HSK 2
N1 离 N2 DISTANCE
N1 lí N2 DISTANCE
N1 is DISTANCE away from N2
Structure
Place A + 离 + Place B + (很远 / 很近 / Specific Distance)
How it works
The preposition '离' (lí) is used to express the distance between two places, points in time, or milestones. It focus on the gap or separation between Point A and Point B, often followed by a specific distance or an adjective like 'far' or 'near'.
Examples
我家离公司很近。
Wǒ jiā lí gōngsī hěn jìn.
My home is very close to the office.
超市离这里五百米。
Chāoshì lí zhèlǐ wǔbǎi mǐ.
The supermarket is 500 meters away from here.
北京离上海很远。
Běijīng lí Shànghǎi hěn yuǎn.
Beijing is very far from Shanghai.
Common mistakes
English speakers often try to use '从' (cóng - from) to describe distance, but '从' is used for movement or starting points, whereas '离' is used for static distance.
Tip
If the sentence is a question about distance, use the phrase '多远' (duō yuǎn) at the end: 'A 离 B 多远?'
More HSK 2 grammar
See N1 离 N2 DISTANCE in real Chinese
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