Definition
离 (lí) can mean 'to leave' (a place) or 'from' indicating distance. Unlike 走 (zǒu), which emphasizes walking away, and 离开 (lí kāi), the full verb for departing, 离 is used in both senses and is the basis for distance phrases like 离学校很远 (far from school). 距离 (jù lí) is a more formal word for distance itself.
verb
to leaveto part fromfrom (indicating distance)
Easily confused
- 里lǐsound-alikeinside; interior; within
- 力lìsound-alikepower, force, strength
- 理lǐsound-alike(noun) reason; logic; truth; principle
- 立lìsound-aliketo stand (formal, upright)
- 粒lìsound-alike(classifier) for small round things (pills, bullets, grains, pearls, etc.)
- 梨lísound-alikepear
Examples
- 。Wǒ míngtiān líkāi Běijīng.I will leave Beijing tomorrow.
- 离。Wǒ de jiā lí xuéxiào hěn jìn.My home is very close to school.
- 离。Xiànzài lí chūnjié hái yǒu yí gè yuè.It's still one month until Spring Festival.
Grammar
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