shù​gāo​qiān​zhàng​luò​yè​guī​gēn

a tree may grow a thousand zhang high, but its leaves return to their roots

  1. tree
    tree; various types of woody plants
  2. gāo adjective
    high
    high; tall; above average in height, level, or degree
  3. qiān numeral
    thousand
    thousand; the number 1,000; the financial form is qiān
  4. zhang
    Traditional unit of length equal to 10 chǐ (approx. 3.33 meters)
  5. luò
    non-Chinese
  6. fallen leaves
    leaves that have fallen from a tree; dead leaves
  7. to return home
    To return home after a long absence; to go back to one's roots. This often refers to someone living abroad who eventually returns to their ancestral homeland.