恋恋不舍
- Literal
- attached, attached, unable to let go
- Figurative
- To be loath to leave someone or something out of attachment; unlike 依依不舍, it suits places, things or stages of life, not just farewells.
Where does 恋恋不舍 come from?
The 恋恋 comes from a story in the 《史记》. Fan Ju, of the state of Wei, was accused of selling secrets to Qi and beaten; he fled to Qin, where he rose to chief minister under another name. When Xu Jia, the superior who had denounced him, came to Qin as an envoy, Fan Ju appeared before him in shabby clothes; Xu Jia took pity on him and gave him a thick robe. On learning who he was, Xu Jia feared for his life, but Fan Ju spared him, because that robe had shown 恋恋, fondness for an old friend. Today the idiom describes how hard it is to part from someone, somewhere or something dear.
Source (出处): 《史记·范雎蔡泽列传》
How is 恋恋不舍 used? Two examples
- 要搬离住了二十年的老房子，妈妈恋恋不舍，把每间屋子都拍了照。
Having to leave the house she had lived in for twenty years, Mom couldn't bear to let go and took a photo of every room.
- 退休那天，他恋恋不舍地在办公室里转了一圈才离开。
On the day he retired, he lingered over one last walk around the office before he could bring himself to leave.
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