Definitions

(noun,verb) distance; to be apart from
(preposition) at a distance of

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "距", identical in both traditional and simplified forms, derives its structure from the semantic component "足" (foot) and the phonetic component "巨" (large). Originally, the character referred concretely to the spur on a rooster's leg, a weapon for fighting linked to the idea of a foot's projection. Over time, its meaning broadened from that specific physical protrusion to signify any intervening space or gap between two points, evolving into the modern sense of "distance" as a noun. This conceptual shift allowed the character to also function as a verb meaning "to be apart from", solidifying its abstract spatial and metaphorical application in language.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Warring States (475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我家离学校很近。

Wǒ jiā jùlí xuéxiào hěn jìn.

My home is very close to the school.

现在离假期还有一周。

Xiànzài jùlí jiàqī hái yǒu yī zhōu.

Now there is still one week left until the holiday.

这两个城市之间的离是三百公里。

Zhè liǎng gè chéngshì zhī jiān de jùlí shì sānbǎi gōnglǐ.

The distance between these two cities is three hundred kilometers.

上次见面已经过去半年了。

Jù shàng cì jiànmiàn yǐjīng guòqù bàn nián le.

It has been half a year since the last meeting.

据估计,地球最近的恒星是太阳。

Jù gūjì, jù dìqiú zuì jìn de héngxīng shì tàiyáng.

According to estimates, the closest star to Earth is the sun.

由于离太远,我们决定乘坐飞机去。

Yóuyú jùlí tài yuǎn, wǒmen juédìng chéngzuò fēijī qù.

Because the distance is too far, we decided to go by plane.

历史事件今越久,细节就越模糊。

Lìshǐ shìjiàn jù jīn yuè jiǔ, xìjié jiù yuè móhu.

The longer ago a historical event is, the more blurry the details become.

在测量两颗行星之间的离时,天文学家使用了先进的技术。

Zài cèliáng liǎng kē hángxīng zhī jiān de jùlí shí, tiānwénxuéjiā shǐyòngle xiānjìn de jìshù.

When measuring the distance between two planets, astronomers used advanced technology.