Navigation
Grammar Levels
Resources
Expressing "the ends of the earth" with 天涯 (tiānyá)
Explanation
The noun 天涯 (tiānyá) means "the ends of the earth" or "the edge of the sky" and is a poetic term for a place far from home. It is widely used in classical Chinese literature and poetry to express feelings of distance, longing, and wandering. The famous phrase 天涯海角 (the remotest corners of the earth) intensifies this meaning.
Examples
他一个人漂泊在天涯，心里总是想着家。
Tā yī gè rén piāobó zài tiānyá, xīnlǐ zǒngshì xiǎng zhe jiā.
He drifts alone at the ends of the earth, always thinking of home.
只要我们是朋友，就算远在天涯也不觉得孤单。
Zhǐyào wǒmen shì péngyou, jiùsuàn yuǎn zài tiānyá yě bù juéde gūdān.
As long as we are friends, even if we're far apart at the ends of the earth, we won't feel lonely.
古代的诗人常常把自己比作天涯游子。
Gǔdài de shīrén chángcháng bǎ zìjǐ bǐ zuò tiānyá yóuzǐ.
Ancient poets often compared themselves to wanderers at the ends of the earth.