归宿

• Pinyin: guī sù
• Hanzi breakdown: 归 = return; 宿 = 宀 (roof) + 人 (person) — to lodge or rest under a roof

Meaning

Final destination; ultimate resting place; the place or state that a person, thing, or process eventually settles into.

Often carries a reflective, philosophical, or melancholic tone. Used for the ultimate end of a life, a relationship, a career, or even an ideology. Can refer to a person's spiritual or emotional home, or the final outcome of a historical process. In older usage, it sometimes referred to a woman's expected married life.

Examples

1. 经历了数十年动荡，他终于在故乡找到了人生的归宿。 After decades of upheaval, he finally found a true place to belong back in his hometown.
2. 对许多老一辈人来说，家庭是女性最重要的归宿。 For many in the older generation, the family is seen as a woman’s most important final home.
3. 这场改革运动的最终归宿，历史将给出公正的评价。 History will give a fair assessment of where this reform movement ultimately led.

Usage Guide

Context: philosophy, reflection, life, literature

Tone: reflective

Do Say

• 他用一生的努力为自己的精神找到了归宿，那便是艺术创作。(He spent his entire life finding a spiritual home — that was artistic creation.)
• 这座城市是她漂泊多年之后，内心真正的归宿。(This city became her true spiritual resting place after years of wandering.)

Don't Say

• 我的归宿是下午要去的那家咖啡馆 — 归宿 refers to a life's final or spiritual destination, not a casual daily outing; use 我打算下午去咖啡馆

Origin & History

归 (return) + 宿 (lodge/rest overnight). Together: the place one returns to for final rest — a permanent resting place or ultimate destination.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal