Chinese word

恋恋不舍

Pronunciation

Pinyinliàn liàn bù shě

Meaning

  • idiombe reluctant to part

Example

离开时他和邻居恋恋不舍地拥抱。lí kāi shí tā hé lín jū liàn liàn bù shě dì yōng bào

When he left, he hugged his neighbor, reluctant to part.

Illustration for 恋恋不舍 (be reluctant to part)

More examples

毕业典礼上，她看着校园，心里恋恋不舍。bì yè dián lǐ shàng tā kàn zhe xiào yuán xīn lǐ liàn liàn bù shě

At the graduation ceremony, she looked at the campus, feeling reluctant to leave.

Core concept

A heart remains attached at parting, so leaving or releasing the bond feels difficult.

Common phrases

  • 恋恋不舍地离开liàn liàn bù shě dì lí kāi

    leave reluctantly

  • 对故乡恋恋不舍duì gù xiāng liàn liàn bù shě

    be reluctant to leave one's hometown

  • 离别时恋恋不舍lí bié shí liàn liàn bù shě

    be reluctant to part when saying goodbye

Similar words

依依不舍yī yī bù shě: Feeling a strong reluctance to say goodbye and leave someone or something behind.
难舍难分nán shě nán fēn: Being so closely attached that separating from each other is extremely difficult.
流连忘返liú lián wàng fǎn: Wanting to remain in an attractive place or enjoy its scenery instead of returning.
留恋不舍liú liàn bù shě: Lingering attachment to a person, place, or past experience makes leaving difficult.

Definition in Chinese

对离别对象怀有留恋之情，不愿离开或放手，内心难以割舍。duì lí bié duì xiàng huái yǒu liú liàn zhī qíng bú yuàn lí kāi huò fàng shǒu nèi xīn nán yǐ gē shě

Word origin

恋 (liàn, "attachment") is repeated to show a lingering feeling, while 不 (bù, "not") + 舍 (shě, "let go") gives the idiom its sense of being unwilling to release someone or something.

Usage tips

  • The feeling is not limited to romance; it can describe attachment to a person, place, or familiar experience.

Other meanings

  • be unable to let goidiom

Opposites

  • 毫不留恋háo bù liú liànpart without regretidiom

Word lists with this word