离 vs 从 (gap from vs starting point)
Distance apart, or journey start?
- Both involve a starting point — but answer different questions.
- away from离 = "(distance / gap) from" — how far apart two things are.
- from从 = "from (a starting point)" — where motion or time begins.
away from离 = distance / gap from
- school学校away from离我家很近 = "the school is close to my home."
school学校from离my我home家very很close近。
- school学校away from离我家很近 = "the school is near my home."
Practice
The school is near my home: 学校 ____ 我家很近。
离 = distance from: 学校离我家很近.
from从 = starting point of motion / time
- 从家to / arrive到school学校 (from home to school); from morning till night从早到晚 (from morning to night).
I我from从Beijing北京come来。
- I / me我from从Beijing, capital of the…北京to come来 = "I come from Beijing."
Explore
Which word completes the sentence?
离 measures the gap between two points; 从 starts a journey.
Practice
Which marks the DISTANCE / gap between two things?
离 = how far apart; 从 = the starting point of motion / time.
Practice
从早到晚 uses 从 for a starting point in time.
Yes — 从 marks where motion / time begins: 从早到晚.
Recap
Key idea
- away from离 = distance / gap from (how far): school学校离家很近
- from从 = starting point of motion / time: from从Beijing, capital of the…北京to come来, from morning till night从早到晚
- away from离 measures a gap; from从 marks an origin
Read the full reference: HSK 4 grammar — Comparing similar prepositions.