Difference between revisions of "Comparing "li" and "cong""

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*<em>从</em> 明天 开始 ,我 不 抽烟 了 。<span class="pinyin"> <em>Cóng</em> míngtiān kāishǐ, wǒ bù chōuyān le.</span><span class="trans"> Starting tomorrow, I will not smoke.</span>
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*<em>从</em> 明天 <strong>开始</strong> ,我 不 抽烟 了 。<span class="pinyin"> <em>Cóng</em> míngtiān <strong>kāishǐ</strong>, wǒ bù chōuyān le.</span><span class="trans"> Starting tomorrow, I will not smoke.</span>
*<em>从</em> 下个月 起 ,你 别 来 上班 了 。<span class="trans">Don't bother to come to work from next month.</span>
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*<em>从</em> 下个月 <strong></strong> ,你 别 来 上班 了 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Cóng</em> xià gè yuè <strong>qǐ</strong>, nǐ bié lái shàngbān le.</span><span class="trans">Don't bother to come to work from next month.</span>
  
 
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Revision as of 02:36, 6 March 2018

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 as "from" (time)

Structure

从 + Time + 开始 / 起

Examples

  • 明天 开始 ,我 不 抽烟 了 。 Cóng míngtiān kāishǐ, wǒ bù chōuyān le. Starting tomorrow, I will not smoke.
  • 下个月 ,你 别 来 上班 了 。Cóng xià gè yuè , nǐ bié lái shàngbān le.Don't bother to come to work from next month.

从 as "from" (place, somebody or something)

Structure

从 + Place + 上 / 里

  • 你 是不是 我 包里 拿 了 一百块钱 ?Nǐ shì bù shì cóng wǒ bāo lǐ ná le yī bǎi kuài qián?Did you take one hundred RMB from my purse or not?
  • 他 身上 学到 了 很多 东西 。cóng tā shēnshang xuédào le hěn duō dōngxi.I learned a lot from him.
  • 这 件 事 可以 看出 你 的 工作 态度 。Cóng zhè jiàn shì kěyǐ kànchū nǐ de gōngzuò tàidu.We can tell your work attitude from this.

从 as "from" (amount)

从小到大、从早到晚、从

Used in Abstract Concepts

Examples

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

离 as "from" (distance)

Structure

Place 1 + 离 + Place 2 + 远 / 近

Examples

  • 我 家 学校 很远Wǒ jiā xuéxiào hěn yuǎn.My home is far from my school.
  • 我 家 学校 很远Wǒ jiā xuéxiào hěn yuǎn.My home is far from my school.

离 as "from" (time)

Structure

离 + Event + [Time Duration]

Examples

  • 第一次 世界 大战 第二次 世界 大战 不到 50年 。 Dì-yī cì shìjiè dàzhàn 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

HSK4