Why 四海为家?

Why 四海为家?
Oct 6, 2008 04:43
guest3775	What does 四海为家 mean? I have seen this sentence "大丈夫四海为家" several times. But I don't know what it means. Does it means "take four seas as their homes"? How can they live in four seas? Chinese people take their families very seriously. For them, family means a lot. There is another idiom "落叶归根", which means “fallen leaves return to the roots" superficially. No matter how far they are away their homes, they will go back finally. Are these two idioms contradictory? Here is another one "四海之内皆兄弟". What is the meaning? Does it refer to "a man has many, many brothers?

Oct 6, 2008 04:43

guest3775

What does 四海为家 mean? I have seen this sentence "大丈夫四海为家" several times. But I don't know what it means. Does it means "take four seas as their homes"? How can they live in four seas? Chinese people take their families very seriously. For them, family means a lot. There is another idiom "落叶归根", which means “fallen leaves return to the roots" superficially. No matter how far they are away their homes, they will go back finally. Are these two idioms contradictory?

Here is another one "四海之内皆兄弟". What is the meaning? Does it refer to "a man has many, many brothers?

Oct 7, 2008 04:23

GUEST12895

四海为家 means people can develope themselves everywhere , only the work or future is importent, and anywhere can be their home !
落叶归根 means once one is become old and the career is not importent anymore, he eager to go back to his hometown--root.
四海内皆兄弟 means people from all over the country can be as good as brothers.
四海 here means all over the country but not means the so called four sea.
兄弟 here does not means brother but means the relationship between people just like brothers .
all above just what i think, thanks for your advise !

Dec 14, 2008 01:02	#2
BRASCO Points: Join Date: Dec 14, 2008 Status: Offline	四海之内皆兄弟 is from Analects of Confucius, a student of confucius had a bad brother who had done a lot bad things including trying to kill confucius. The student told others of confucius that everybody had brother but him.i think it means he didnt like his borther very much. His classmate comforted him and said you had a lot of brothers 四海之内皆兄弟也。

Dec 17, 2008 04:29	#3
WENDYCOMING Points: Join Date: Dec 17, 2008 Status: Offline	Pretty good chinese.everybody! I am wendy from Shenzhen China.

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