離

Away from (Distance)

Level 3Sounds Like lei4

Use 離 (lei4) to describe how far apart two places or two points in time are. It is static, meaning it describes a gap rather than movement.

How It Works

離 (lei4) functions as a 'coverb' (a preposition-like verb) in Cantonese. It is essential for measuring the separation between two entities.

1. Spatial Distance
When describing physical distance, 離 (lei4) is often followed by an adjective like 好遠 (hou2 jyun5, very far) or 好近 (hou2 gan6, very near). If you are giving a specific numerical distance, you must usually include the verb 有 (jau5) before the number.
Example: 我屋企離地鐵站好近 (My home is near the MTR station).

2. Temporal Distance
離 (lei4) is also used to count down to a future event. It describes the 'gap' between now and that event.
Example: 離過年仲有兩個禮拜 (It is still two weeks away from the New Year).

3. Static vs. Dynamic
It is crucial to distinguish 離 (lei4) from 由 (jau4). 離 (lei4) describes a static gap (A is X distance from B). 由 (jau4) describes a starting point for movement (I went from A to B).

4. Spoken Alternative
In very casual speech, Cantonese speakers sometimes use 去 (heoi3) instead of 離 (lei4) when asking about distance, e.g., '呢度去嗰度有幾遠？' (From here to there, how far?). However, 離 (lei4) remains the standard and most precise way to express this concept.

Examples (4)

  1. 我屋企離地鐵站好近。

    My home is very close to the MTR station.

    Word by Word: I home away-from MTR station very near.

    Here, 離 (lei4) links the two locations (home and station) to describe the distance between them.

  2. 呢度離尖沙咀有幾遠呀？

    How far is it from here to Tsim Sha Tsui?

    Word by Word: This place away-from Tsim Sha Tsui have how far [particle]?

    When asking for a specific distance, we use 有 (jau5) + 幾多 (gei2 do1) or 幾遠 (gei2 jyun5).

  3. 離開車時間仲有十分鐘。

    There are still ten minutes until the departure time.

    Word by Word: Away-from depart-vehicle time still have ten minutes.

    This demonstrates the temporal use of 離 (lei4), measuring the time remaining until an event.

  4. 呢度離火車站有三公里。

    It is 3km from here to the train station.

    Word by Word: This place away-from train station have three kilometers.

    Note the use of 有 (jau5) before the specific measurement 'three kilometers'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using English word order (putting the adjective before the reference point).

    我屋企好遠離公司。
    我屋企離公司好遠。

    In Cantonese, the pattern must be [Point A] + 離 + [Point B] + [Distance]. You cannot put the distance/adjective before the second point.

  • Using 離 (lei4) to mean 'from' as an origin of movement.

    我離美國嚟。
    我係美國嚟嘅。

    離 (lei4) only measures distance. To say you come 'from' a place, use 係 (hai6) ... 嚟嘅 or 由 (jau4) ... 嚟.

  • Using the single character 離 to mean 'to leave'.

    我聽日離香港。
    我聽日離開香港。

    In Cantonese, the verb 'to leave' is the compound 離開 (lei4 hoi1). The single character 離 (lei4) is only used as a coverb for distance.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

離Level 3Away from (Distance)

Learn This First

To use '離' (away from) to describe distance, you need to understand how to structure a sentence comparing two locations and how to use degree markers with adjectives to describe the resulting distance (e.g., 'very far' or 'quite near').

Words in This Pattern

离