Meaning of 离不开
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- inseparable
- inevitably linked to
How to use 离不开
离不开 is a potential complement pattern meaning "cannot do without" or "cannot be separated from." It is often used for people, habits, or things you depend on, and also for results that depend on a cause. Example: 我离不开手机。(Wǒ lí bu kāi shǒujī.) I can't live without my phone.
Break it into three parts: 离 (lí) means to leave, 不 (bu) means not, and 开 (kāi) means away or open. Something you cannot leave and pull away from is something you cannot do without.
Common mistake: Learners often say 不离开 (bù líkāi), which means "not leave" as a choice, while 离不开 means you are unable to separate. Also keep 不 light and neutral in tone here (lí bu kāi), not a full fourth tone.
离不开 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.
离 lí · to leave · 10 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
不 bù · no · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
开 kāi · to open · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Related words
Words that share a character with 离不开.
| 对不起 | duìbuqǐ | I'm sorry; excuse me; I beg your pardon; to let (sb) down; to disappoint |
| 是不是 | shì bu shì | is or is not (used to form yes-no questions) |
| 不用 | bùyòng | need not |
| 打开 | dǎkāi | to open; to show (a ticket) |
| 开玩笑 | kāi wánxiào | to play a joke; to make fun of; to joke |
| 开车 | kāichē | to drive a car (or train etc); (slang) to post sexual content online; to make a sexual jok |
| 开会 | kāihuì | to hold or attend a meeting |
| 不大 | bù dà | not very (clear, far away etc); not too; not often; infrequently |
| 不对 | bùduì | incorrect; wrong |
| 不客气 | bù kèqì | you're welcome; don't mention it |
| 不要 | bùyào | don't!; must not |
| 离开 | líkāi | to depart; to leave |
Questions about 离不开
What does 离不开 mean?
离不开 (lí bu kāi) means "inseparable; inevitably linked to".
How do you write 离不开?
离不开 is made of 3 characters: 离 (10 strokes), 不 (4 strokes), 开 (4 strokes). That is 18 strokes in total.
Is 离不开 an HSK word?
Yes. 离不开 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 离不开 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 离不开 is written 離不開.
What is the positive form of 离不开?
The positive potential form is 离得开 (lí de kāi), meaning "can do without." It appears mostly in questions or contrasts, such as 你离得开他吗? (Nǐ lí de kāi tā ma?) Can you do without him?
How do I say that success depends on something using 离不开?
Put the result first and the cause after 离不开. For example, 成功离不开努力。(Chénggōng lí bu kāi nǔlì.) Success is inseparable from hard work. This is common in formal speeches and writing.