Definition
沦落 describes a sharp decline in one's social or living conditions—falling from a decent state into poverty, homelessness, or isolation. It is a literary, emotionally heavy verb often used with fixed destinations like 街头 (on the streets), 他乡 (a foreign land), or 为乞丐 (to become a beggar). Unlike 流落 (to drift) which focuses on drifting without a home, 沦落 emphasizes the degradation from a previous better state.
v.
to fall into a wretched stateto be reduced to (poverty, homelessness, etc.)to be stranded (far from home)to end up in a strange place
Examples
- 沦落，。Tā pòchǎn hòu lún luò jiētóu, kào qǐtǎo wéi shēng.After going bankrupt, he ended up on the streets, living by begging.
- 沦落，。Hěnduō nànmín zài zhànluàn zhōng lún luò tāxiāng, wújiā kě guī.Many refugees were stranded in foreign lands during the war, homeless and displaced.
- ，沦落。Tā céng shì dà hù rénjiā de xiǎojiě, hòulái què lún luò wéi nǚgōng.She was once a young lady from a wealthy family, but later was reduced to being a female worker.
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