離群索居

Chinese

to leave a group to isolate oneself from the crowd and live alone
trad. (離群索居/離羣索居) 離群/離羣 索居
simp. (离群索居) 离群 索居

Etymology

From the Book of Rites, Book 3（《禮記·檀弓上》）:

子夏投其杖而拜，曰：「吾過矣！吾過矣！吾離群而索居亦已久矣！」 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
子夏投其杖而拜，曰：「吾过矣！吾过矣！吾离群而索居亦已久矣！」 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]
From: The Book of Rites, c. 4th – 2nd century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
Zǐxià tóu qí zhàng ér bài, yuē: “Wú guò yǐ! Wú guò yǐ! Wú líqún ér suǒjū yì yǐjiǔ yǐ!” [Pinyin]
​Zixia threw down his staff, and bowed, saying, "I was wrong, I was wrong. It is a long time since I left the herd, and lived apart here."

Pronunciation

Idiom

離群索居

  1. to isolate oneself from the crowd and live life alone; to keep to oneself
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