落葉歸根 - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

Article Images

		fallen leaves; to lose leaves	to go back; to return	radical (chem.); root; basis
trad. (落葉歸根)		落葉	歸	根
simp. (落叶归根)		落叶	归	根
alternative forms		葉落歸根／叶落归根
anagram		葉落歸根／叶落归根
Literally: “fallen leaves will return to the roots”.

From Song dynasty book《景德傳燈錄》by 釋道原, originally written as 葉落歸根／叶落归根 (yèluòguīgēn):

Mandarin
(Pinyin): luòyèguīgēn

(Zhuyin): ㄌㄨㄛˋ ㄧㄝˋ ㄍㄨㄟㄍㄣ
Cantonese (Jyutping): lok⁶ jip⁶ gwai¹ gan¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: luòyèguīgēn
  - Zhuyin: ㄌㄨㄛˋ ㄧㄝˋ ㄍㄨㄟㄍㄣ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: luòyègueigen
  - Wade–Giles: lo⁴-yeh⁴-kuei¹-kên¹
  - Yale: lwò-yè-gwēi-gēn
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: luohyehgueigen
  - Palladius: лоегуйгэнь (lojegujgɛnʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ jɛ⁵¹ ku̯eɪ̯⁵⁵ kən⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: lok⁶ jip⁶ gwai¹ gan¹
  - Yale: lohk yihp gwāi gān
  - Cantonese Pinyin: lok⁹ jip⁹ gwai¹ gan¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: log⁶ yib⁶ guei¹ gen¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɔːk̚² jiːp̚² kʷɐi̯⁵⁵ kɐn⁵⁵/

落葉歸根

a person who has been away from his or her hometown for a long time would eventually return

Other(s)

→ Vietnamese: lá rụng về cội (calque)