离 (lí): How to Say “Far From” and Talk About Distance
离 (lí) measures the distance between two places: Place A 离 Place B + 远/近 (我家离公司很远 = “my home is far from the office”). The catch is the word order — 离 sits between the two places and 远/近 comes last.
Why this trips learners up
To say one place is far from (or close to) another, Chinese reaches for 离 (lí) — but the order feels back-to-front. It's A 离 B + 远/近: the place you're describing, then 离, then the reference point, and the “far / near” word lands last — 我家离地铁站很近 (literally “my home / 离 / subway station / very / close”). English puts “far” before “from the station”; Chinese saves 远/近 for the end.
Two things catch people out. First, 离 needs two points — you can't just say 离很远 (“far from” what?); always name the reference place. Second, English “from” hides two different Chinese words: 离 is the static gap between two spots (it pairs with 远/近), while 从 (cóng) marks where a movement starts (从北京来 = “come from Beijing”). Distance → 离; starting point → 从. And like any adjective, 远/近 normally wants a degree word in a plain statement — 很远, not a bare 远.
The structure
Colour key
Each colour marks one grammatical role — and the same colour means the same role on every page in the Lab.
Examples in context
Real-world sentences, easiest first. Toggle pinyin or the translation, tap any word to see its role, or play the audio.
Tap a word to see its grammatical role.
yínháng 银行 Subject lí 离 Pattern zhèlǐ 这里 Place hěn 很 Adverb jìn 近 Adjective
The bank is close to here.
wǒ de xuéxiào 我的学校 Subject lí 离 Pattern gōngyuán 公园 Place hěn 很 Adverb yuǎn 远 Adjective
My school is far from the park.
zhè jiā cāntīng 这家餐厅 Subject lí 离 Pattern hǎibiān 海边 Place bù 不 Negation yuǎn 远 Adjective
This restaurant isn't far from the seaside.
nǐ jiā 你家 Subject lí 离 Pattern gōngsī 公司 Place jìn 近 Adjective ma 吗 Question
Is your home close to your office?
yīyuàn 医院 Subject lí 离 Pattern wǒ jiā 我家 Place bù tài 不太 Adverb yuǎn 远 Adjective zǒulù 走路 Verb shí fēnzhōng 十分钟 Time
The hospital isn't too far from my place — ten minutes on foot.
nǐ de gōngyù 你的公寓 Subject lí 离 Pattern jīchǎng 机场 Place yǒu 有 Verb duō yuǎn 多远 Question
How far is your apartment from the airport?
wǒ 我 Subject xiǎng 想 Function word zhǎo 找 Verb yí gè 一个 Measure word lí 离 Pattern dìtiězhàn 地铁站 Place jìn 近 Adjective de 的 Function word fángzi 房子 Object
I want to find a place that's close to the subway.
bié 别 Negation guòlái 过来 Verb lí 离 Pattern wǒ 我 Object yuǎn 远 Adjective yìdiǎn 一点 Adverb
Don't come over — stay away from me!
Common mistakes
Why it happens: English order — “far from the office” — sneaks 远 in before 离. In Chinese the 远/近 always lands at the end: 我家离公司很远, never 我家很远离公司. Lock in A 离 B 远/近.
Why it happens: Both 离 and 从 (cóng) come out as “from”, but the distance between two fixed spots is 离 — the one that pairs with 远/近. 从 is for where something starts: 从公司走 (“walk from the office”). Static gap → 离.
Why it happens: 离 links two places — drop the second and 离很远 means “far from… what?”. Always name the reference point: 我的公司离地铁站很远.
Compare & contrast
| 离 — the gap between two points (distance) | 从 — where a movement starts (origin) | The difference |
|---|---|---|
| 离机场很远。lí jīchǎng hěn yuǎn. | 从机场出发。cóng jīchǎng chūfā. | 离机场很远 = “far from the airport” — a static distance, sitting next to 远/近. 从机场出发 = “set off from the airport” — the starting point of a trip, teamed with a verb. |
| 离这儿不远。lí zhèr bù yuǎn. | 从这儿开始。cóng zhèr kāishǐ. | 离这儿不远 = “not far from here” (a gap). 从这儿开始 = “start from here” (the beginning of a range or action). |
Try it yourself
Say “My home is close to the school” (…离…) — tap the words into order.
Related patterns
Quick reference card
离 (lí): How to Say “Far From” and Talk About Distance grammar.merrymandarin.com A pocket summary — print it and keep it by your desk.