无家可归

1. Basic Information

• Pinyin: wú jiā kě guī
• English Translation: Homeless (having no home to return to)
• Idiom Composition: 「无」（Not having, without, or lacking.）＋「家」（Home, family, or a place of belonging.）＋「可」（Can or able to, indicating possibility.）＋「归」（To return or to go back to.）
• Meaning: Literally meaning 'having no home to return to,' this idiom describes a state of being homeless or destitute due to disasters, war, or poverty. It often carries a sympathetic tone and can refer to both physical homelessness and a metaphorical lack of belonging or spiritual refuge.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「无家可归」 contains the following nuances:

• Physical Displacement: The most direct meaning, referring to losing one's residence and being forced to live on the streets or in temporary shelters.
• Social and Economic Isolation: Beyond just lacking a building, it implies being 'isolated and without help,' having lost connections to family or a supportive community.
• Metaphorical Wandering: Can be used figuratively for personified animals, lost souls, or individuals who have been excluded from a specific group or social circle.

3. Usage

「无家可归」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

• Social Issues & Natural Disasters: Used in news reports or documentaries to describe refugees, disaster victims, or the homeless population in a formal yet empathetic tone.
  • Example:「那场大地震导致数万人无家可归。」
    （That massive earthquake left tens of thousands of people homeless.）
• Animal Welfare: Commonly used to describe abandoned pets or stray animals (流浪动物) that need protection and care.
  • Example:「我们要关爱那些无家可归的流浪猫。」
    （We should show care for those homeless stray cats.）
• Metaphorical & Psychological States: Describes a sense of loneliness or feeling like an outcast after losing a spiritual anchor, a job, or a place in society.
  • Example:「自从公司倒闭后，他的灵魂仿佛变得无家可归。」
    （Since the company went bankrupt, his soul seems to have become adrift and without a home.）

Additional Examples:

1. 战争让许多孩子成了孤儿，无家可归。
   （The war turned many children into orphans and left them homeless.）
2. 政府正在为无家可归者建立临时庇护所。
   （The government is building temporary shelters for the homeless.）
3. 在这个陌生的城市里，他感到一种无家可归的凄凉。
   （In this strange city, he felt a desolation as if he were homeless.）
4. 由于长期失业，他最终沦落到无家可归的地步。
   （Due to long-term unemployment, he eventually fell into a state of being homeless.）
5. 森林被砍伐后，许多野生动物变得无家可归。
   （After the forest was cleared, many wild animals became homeless.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

• In Chinese media, the term 无家可归者 (wú jiā kě guī zhě), meaning 'those without a home to return to,' is often used as a more objective or compassionate way to refer to the homeless than more direct or potentially derogatory terms like 流浪汉 (liú làng hàn).
• In Chinese culture, the concept of 家 (jiā) represents more than just a physical structure; it symbolizes lineage, family roots, and a fundamental sense of belonging. Therefore, 无家可归 (wú jiā kě guī) carries a heavy emotional weight, suggesting a tragic loss of one's social and ancestral anchor.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

• Similar Idioms:
  • 流离失所 (liú lí shī suǒ): To become destitute and wander about after losing one's home, often used in the context of war or natural disasters.
  • 居无定所 (jū wú dìng suǒ): To have no fixed abode; to move from place to place without a permanent home.
  • 家破人亡 (jiā pò rén wáng): Family fortunes ruined and lives lost.link
  • 风餐露宿 (fēng cān lù sù): To eat in the wind and sleep in the dew, describing a hard life in the open.link
• Opposite Idioms:
  • 安居乐业 (ān jū lè yè): To live in peace and work happily; a state where life is stable and prosperous.
  • 安家立业 (ān jiā lì yè): To settle down, start a family, and establish a career.
  • 成家立业 (chéng jiā lì yè): To get married and start a career.link

6. Summary

无家可归 (wú jiā kě guī) is used to describe people or animals who have lost their homes and have nowhere to go. While it often refers to the physical state of being homeless, it can also describe a profound sense of spiritual isolation or being adrift in the world.