When do I use 离 vs 到?

Use 离 when you want to describe the distance or gap between two locations (e.g., '公司离这里不远'). Use 到 when you want to indicate arriving at a destination or the endpoint of a range (e.g., '到北京开会'). If you're asking 'how far from A to B', use 离 for the gap (e.g., 'A离B多远？'), but if you're describing the span as a route, you can use 从A到B.

Can 离 and 到 be used together in one sentence?

Yes, but not directly together. They appear in contrastive structures like '离...远，到...近' (far from X, close to Y), or in the common range marker '从...到...' where 到 marks the endpoint. You would not directly combine 离 and 到 as a pair like '离到'.

Is 到 always used for physical destinations?

No, 到 can also mark a time endpoint, e.g., '工作到五点' (work until five o'clock), or a degree/state, e.g., '做到完美' (do it until perfect). In the context of distance/endpoint comparisons, 到 mainly refers to spatial or temporal endpoints.

How do I ask 'How far is it from here to the station?' – should I use 离 or 到?

You can ask either: '这里离车站有多远？' (using 离 to emphasize the gap) or '从这里到车站有多远？' (using 从...到... to emphasize the route). Both are correct. If you just say '到车站多远？' it's incomplete; you need the starting point with 从 or 离.

Easily confusedHSK 2

离 vs 到 (lí vs dào): marking distance vs destination

离 (lí) indicates the distance or gap between two points, often used to ask or state how far something is from a reference location. 到 (dào) marks reaching a destination or endpoint, whether in space or time. The core difference is that 离 focuses on the separation, while 到 focuses on the arrival.

Both 离 and 到 are coverbs used with locations, but they serve opposite functions. 离 expresses the distance from a reference point without implying movement, as in '学校离我家很远' (The school is far from my home). 到 expresses the endpoint of movement or action, as in '我到了学校' (I arrived at school). A common pattern is 从…到… (from…to…), which combines both to indicate a range, but even there 到 marks the endpoint. Understanding which one to use depends on whether you want to describe the gap (离) or the destination (到).

When to use each

离lí

from (distance)

Use 离 to indicate the distance or gap between two places (e.g., '我家离公司很近'). It is also used to ask how far something is (e.g., '你家离学校多远？'). 离 does not involve movement; it simply states a spatial or temporal separation.

离 can also be used with time, e.g., '离春节还有三天' (It's still three days until Spring Festival), where it marks the time gap before an event.

到dào

to (endpoint)

Use 到 to indicate reaching a destination or endpoint, whether in space (e.g., '明天到北京') or time (e.g., '工作到五点'). It can also appear in the structure 从…到… to mark a range (e.g., '从上海到北京'). 到 implies arrival or completion of movement.

到 is also used as a result complement (e.g., '看到' '买到'), but that use is not directly comparable to 离. In the context of distance, 到 always marks the end point of a span.

At a glance

	离	到
Core meaning	Distance / gap between two points	Endpoint / destination
Focus	How far apart they are	The arrival point
Movement implied	No movement; static measurement	Movement or arrival is implied
Common structure	A 离 B + (distance/远/近)	到 + place/time (arrive at) or 从...到... (range)
Example phrase	离学校很远	到北京

Examples

离
公司离我家很近。
Gōngsī lí wǒ jiā hěn jìn.
The company is very close to my home.
Uses 离 to state the distance (gap) between two locations.
离
你离车站有多远？
Nǐ lí chēzhàn yǒu duō yuǎn?
How far are you from the station?
Asks about the gap using 离.
到
我们明天到上海。
Wǒmen míngtiān dào Shànghǎi.
We will arrive in Shanghai tomorrow.
Uses 到 to mark the destination (arrival point).
到
从北京到上海坐高铁很快。
Cóng Běijīng dào Shànghǎi zuò gāotiě hěn kuài.
It's fast to take the high-speed rail from Beijing to Shanghai.
Uses 到 as the endpoint in the 从...到... range structure.
离
离春节还有三天。
Lí Chūnjié hái yǒu sān tiān.
It's still three days until Spring Festival.
Temporal gap: 离 indicates time left before an event.
到
他工作到很晚。
Tā gōngzuò dào hěn wǎn.
He works until very late.
Temporal endpoint: 到 marks the end time of an action.

Common mistakes

Using 到 instead of 离 to ask about distance: '你家到学校多远?' is incorrect; should be '离'.
Using 离 to mean 'arrive': *'我离学校了' – wrong; should be '到'.
Confusing 离 and 到 in the structure 从...到...: learners sometimes write *'从...离...' – incorrect; only 到 marks the endpoint.
Using 离 without a reference point: *'离很远' without stating '离什么' – incomplete; always specify A 离 B.

FAQ

When do I use 离 vs 到?: Use 离 when you want to describe the distance or gap between two locations (e.g., '公司离这里不远'). Use 到 when you want to indicate arriving at a destination or the endpoint of a range (e.g., '到北京开会'). If you're asking 'how far from A to B', use 离 for the gap (e.g., 'A离B多远？'), but if you're describing the span as a route, you can use 从A到B.
Can 离 and 到 be used together in one sentence?: Yes, but not directly together. They appear in contrastive structures like '离...远，到...近' (far from X, close to Y), or in the common range marker '从...到...' where 到 marks the endpoint. You would not directly combine 离 and 到 as a pair like '离到'.
Is 到 always used for physical destinations?: No, 到 can also mark a time endpoint, e.g., '工作到五点' (work until five o'clock), or a degree/state, e.g., '做到完美' (do it until perfect). In the context of distance/endpoint comparisons, 到 mainly refers to spatial or temporal endpoints.
How do I ask 'How far is it from here to the station?' – should I use 离 or 到?: You can ask either: '这里离车站有多远？' (using 离 to emphasize the gap) or '从这里到车站有多远？' (using 从...到... to emphasize the route). Both are correct. If you just say '到车站多远？' it's incomplete; you need the starting point with 从 or 离.