The character 离 — “be distant”: how to write it and what it means

离
lí

be distant; leave

10 strokes · HSK 2 · word page

The Chinese character 离 is read lí and means “be distant; leave”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.

Stroke order: how to write 离

离 has 10 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.

To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 离, with strokes to trace and empty squares.

Words with 离

Frequently asked questions

How do you write the character 离?

离 has 10 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.

What does 离 mean?

离 means “be distant; leave”. It appears in 离开 (“leave”), 距离 (“distance”), 远离 (“keep away from”), 离婚 (“divorce”).

How do you pronounce 离?

离 is read lí. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.

How many strokes does 离 have?

10 strokes.

← 近 near左 left →

More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.

Write 离 yourself

In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.

Start for free