Meaning of 撤离
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to withdraw from
- to evacuate
How to use 撤离
撤离 is a formal word used for evacuating people from danger or withdrawing troops and staff from an area. It often appears in news reports about fires, floods, or conflicts. Example: 居民已经全部撤离。(Jūmín yǐjīng quánbù chèlí.) All the residents have been evacuated.
撤 (chè) has the hand radical 扌 on the left, so picture a hand pulling people back. 离 (lí) means to leave, so 撤离 is pulling back and leaving a place.
Common mistake: Learners often use 撤离 for everyday leaving, like going home from work, where 离开 (líkāi) is the natural choice. Also watch the tone of 撤: it is fourth tone chè, not chē like 车.
撤离 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
撤 chè · to remove · 15 strokes
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离 lí · to leave · 10 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 撤离.
| 离开 | líkāi | to depart; to leave |
| 离婚 | líhūn | to divorce |
| 距离 | jùlí | distance; separation (in space or time); to be ... away from; to be ... from |
| 离不开 | lí bu kāi | inseparable; inevitably linked to |
| 脱离 | tuōlí | to separate oneself from; to break away from |
| 分离 | fēnlí | to separate |
| 远离 | yuǎnlí | to be far from; to keep away from |
| 撤销 | chèxiāo | to cancel; to revoke; to rescind; (computing) to undo |
| 隔离 | gélí | to separate; to isolate |
| 离奇 | líqí | odd; bizarre |
| 离职 | lízhí | to leave one's job temporarily (e.g. for study); to leave one's job; to resign |
| 形影不离 | xíngyǐng-bùlí | inseparable (as form and shadow) |
Questions about 撤离
What does 撤离 mean?
撤离 (chèlí) means "to withdraw from; to evacuate" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 撤离?
撤离 is made of 2 characters: 撤 (15 strokes), 离 (10 strokes). That is 25 strokes in total.
Is 撤离 an HSK word?
Yes. 撤离 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 撤离 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 撤离 is written 撤離.
What is the difference between 撤离 and 离开?
离开 (líkāi) is the general word for leaving any place or person. 撤离 suggests an organized withdrawal, usually because of danger or an order, so it sounds formal and serious.
Can 撤离 take an object directly?
Yes, you can say 撤离现场 (chèlí xiànchǎng) to withdraw from the scene. You can also use 从 to mark the place, as in 从大楼撤离 (cóng dàlóu chèlí), to evacuate from the building.