Meanings of 离
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About 离
Podcast: 离
Podcast: 离
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AI Study Notes for 离
离 (lí) vs 去 (qù) — use 离 when emphasizing separation or parting, while 去 focuses on the act of going to a destination.
Learners often confuse 离 with similar-sounding characters. It's important to use 离 in appropriate contexts, especially when discussing distances or farewells. Common collocations include 离开 (lí kāi, 'to leave') and 离婚 (lí hūn, 'to divorce').
As an HSK Level 2 word, 离 connects to other basic verbs expressing actions and states. Students should focus on its use in everyday conversation, particularly in phrases involving separation or distance.
Learners often mistakenly write 离 as 利 (lì), which means 'benefit.' Remember that 离 relates to parting or distance, while 利 does not. Another common error is using 离 incorrectly in phrases like '离来' instead of '回来' for 'come back.'
Pronunciation of 离
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Etymology of 离
Pictograph of a legendary mountain demon with horns and a tail beween its legs, now written as 魑. The traditional character 離 (leave; depart; away from) was simplified to 离 by deleting the 隹 (bird) component.
An animal standing straight; 亠 is the head
Jason Etymology Detective
Case file: 离
Pictograph of a legendary mountain demon with horns and a tail beween its legs, now written as 魑. The traditional character 離 (leave; depart; away from) was simplified to 离 by deleting the 隹 (bird) component.
- 1The giveawayAn animal standing straight; 亠 is the head
- 2On the record aspictographic — someone drew the thing itself.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 离? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 离?
Decomposition of 离
Identify the Components
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How to say to leave in Chinese
“to leave” in Chinese is离
The character 离 (lí) primarily means 'to leave' or 'to part from.' It is commonly used in contexts such as saying goodbye or indicating distance. Additionally, 离 has archaic meanings related to mythical beasts and is associated with the Eight Trigrams, symbolizing fire.
When to use 离
Learners often confuse 离 with similar-sounding characters. It's important to use 离 in appropriate contexts, especially when discussing distances or farewells. Common collocations include 离开 (lí kāi, 'to leave') and 离婚 (lí hūn, 'to divorce').
离 or something close to it
离 (lí) vs 去 (qù) — use 离 when emphasizing separation or parting, while 去 focuses on the act of going to a destination.
What learners get wrong
Learners often mistakenly write 离 as 利 (lì), which means 'benefit.' Remember that 离 relates to parting or distance, while 利 does not. Another common error is using 离 incorrectly in phrases like '离来' instead of '回来' for 'come back.'
Write 离
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Practice writing 离 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Grammar Patterns of 离
离 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 12 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Complete the Sentence
这儿____车站有点儿远。
This place is a bit far from the station.
Example Sentences for 离 (14)
Word Family of 离
Compound Meaning
What does 璃 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 离
You can say '我离开了家' (Wǒ líkāi le jiā), meaning 'I left home.'
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