笑问客从何处来

笑問客從何處來
xiào wèn kè cóng hé chù lái
quotation

Meanings

  1. 1 smiling, they ask where the guest has come from
  2. 2 the bittersweet moment of returning home a stranger

Examples

HSK 5
Zhè zhǒng xiàowènkècónghéchùlái de gǎnjué, hǎiwài yóuzǐ dōu dǒng.
Every overseas Chinese understands that feeling of 'being asked as a stranger where one is from.'
HSK 6
Duō nián wèi guī, cūnkǒu de xiǎohái xiàowènkècónghéchùlái.
Not having returned in years, the village children smiled and asked where the visitor was from.

Tips

history
From 贺知章 《回乡偶书》: 儿童相见不相识,笑问客从何处来 - 'the children meet me but don't recognize me, and smiling ask where the guest has come from.' He Zhizhang came home after more than 50 years in the capital.
usage
处 here is chù (place). This is the full second line; see also the shorter 客从何处来. Almost always comes after 儿童相见不相识.

Stroke Order

笑 xiào
问 wèn
客 kè
从 cóng
何 hé
处 chǔ
来 lái