<blockquote>
  <p>"the leaf always falls down on its root"</p>
</blockquote>

<p>落(fallen)</p>

<p>葉(leaves)</p>

<p>歸 (go back to)</p>

<p>根 (the root)</p>

<p>落葉歸根 means "fallen leaves always go back to the root"</p>

<p>It is a metaphor for "a person come back to his birth place to settle". It is considered a fulfilling event.</p>

<p>The thinking is a traditional one. Nowadays, the tie between a person and his birth place is nowhere as strong as in olden time. </p>

<p>Hong Kong is my birth place, but I am happy to settle in Toronto until the day I die.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-20T04:38:02.580Z
2019-01-20T04:38:02.580Z
Tang Ho
<p>A friend of mine mentioned the Chinese saying that says that "the leaf always falls down on its root". I would like to know whether this refers to the text that in old age several people return to their country of origin, and would also like to know how to write this in Chinese.</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-20T04:20:22.350Z
Guys, please write answers instead of comments - seeing as you *are* providing them.
Mou某
<translation><chengyu><saying>
the leaf always falls down on its root
# the leaf always falls down on its root

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-01-19)

A friend of mine mentioned the Chinese saying that says that "the leaf always falls down on its root". I would like to know whether this refers to the text that in old age several people return to their country of origin, and would also like to know how to write this in Chinese.

Thanks.

**Tags:** translation, chengyu, saying

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Guys, please write answers instead of comments - seeing as you *are* providing them.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2019-01-20. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

> "the leaf always falls down on its root"

落(fallen)

葉(leaves)

歸 (go back to)

根 (the root)

落葉歸根 means "fallen leaves always go back to the root"

It is a metaphor for "a person come back to his birth place to settle". It is considered a fulfilling event.

The thinking is a traditional one. Nowadays, the tie between a person and his birth place is nowhere as strong as in olden time.

Hong Kong is my birth place, but I am happy to settle in Toronto until the day I die.


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