(yuǎn lí) - to keep away from, to stay clear of, to be far from in Mandarin
yuǎnlíTraditional: 遠離
Translation
to keep away from, to stay clear of, to be far from
Word origin
A compound of 远 (yuǎn, far) and 离 (lí, to leave, to be apart from), so to be or get far away from.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 远 (yuǎn, far) + 离 (lí, to be apart from)
Stroke order
远
离
Examples
。
Please keep away from dangerous places.
。
He wants to get away from city life.
村。
This village lies a long way from the main road.
。
The doctor told him to stay off the drink.
。
We had better keep our distance from people like that.
远离 is transitive and takes its object directly, with no preposition in between: 远离危险, 远离城市, 远离家乡. English wants "from" in there, and putting a 从 or a 离 in front of the object is the standard learner mistake.
It splits into two uses. As an instruction it means keep away from, and it is the register of public warnings and medical advice: 远离毒品, 远离火源. As a description it means simply lies far from, so 这个村子远离大路 states a geographical fact with no advice attached.
Compare it with 离开, which is the plain verb to leave a place. 离开北京 is you left Beijing; 远离北京 is you put real distance between yourself and it, and usually implies you meant to.
Where this fits
Add to review queue
Track this word in your spaced-repetition queue and be tested on it at the right interval.
Go to my review queueMandarin · Free printables
远离: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "远离" (to keep away from, to stay clear of, to be far from): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
Free for members
The printable worksheets, infographics and PDFs are free with an account. Start a free week and download as many as you like.
Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 43.