离 (lí) — to leave; to part from; from (indicating distance)
Definition
离 is a literary/preposition use for distance ('from') and a written verb for 'to leave'. In everyday speech 离开 is more common; 走 means 'to go/leave' on foot or in general. As a preposition it pairs with a place or time to show distance or gap.
verb
to leaveto part fromfrom (indicating distance)
Easily confused
Examples
- 。Wǒ míng tiān lí kāi běi jīng.I will leave Beijing tomorrow.
- 离。Wǒ de jiā lí xué xiào hěn jìn.My home is very close to school.
- 离。Xiàn zài lí chūn jié hái yǒu yí gè yuè.It's still one month until Spring Festival.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 離; 离 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
隹隹zhuībird
The traditional form 離 pairs 隹, a bird, with the sound part 离; the simplified 离 is a shorthand. This form first wrote a black-naped oriole, and the sound was borrowed for 'leave'.
Grammar
Appears in
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