背井离乡 bèi jǐng lí xiāng — to leave one's hometown; to be forced from one's native place

背井离乡
bèi jǐng lí xiāng

Characters: 背 · 井 · 离 · 乡

Definitions

  1. to leave one's hometown; to be forced from one's native place

More definitions

CC-CEDICT

  1. to leave one's native place, esp. against one's will (idiom)

ExtDict

  1. 背：离开
  2. 井：古制八家为井，引伸为乡里，家宅。离开家乡到外地。

Examples

  • 战乱年间，百姓不得不背井离乡。

    In years of war, ordinary people were forced to leave their homes.

  • 他年轻时背井离乡，独自到城市打拼。

    When young, he left his hometown and struggled alone in the city.