距离 meaning in English
distance; separation (in space or time); to be ... away from; to be ... from
Meaning of 距离
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- distance; separation (in space or time)
- to be ... away from; to be ... from
How to use 距离
As a noun, 距离 means distance or gap, often used with 有 or 保持 (bǎochí, to keep). As a verb, it means to be a certain distance or time from something. Example: 我家距离学校很近。(Wǒ jiā jùlí xuéxiào hěn jìn.) My home is very close to the school.
距 (jù) has the foot radical 足 on the left, so think of measuring a gap in footsteps. 离 (lí) means to leave or be apart, as in 离开 (líkāi), so 距离 is the number of steps between two things that are apart.
Common mistake: Learners often write 我家距离学校 when they mean to describe how far away it is in everyday speech, where 离 alone is more natural: 我家离学校很近. Also, 离 is second tone (lí), not fourth like 力 (lì).
距离 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.
距 jù · to be at a distance of ... from · 11 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
离 lí · to leave · 10 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
Related words
Words that share a character with 距离.
| 离开 | líkāi | to depart; to leave |
| 离婚 | líhūn | to divorce |
| 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 |
| 差距 | chājù | disparity; gap |
| 远离 | yuǎnlí | to be far from; to keep away from |
| 撤离 | chèlí | to withdraw from; to evacuate |
| 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 距离
What does 距离 mean?
距离 (jùlí) means "distance; separation (in space or time); to be ... away from; to be ... from" and is used as a verb and noun.
How do you write 距离?
距离 is made of 2 characters: 距 (11 strokes), 离 (10 strokes). That is 21 strokes in total.
Is 距离 an HSK word?
Yes. 距离 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 距离 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 距离 is written 距離.
What is the difference between 距离 and 差距?
距离 is physical, time, or emotional distance between two things. 差距 (chājù) is a gap in level or quality, such as a difference in income or skill. You would say 收入差距, not 收入距离.
Can 距离 be used for time, not just space?
Yes. For example, 距离考试还有三天 (jùlí kǎoshì hái yǒu sān tiān) means there are still three days until the exam. This is common in written and formal speech.