Definition
咫尺 is a literary expression meaning 'very close (in distance)', literally 'a foot and a handspan' (咫 = 8 cun, 尺 = 10 cun). It appears in fixed patterns like 近在咫尺 ('close at hand') and the idiom 咫尺天涯 ('so near yet so far'). Used in formal or written Chinese to emphasize a short physical or figurative distance. The word functions as a noun or verbal phrase, often with 之 or 在.
v.p.
very close (in distance)within easy reach(literary) a short distance
Examples
- ，。Liǎng jiā jìn zài zhǐ chě, zǒu lù wǔ fēnzhōng jiù dào le.The two families are within a foot's reach; it takes only five minutes to walk there.
- 咫尺，。Suīrán wǒmen zhǐ chě xiāng jù, què gǎnjué xiàng tiānyá yíyàng yuǎn.Although we are physically very close, it feels as distant as the ends of the earth.
- 咫尺，。Chénggōng jiù zài zhǐ chě zhī yáo, zài jiānchí yíxià.Success is just within a short reach — hold on a little longer.
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