Expressing distance with 离 [ lí ]

离  [lí]  (from one place) to (anocher). It is used to measure the distance between two places. 
  
Place 1 + 离 + Place 2 + distance ( 近/远)

公共汽车站 + 离 +火车站 + 很 近
Gōnggòng qìchēzhàn lí huǒchēzhàn hěn jìn.  
The bus station is very close to the train station.
La estación de autobuses está muy cerca de la estación de tren.

Negation / Negación

Place 1 + 离 + Place 2 + 不+ distance ( 近/远)

学校 离 我 家 不 远。 My school is not far from my home.
火车站 离 我们 不 远 了。We are not far from the train station.

Question form

Place 1 + 离 + Place 2 + distance + question word

上海 离 北京 远 吗？Is Shanghai far from Beijing?

If you want to be more precise than just “close”, “not close”, far, not far, you can also choose to talk about a specific distance using miles; kilometers or any other unit to measure a distance.

Place 1 + 离 + Place 2 + Verb + distance (miles, kilometers, stops…)

这儿 离 飞机场 有 三 十 五 公里。The airport is thirty-five kilometers from here.

You can also use 离 to measure duration; i.e. to talk about how far something is in time, like this:
structure
Moment 1 + 离 + Moment 2 + Verb + duration

Notice that as usually one measures a duration from the current moment, the starting point is often implied. You could say “from now to my mother’s birthday” but that sounds strange in English, doesn't it? It also does in Chinese.

离 我 妈妈 的 生日 有 两 个 星期。 My mother’s birthday is in two weeks.

离 考试 还有 一 个 月。 There’s still a month before the exam.

离 下班 还有 二十 分钟。There’s still 20 minutes before we finish work.

Implied place
As with measuring a duration, the starting point can also be implied when you’re talking about a distance, as long as, in the context, it is clear what the speaker is talking about.

离 公共汽车站 走路 十 分钟。
Lí gōnggòng qìchēzhàn zǒulù shí fēnzhōng.  
There’s a ten‑minute walk to the bus station.
Hay diez minutos andando hasta la estación de autobuses.

离 机场 有 七 站 路。
Lí jīchǎng yǒu qī zhàn lù.  
There are seven stops to the airport.
Hay siete paradas hasta el aeropuerto.



我家离公司很近。
Wǒ jiā lí gōngsī hěn jìn. 
My home is very close to the company.
Mi casa está muy cerca de la empresa.

美国离中国很远。
Měiguó lí Zhōngguó hěn yuǎn. 
America is far away from China.
Estados Unidos está muy lejos de China.

这个酒店离火车站很近。
Zhège jiǔdiàn lí huǒchēzhàn hěn jìn. 
This hotel is very close to the train station.
Este hotel está muy cerca de la estación de tren.

那个地方离这儿太远了，我不想去。
Nàge dìfāng lí zhèr tài yuǎn le, wǒ bù xiǎng qù. 
That place is too far from here, I don't want to go.
Ese lugar está demasiado lejos de aquí, no quiero ir.

你家离超市远吗？
Nǐ jiā lí chāoshì yuǎn ma? 
Is your house far from the supermarket?
¿Está tu casa lejos del supermercado?

你们公司离地铁站近吗？
Nǐmen gōngsī lí dìtiězhàn jìn ma? 
Is your company near the subway station?
¿Tu empresa está cerca de la estación de metro?

你家离学校多远？
Nǐ jiā lí xuéxiào duō yuǎn? 
How far is your home from school?
¿Cuánto de lejos está tu casa de la escuela?

这个酒店离机场有多远？
Zhège jiǔdiàn lí jīchǎng yǒu duō yuǎn?
How far is this hotel from the airport?
¿A qué distancia está este hotel del aeropuerto? 






Activity: Translate into Chinese using 离 [ lí ]

 
1. America is far away from China. 
2. My home is very close to the company.  
3. Is your school far from the train station? 
4. The school is not far from the shop.
5. Is your home far from here?
6. The school is very close to the shop.




Actividad: Traduce a chino usando 离 [ lí ]
 
1. América está muy lejos de China.
2. Mi casa está muy cerca de la empresa.
3. ¿Está tu escuela lejos de la estación de tren?
4. La escuela no está lejos de la tienda.
5. ¿Está tu casa lejos de aquí?
6. La escuela está muy cerca de la tienda.














Solution / Solución
1. 美国离中国很远。  
    Měiguó lí Zhōngguó hěn yuǎn.
2. 我家离公司很近。  
    Wǒ jiā lí gōngsī hěn jìn.
3. 你们学校离火车站远吗？  
    Nǐmen xuéxiào lí huǒchēzhàn yuǎn ma.
4. 学校离商店不远。  
    Xuéxiào lí shāngdiàn bù yuǎn.
5. 你家离这儿远吗？  
    Nǐ jiā lí zhèr yuǎn ma.
6. 学校离商店很近。  
    Xuéxiào lí shāngdiàn hěn jìn.

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