每天成语
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离群索居

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: lí qún suǒ jū
  • English Translation: Living a solitary life (away from the crowd)
  • Idiom Composition: 「离」（To leave or depart from）＋「群」（A group, crowd, or society）＋「索」（Solitary or isolated (in this context, meaning 'alone')）＋「居」（To live or dwell）
  • Meaning: To leave one's group or society to live in solitude. It refers to living alone, whether by physical choice (like a hermit) or due to social isolation and withdrawal from others.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「离群索居」 contains the following nuances:

  • The Meaning of 索 (suǒ): In this idiom, 索 (suǒ) does not mean 'to search.' Instead, it carries the meaning of being 'solitary' or 'scattered' (as in the term 索然 (suǒ rán)), emphasizing the state of being isolated from the collective.
  • Voluntary vs. Involuntary Solitude: The term is neutral and its connotation depends on the context. It can describe a voluntary choice for peace (like a monk or artist) or an involuntary state of being an outcast or socially withdrawn person.

3. Usage

「离群索居」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Seclusion and Tranquility: Used to describe a lifestyle of choosing to live away from the hustle and bustle of the city, often with a literary or positive nuance.
    • Example:「退休后，他搬到了山里，过着离群索居的生活。」
      （After retirement, he moved to the mountains and lived a solitary life.)
  • Social Isolation: Used to describe someone who has become withdrawn or eccentric, avoiding contact with others due to personal circumstances.
    • Example:「自从那次打击之后，他变得性格孤僻，离群索居。」
      （Since that setback, he became eccentric and lived in isolation, avoiding others.)
  • Animal Behavior: Used in a biological context to describe animals that do not form packs or herds.
    • Example:「这种猛兽通常喜欢离群索居，只有繁殖期才会寻找伴侣。」
      （This predator usually prefers living alone and only seeks a mate during the breeding season.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 作家为了专心创作，决定暂时离群索居。
    （The author decided to live in seclusion temporarily to focus on his writing.）
  2. 在这个网络时代，真正想要离群索居是很困难的。
    （In this digital age, it is very difficult to truly live like a hermit.）
  3. 他并非讨厌人类，只是享受离群索居的宁静。
    （It's not that he hates people; he simply enjoys the peace of living a solitary life.）
  4. 长期离群索居可能会影响一个人的社交能力。
    （Long-term social isolation may affect a person's social skills.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • The idiom originates from the Book of Rites (诗经), specifically the 'Tan Gong Shang' (檀弓上) chapter. It contains the line: 'I have lived in isolation (离群索居) for a long time now.'
  • The phrase was originally used by Zixia (子夏), a prominent disciple of Confucius (孔子). He used it to humbly suggest that because he had been living away from his fellow scholars and friends, his knowledge and perspective might have become narrow or stagnant without their peer feedback.
  • In modern times, the phrase has evolved. While the classical meaning focused on the loss of intellectual stimulation from friends, the modern meaning focuses more on the physical or social act of being a 'loner' or 'hermit.'

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

The idiom 离群索居 (lí qún suǒ jū) literally describes leaving the herd to live alone. While it originally conveyed the loneliness of being separated from friends and peers, in modern usage, it describes a broad range of solitary lifestyles—from the 'noble solitude' of an artist or monk to the social withdrawal of a recluse, or even the natural solitary behavior of certain animals.

Featured in the Chuken exam (Japan's Chinese test)Level 1

Idiom Essay

lí qún suǒ jū
离群索居
Living in Seclusion
wǒ我yǒu有yī wèi一位dà xué大学tóng xué同学，sān三nián qián年前cí diào辞掉le了chéng lǐ城里de的gōng zuò工作，yí gè rén一个人bān搬jìn进le了nán fāng南方de的shān山lǐ里。

I have a university classmate who quit his job in the city three years ago and moved alone into the mountains in the south.

tā他zū租le了yī jiān一间lǎo老fáng zi房子，zhǒng种cài菜，xiě写dōng xī东西，shǒu jī手机jīng cháng经常méi yǒu没有xìn hào信号。

He rented an old house, grew vegetables, and wrote. His phone often had no signal.

yī一kāi shǐ开始，péng yǒu朋友men们hái还cháng cháng常常liáo聊qǐ起tā他，yǒu rén有人xiàn mù羡慕，yǒu rén有人dān xīn担心。

At first, our friends still talked about him often. Some envied him, while others worried about him.

hòu lái后来，tí qǐ提起tā他de的rén人yuè lái yuè越来越shǎo少le了。

Later, fewer and fewer people mentioned him.

yǒu有yī cì一次jù huì聚会，yǒu rén有人wèn问：“tā他xiàn zài现在zěn me yàng怎么样？”

At a gathering once, someone asked, “How is he doing now?”

lìng另yí gè一个rén人xiǎng想le了xiǎng想，shuō说：“bù不tài太qīng chǔ清楚，tā他xiàn zài现在chà bu duō差不多shì是lí qún suǒ jū离群索居le了。”

Another person thought for a moment and said, “I’m not really sure. He’s more or less living in seclusion now.”

lí qún suǒ jū离群索居，yì si意思shì是lí kāi离开rén qún人群，yí gè一个rén人gū dān孤单dì地shēng huó生活，hěn shǎo很少gēn跟bié rén别人lái wǎng来往。

离群索居 means leaving the company of others and living alone, with very little contact with people.

“qún群”shì是rén qún人群，“jū居”shì是jū zhù居住。

“群” means a group of people, and “居” means to live or reside.

zhè lǐ这里de的“suǒ索”，bú shì不是“tàn suǒ探索”“xún zhǎo寻找”de的yì si意思，ér shì而是gū dān孤单、lěng qīng冷清de的yì si意思。

Here, “索” does not mean “to explore” or “to search for”; it means lonely and quiet.

zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语chū zì出自《lǐ jì礼记》。

This idiom comes from The Book of Rites.

kǒng zi孔子de的xué shēng学生zi xià子夏，ér zi儿子qù shì去世hòu后kū哭huài坏le了yǎn jīng眼睛，hái还guài怪lǎo tiān老天bù不gōng píng公平。

Zixia, one of Confucius’s students, cried so much after his son died that he damaged his eyes, and he even blamed Heaven for being unfair.

tóng xué同学céng zi曾子qù去kàn看tā他，háo bú kè qì毫不客气dì地shù数le了tā他jǐ tiáo几条cuò错。

His fellow student Zengzi went to see him and bluntly pointed out several of his mistakes.

zi xià子夏tīng听wán完，shuō说：wǒ我cuò错le了，wǒ我lí kāi离开péng yǒu朋友，yí gè一个rén人zhù住dé得tài太jiǔ久le了。

After listening, Zixia said, “I was wrong. I left my friends and lived alone for too long.”

wǒ我hěn很xǐ huān喜欢zhè ge这个gù shì故事。

I really like this story.

zi xià子夏shuō说de的“qún群”，yuán běn原本shì是yì qǐ一起xué xí学习de的péng yǒu朋友。

The “group” Zixia referred to originally meant the friends he studied with.

yí gè一个rén人lí离qún群tài太jiǔ久，shī qù失去de的bù不zhǐ shì只是rè nào热闹，hái yǒu还有nà xiē那些yuàn yì愿意duì对tā他shuō说zhēn huà真话de的rén人。

When someone stays away from others for too long, what they lose is not only the liveliness of social life, but also the people who are willing to tell them the truth.

jīn tiān今天shuō说“lí qún suǒ jū离群索居”，cháng cháng常常dài带zhe着yì diǎn一点dān xīn担心huò zhě或者yí hàn遗憾。

Today, 离群索居 often carries a hint of concern or regret.

bǐ rú比如：“lǎo rén老人tuì xiū退休yǐ hòu以后jī hū几乎lí qún suǒ jū离群索居，lián连qīn qī亲戚dōu都hěn shǎo很少jiàn见。”

For example: “After retiring, the old man has lived almost completely in seclusion and rarely even sees his relatives.”

dāng rán当然，tā它yě也kě yǐ可以píng jìng平静dì地miáo xiě描写yī zhǒng一种xuǎn zé选择，bǐ rú比如：“zhè wèi这位huà jiā画家wǎn nián晚年lí qún suǒ jū离群索居，zhuān xīn专心zuò huà作画。”

Of course, it can also calmly describe a personal choice, as in: “The painter lived in seclusion in his later years and devoted himself to painting.”

bù guò不过，tā它shuō说de的yì bān一般shì是zhǎng shí jiān长时间de的shēng huó生活zhuàng tài状态。

However, it generally refers to a way of life that lasts for a long time.

zhōu mò周末yí gè一个rén人zài在jiā家kàn shū看书，suàn bù shàng算不上lí qún suǒ jū离群索居。

Staying home alone to read on the weekend does not count as living in seclusion.

qù nián去年dōng tiān冬天，wǒ我gěi给nà那wèi位tóng xué同学dǎ打le了gè个diàn huà电话。

Last winter, I called that classmate.

tā他shuō说shān山lǐ里hěn很hǎo好，ān jìng安静，zì zài自在。

He said the mountains were wonderful—quiet and peaceful.

kuài快guà挂diàn huà电话de的shí hòu时候，tā他hū rán忽然wèn问：“nǐ men你们zuì jìn最近dōu都zài在máng忙shén me什么？”

Just as we were about to end the call, he suddenly asked, “What have you all been busy with lately?”

nà tiān那天，wǒ我zài在diàn huà电话lǐ里jiǎng讲le了hěn jiǔ很久。

That day, I talked for a long time on the phone.

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