归宿
guī sù · HSK 7
final destination
🏡 归 = return + 宿 = lodge/stay overnight; the place you return to settle
归 means to return or go back, and 宿 means to lodge or stay the night. Together 归宿 names the place you return to rest, a home or final resting spot, and by extension how a story or life ends up.
归 — 阜 (mound) + 帚 (broom) + 止 (foot)
Originally depicted a bride being escorted to her husband's home, with 帚 (broom) symbolizing her domestic role and 止 (foot) showing movement. The meaning shifted from 'a woman returning to her marital home' to the broader sense of 'to return' or 'go back'. The 阜 component suggests the journey involved.