相去甚远 (xiāng) — to be far apart; to differ greatly; to have a wide gap (between two things)
Definition
A formal/written phrase meaning two things differ greatly — a big gap in quality, level, or fact. Use it in essays or reports, not casual speech; the subject is usually two things being compared, not people.
verb
to be far apartto differ greatlyto have a wide gap (between two things)
Examples
- 相去甚远。Tā de shuō fǎ yǔ shì shí xiāng.His statement is far from the facts.
- 相去甚远。Liǎng guó de jīng jì fā zhǎn shuǐ píng xiāng.The economic development levels of the two countries are far apart.
- 相去甚远。Zhè ge shí yàn de jié guǒ yǔ yù qī xiāng.The result of this experiment is far from what was expected.
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