Comparing "li" and "cong"

Both 离 (lí) and 从 (cóng) can be translated into English as “from”. In Chinese however, their meanings are different. 从 is used in cases where the subject's position relative to a fixed location changes. 离 expresses a “static” distance, or a distance that is unchanging. Both can be used in defining distance or time, however 从 has more meanings than 离.

从

From (time)

Structure

从 + Time + 开始/起/以来…

Examples

• 从 明天 开始，我 不 抽烟 了。 Cóng míngtiān kāishǐ, wǒ bù chōuyān le. Starting tomorrow, I will not smoke.
• 从 有 了 女朋友 以后，他 不 泡妞 了。 Cóng yǒu le nǚ péngyou yǐhòu, tā bù pàoniū le. After he gets a girlfriend, he won’t hit on women.

From (place)

Structure

从 + Place + 到/向…

Examples

• 他 从 地上 拿 起来了 一百 块。 Tā cóng dìshàng ná qǐláile yībǎi kuài. He picked up one hundred RMB from the ground.

From (amount)

Examples

• 从 学生 到 老师 都 放假 了。 Cóng xuéshēng dào lǎoshī dōu fàngjiàle. Everyone, from the students to the teachers, are on holiday.

From (change)

Examples

• 他 从 最 差 的 学生 变成 了 最 认真 的 学生。 Tā cóng zuì chà de xuéshēng biànchéng le zuì rènzhēn de xuéshēng. He went from being the worst student to the best student.

离

From (distance)

Examples

• 我 的 学校 离 你家 很远。 Wǒ de xuéxiào lí nǐ jiā hěn yuǎn. My school is far from your house.

From (time)

Examples

• 第一次 世界 大战 离第二次 世界 大战 不到 50年。 Dì yī cì shìjiè dàzhàn lí dì èr cì shìjiè dàzhàn bù dào 50 nián. World War I and World War II are less than 50 years apart.

Sources and further reading

Books

现代汉语虚词俐释 (pp. 335)

实用对外汉语教学语法 (pp. 263)

HSK3