离
lí
Expressing distance with "li"
离 measures the gap between two places — "from" in the sense of distance.
Place 1 + 离 + Place 2 + 很 + 近 / 远
How it works
我家离大学很近 — my place is close to the university. Note that both places come before the adjective.
离 is about distance only. For a starting point of movement you need 从: 我从家去大学.
It works for time gaps too: 离考试还有三天.
Examples
wǒ jiā lí dà xué hěn jìn
我家离大学很近。
My place is close to the university.
shàng hǎi lí běi jīng hěn yuǎn
上海离北京很远。
Shanghai is a long way from Beijing.
lí kǎo shì hái yǒu sān tiān
离考试还有三天。
There are still three days until the exam.
Common mistakes
- Don't swap 离 for 从 — 我从大学很近 is wrong.