New Members jelly7 Posted December 16, 2014 at 06:55 PM New Members Report Share Posted December 16, 2014 at 06:55 PM Hi, I'm wondering if this chengyu "四海为家“ makes sense as a tattoo. I know vaguely that it means everywhere can be home, and that it often pertains to sailors.. Can someone please explain how a native speaker would interpret this chengyu? Does it have a good connotation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylee Posted December 17, 2014 at 12:47 PM Report Share Posted December 17, 2014 at 12:47 PM It is OK, if that's what you mean to convey. It reminds me of the song "Wherever I lay my hat". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muirm Posted December 17, 2014 at 06:33 PM Report Share Posted December 17, 2014 at 06:33 PM I don't think it is related to sailing. The dictionary says 四海 is short for 四海之内 ("within the four seas"), and comes from ancient China when they thought China was surrounded by sea on all four sides. "within the four seas" then refers to all of China (and by extension, now, the whole world). As for 四海为家, the dictionary says it has a good connotation, meaning you can live and feel at home no matter where you go. The dictionary cites this expression's appearance in the Book of Han (perhaps its first recorded use). I'm not a native speaker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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