sống ở nước ngoài nhiều năm, tình yêu với cố quận trong lòng bà vẫn nguyên vẹn. (Even after living abroad for many years, the love for her homeland in her heart remains intact.)

Advanced Usage

• Literary and poetic context: "Cố quận" is primarily used in literary, poetic, or formal writing to evoke a sentimental, nostalgic feeling for one's roots. It is less common in everyday spoken Vietnamese.
  • Thơ ông thấm đẫm nỗi nhớ cố quận. (His poetry is imbued with longing for his homeland.)

Variants and Related Words

• Quê hương (n): Homeland, hometown. This is the standard, more commonly used modern synonym.
• Quê nhà (n): Hometown, native village. A familiar and affectionate term.
• Nguyên quán (n): Place of origin, native place (often used in official contexts like identification papers).

Synonyms

• Nơi chôn nhau cắt rốn: The place where one's umbilical cord was buried; idiom meaning one's birthplace.
• Quê cha đất tổ: Land of one's fathers and ancestors.

Related Phrases

• Nhớ cố quận: To long for one's native place.
  • Nỗi nhớ cố quận cứ da diết trong lòng. (The longing for the homeland kept aching in his heart.)
• Trở về cố quận: To return to one's native place.
  • Sau bốn mươi năm, ông cụ mới có dịp trở về cố quận. (After forty years, the old man finally had a chance to return to his native place.)

Related Idioms

• Lá rụng về cố quận: (Like) a leaf falling back to its roots; meaning to return to one's homeland, especially in old age or after a long absence.
  • Cuối đời, ước nguyện của cụ là được "lá rụng về cố quận". (In his final years, his wish was to "return to his roots like a falling leaf.")