离 vs 从 (distance vs starting point)

• Pinyin: lí / cóng
• Formation: 离: A + 离 + B + Distance Description 从: 从 + Starting Point + Verb / 到 + Endpoint
• Hanzi breakdown: 离 = 亠 (lid) + 凶 (ominous) + 禸 (track), meaning separation ; 从 = 人 (person) + 人 (person), meaning to follow

Meaning

Both 离 (lí) and 从 (cóng) relate to spatial and temporal references, but they serve different functions. 离 indicates distance or separation between two points, while 从 marks a starting point in space or time.

离 is used to express how far apart two things are, either physically or in time. It always implies a measurable gap and is typically followed by a description of that distance. 从 indicates the origin or starting point of an action, journey, or time period, and is often paired with 到 to mark an endpoint. A key difference is that 离 cannot describe the starting point of movement — you cannot say 离北京出发. Similarly, 从 does not express distance — you cannot say 从这里很远. Learners frequently confuse the two because both involve locations, but their grammatical roles are distinct: 离 sets up a distance measurement, while 从 sets up a directional path or temporal range.

Examples

1. 我家离公司不太远，骑车十五分钟就到了。 My home isn't too far from the office — it's only a fifteen-minute bike ride.
2. 从北京到上海坐高铁大概四个半小时。 It takes about four and a half hours from Beijing to Shanghai 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

• 这里离火车站还有两公里。
• 从明天开始我要每天锻炼。
• 考试离现在还有三个星期。
• 我从家走到学校要二十分钟。

Don't Say

• 从这里很远。(从 marks a starting point, not distance — use 离 to express how far apart two places are) → 离这里很远。
• 我离家出发。(离 expresses distance, not the starting point of movement — use 从 to indicate where you depart from) → 我从家出发。
• 从考试还有三天。(从 cannot express the remaining distance in time to a future event — use 离 for 'there are still X days until...') → 离考试还有三天。

Origin & History

离 originally meant 'to leave' or 'to separate from,' which evolved into a preposition expressing distance between two points. 从 originally meant 'to follow' and came to indicate the starting point of an action or journey.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal