cố quốc tha hương
Definition
- Four-character idiom (tứ tự thành ngữ):
- Native land and foreign soil: A classical literary idiom expressing the dual concepts of one's original homeland ("cố quốc") and a distant, foreign land ("tha hương") where one resides. It evokes the experience of separation, nostalgia, and the life of an exile or sojourner.
Usage Examples
- Idiom:
- Tâm trạng của người xa xứ thường chất chứa nỗi niềm cố quốc tha hương. (The mood of an expatriate is often filled with the sentiments of native land and foreign soil.)
- Thơ ông ấy luôn thấm đẫm cảm thức về cố quốc tha hương. (His poetry is always imbued with a sense of native land and foreign soil.)
Advanced Usage
- This idiom is primarily used in formal, literary, or poetic contexts to describe the emotional state of immigrants, exiles, or those living far from their birthplace for a long time. It encapsulates the duality of their existence and enduring connection to their roots.
Variants and Related Words
- Cố hương (n): native village; old homeland.
- Anh ấy luôn nhớ về cố hương. (He always remembers his native village.)
- Tha hương (n): foreign land; alien land.
- Sống nơi tha hương, cô ấy cảm thấy cô đơn. (Living in a foreign land, she feels lonely.)
Synonyms
- Homeland and exile: The state of having a native country and living in banishment or abroad.
- Native soil and alien land: Emphasizes the physical and emotional contrast between the land of origin and the foreign land.
Related Idioms
- Cố quốc viễn phương: A similar classical phrase meaning "the old country is in a far direction."
- Sống nơi đất khách quê người: To live in a strange land among unfamiliar people (a more colloquial expression).