离 (distance)

• Pinyin: lí
• Formation: Place 1 + 离 + Place 2 + (Adv.) + 近 / 远
• Hanzi breakdown: 离 = 亠 (lid) + 凶 (unlucky) + 禸 (track)

Meaning

Use 离 (lí) to express the distance or separation between two places or points in time. It functions like 'from' in English when describing how far apart two locations are.

离 is the standard preposition for expressing spatial distance in Mandarin. The structure places the reference point after 离 and follows with an adjective like 近 (near) or 远 (far), or a specific distance measurement. Unlike English, where 'far from' places the adjective before 'from,' Chinese puts the adjective at the end. 离 can also express temporal distance, as in how far away an event is in time. A common mistake is confusing 离 with 从, which indicates a starting point for movement rather than a static distance relationship.

Examples

1. 我家离公司很近，走路十分钟就到了。 My home is very close to the office, just a ten-minute walk.
2. 北京离上海不太远，坐高铁四个多小时。 Beijing is not too far from Shanghai, about four hours by high-speed rail.
3. 学校离地铁站只有五百米。 The school is only five hundred meters from the subway station.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 医院离这儿不远，往前走两个路口就到了。
• 你家离学校有多远？
• 这个酒店离机场很近，非常方便。

Don't Say

• 我家从公司很近。(从 indicates a starting point for travel, not static distance — use 离 for 'how far apart') → 我家离公司很近。
• 离我家公司很近。(The first place must come before 离, not after — the structure is Place 1 + 离 + Place 2) → 我家离公司很近。

Origin & History

The character 离 originally depicted a bird caught in a net, conveying the idea of separation. It evolved to mean 'to leave' or 'to be apart from,' and its grammatical use for expressing distance derives naturally from this core meaning of separation.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal