离 lí leave
away from; leave; depart
How to remember 离: 㐫 worn-down top + 禸 animal track = leave. Under the worn-down top of the old trail sign, the camper spots a huge animal track, and her one thought is to leave right now.
Component breakdown
离 = 㐫 worn-down top + 禸 animal track
- 㐫 worn-down top
- 禸 animal track
Under the worn-down top of the old trail sign, the camper spots a huge animal track, and her one thought is to leave right now.
How it came to be
The full form is a bird beside a long-handled net: a bird being caught, or getting away. The character means to part from, and the moment is the one where the two come apart.
How it is used
- Measures a static distance "from" - 离这儿很远 (lí zhèr hěn yuǎn) far from here, 离…近 (lí…jìn) close to. Also for time: 离考试还有三天 (lí kǎoshì hái yǒu sān tiān) three days left before the exam.
- Trap: 离 is a static gap between two points; 从 (cóng) is a moving origin. Say 离北京很远 (far from Beijing) but 从北京出发 (set out from Beijing).
- The verb sense "to depart" shows in 离开 (líkāi) leave, 离婚 (líhūn) divorce.
Characters built with 离
Words with 离
- 离开líkāileaveHSK 3
- 距离jùlídistanceHSK 4
- 远离yuǎnlíto be far fromHSK 4
- 分离fēnlíto separateHSK 5
- 离婚líhūnto divorceHSK 5
- 离职lízhíto leave one's job temporarilyHSK 5
- 离奇líqíoddHSK 7
- 脱离tuōlíto separate oneself fromHSK 7
- 偏离piānlíto deviateHSK 8
- 形影不离xíngyǐng-bùlíinseparable (as form and shadow)HSK 8
- 悲欢离合bēihuān-líhéjoys and sorrowsHSK 8
- 撤离chèlíto withdraw fromHSK 8
- 离谱儿lípǔrerhua form of 离谱HSK 9
- 隔离gélíto separateHSK 9
Example sentences
- 学校离我家很远。 Xuéxiào lí wǒ jiā hěn yuǎn.The school is far away from my home.
- 我家离学校很近。 Wǒ jiā lí xuéxiào hěn jìn.My house is very close to school.
- 他离开家去学校。 Tā líkāi jiā qù xuéxiào.He left home and went to school.
- 我乘出租车离开。 Wǒ chéng chūzūchē líkāi.I'm leaving by taxi.