离开

lí kāi

HSK 2.0 Level 3 HSK 3.0 Level 3 Verb Very common

Definitions

1. to depart; to leave

Stop forgetting what you study.
Build recall daily.

Try HanyuGuide's Chinese review system with multiple choice, typed recall, tone-aware practice, and reviews scheduled before memory fades.

Get Yearly · $49.99 / year

Continue with Email

By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Lifetime for $119.99 Try a practice session

Word relationships

Antonyms

1 item

留下

liú xià

to leave behind

离开 means to leave, 留下 means to stay behind

Related words

2 items

出发

chū fā

to set off

离开 is leaving a place; 出发 is setting out on a journey

告别

gào bié

to leave; to part from

告别 means to say goodbye, often before leaving

Usage notes

Collocations

Common structure: 离开 + place, e.g., 离开家 (leave home), 离开北京 (leave Beijing). Can also be used without object: 他离开了 (He left).

Common mistakes

Don't confuse 离开 (to depart from a place) with 走 (to walk/go); 离开 always requires leaving a location behind.

Grammar

Guides that feature 离开

Jump into a full guide with fill-in-the-blank drills. Clicking will load the page and move you to the top.

1 guide

HSK 2.0 Level 3+ HSK 3.0 Level 3+ 6 min

离不开, 完不成, 分不开 for Splitting 离开, 完成, 分开

离开, 完成 and 分开 are verb + result words that can open up for 得 or 不 to say whether something can or cannot happen.

Reading: lí kāi Open guide

Example Sentences

5 shown

他离开了房间。

He left the room.

他早已离开了。

He left a long time ago.

他狠心离开了家人。

He resolutely left his family.

他被迫离开了家乡。

He was forced to leave his hometown.

我舍不得离开这儿。

I can't bear to leave this place.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Words Containing 离开

to die

to leave one's homeland

Child Words of 离开

离

chī

mythical beast (archaic)

to open

to leave

离开