📖 Meaning
Describes places that are extremely remote and inaccessible, or the vast distance separating two people or locations. It conveys a sense of being at the very ends of the earth, far beyond reach.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from a letter written by Xu Ling (徐陵), a prominent official and writer of the Southern Chen Dynasty (557–589 CE), addressed to the chieftains of the Lingnan region. In the letter, composed when Emperor Wu was still serving as chancellor, Xu Ling wrote poetically about the vast distance between the capital and the southern frontier. He described the sky's edge as boundless and the earth's corners as endlessly distant, lamenting that there was no way to meet face to face despite the mutual respect and longing between them.
💡 Example Usage
即使相隔地角天涯，我们的友谊也不会改变。
Even if we are separated by the ends of the earth, our friendship will never change.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 地角天涯
- Pinyin: dì jiǎo tiān yá
- Literal Translation: earth, corner, sky, edge
- Category: Distance
- Characters: 4