[Learn basic Chinese with grammar] How to use 從…到… and 離 for distance and direction

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Distance and direction in Chinese

In Chinese, 從…到… ♬ is used for “from...to...,” while 離 ♬ is used to talk about distance from a place.

Expression	Basic meaning	Main use
從…到… ♬	from...to...	route, movement, or range
離 ♬	away from; from	distance from a place or point

1. 從…到…: from one place to another

Use 從 ♬ before the starting point and 到 ♬ before the ending point.

Pattern	Meaning
從 ♬ + Place A + 到 + Place B	from Place A to Place B

Chinese	English
從車站到碼頭很近。 ♬	It is close from the station to the pier.
從博物館到河邊要十五分鐘。 ♬	It takes fifteen minutes from the museum to the riverside.

從…到… clearly shows the starting point and the ending point.

2. 從…到… with movement verbs

You can also use 從…到… ♬ with a movement verb to describe a route.

Pattern	Meaning
Subject + 從 + Place A + Verb + 到 + Place B	Subject moves from Place A to Place B

Chinese	English
遊客從廣場走到寺廟。 ♬	The tourists walk from the square to the temple.
小巴從港口開到山區。 ♬	The minibus goes from the harbor to the mountain area.

In this pattern, 到 often works with the verb to show the destination reached.

3. 從…到… for time or range

從…到… ♬ is not only for places. It can also show a time range or other range.

Chinese	English
課程從九點到十一點。 ♬	The course is from nine to eleven.
展期從六月到八月。 ♬	The exhibition period is from June to August.

The basic idea is still the same: a starting point and an ending point.

4. 離: distance from a place

Use 離 ♬ when you want to say how far one place is from another place.

Pattern	Meaning
Place A + 離 + Place B + Distance / adjective	Place A is a certain distance from Place B

Chinese	English
旅館離捷運站很遠。 ♬	The hotel is far from the MRT station.
市場離公車站兩百公尺。 ♬	The market is 200 meters from the bus stop.

離 does not mean movement by itself. It describes distance.

5. 從…到… vs. 離

Use 從…到… when you describe a route, movement, or range. Use 離 when you describe distance from a point.

Chinese	English	Focus
從車站到碼頭很近。 ♬	It is close from the station to the pier.	start and end points
碼頭離車站很近。 ♬	The pier is close to the station.	distance from one place

Both sentences can talk about distance, but they organize the information differently.

Useful words and example sentences