早出晚归

1. Basic Information

• Pinyin: zǎo chū wǎn guī
• English Translation: To leave early and return late (working from dawn to dusk)
• Idiom Composition: 「早」（Early in the morning）＋「出」（To go out; to leave home）＋「晚」（Late at night; late evening）＋「归」（To return home）
• Meaning: To leave home early in the morning and return late at night; describing someone who works tirelessly or studies diligently from dawn till dusk.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「早出晚归」 contains the following nuances:

• Diligence and Hustle: Beyond just describing long hours away from home, this expression conveys a positive, commendable image of someone striving diligently to support their loved ones or attain their aspirations.
• An Established Daily Routine: Rather than a one-time late errand, the idiom refers to a sustained pattern of life, capturing the persistent rhythm of commuters and dedicated workers.
• Empathetic Recognition: Speakers frequently invoke this phrase to express heartfelt respect, gratitude, or sympathy toward someone enduring hardship for the greater good of their family or team.

3. Usage

「早出晚归」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

• Working hard to provide for family: Depicting parents who labor tirelessly from dawn till dark to support their household and pay for their children's education.
  • Example:「父母为了供我上大学，每天早出晚归地打工。」
    （To put me through college, my parents worked part-time jobs from dawn to dusk every single day.)
• Intense academic preparation: Describing students spending all day in libraries or classrooms preparing for critical entrance exams or certifications.
  • Example:「高三那一年，他每天早出晚归，在图书馆里拼命刷题。」
    （During his final year of high school, he left early and came home late every day, grinding through practice questions in the library.)
• Hectic schedule causing missed family time: Describing a demanding work life that leaves someone with scarcely any time to interact with family members.
  • Example:「他最近工作太忙，早出晚归的，连跟孩子说句话的时间都没有。」
    （He has been so busy with work lately, leaving early and returning late, that he barely has time to speak with his child.)

Additional Examples:

1. 创业初期，团队的所有人都是早出晚归，终于把项目做成功了。
   （During the startup's early stages, everyone on the team worked from morning to night, and they finally made the project a success.）
2. 那些早出晚归的环卫工人，为城市的整洁默默奉献着。
   （Those sanitation workers who labor from dawn to dusk silently contribute to keeping the city clean.）
3. 为了早点攒够买房的首付，小李这两年早出晚归，兼职了好几份工作。
   （To save up enough for a home down payment as soon as possible, Xiao Li has been out early and back late over the past two years, juggling multiple part-time jobs.）
4. 虽然每天早出晚归很辛苦，但看到业绩不断提升，他心里觉得很充实。
   （Although working from dawn till dusk every day was exhausting, seeing his sales performance steadily rise gave him a deep sense of fulfillment.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

• Historical Origin: The underlying concept traces back to the Strategies of the Warring States (战国策). The mother of minister Wangsun Jia (王孙贾) of Qi expressed her maternal vigilance by saying that whenever he went out in the morning and did not return until evening, she would stand leaning against the doorway eagerly awaiting his safe return.
• Everyday Colloquial Usage: Unlike many ornate classical idioms, 早出晚归 (zǎo chū wǎn guī) is universally used across both spoken and written Chinese. It is commonly modified with the particle 的 (de) at the end of a clause (e.g., 早出晚归的) to casually describe a busy family member or colleague.
• Comparison with Similar Imagery: While 披星戴月 (pī xīng dài yuè) dramatically emphasizes traveling under the stars and moon amidst harsh elements, 早出晚归 (zǎo chū wǎn guī) is a more grounded, practical description of modern daily commutes and professional devotion.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

• Similar Idioms:
  • 起早贪黑 (qǐ zǎo tān hēi): To rise early and work into the dark; to toil ceaselessly day in and day out.
  • 披星戴月 (pī xīng dài yuè): To travel or toil under the stars and moon; braving long journeys and relentless work.
• Opposite Idioms:
  • 好逸恶劳 (hào yì wù láo): To love leisure and detest physical labor; to be lazy and self-indulgent.
  • 无所事事 (wú suǒ shì shì): To idle about with nothing to do; to waste time without purpose.link

6. Summary

The idiom 早出晚归 (zǎo chū wǎn guī) literally means to head out early in the morning and return home late at night. Widely used in everyday spoken and written Chinese, it portrays a hardworking routine driven by earning a living, building a career, or pursuing academic goals. It carries a strong nuance of diligence, dedication, and respectful empathy for the subject's tireless effort.