Chinese Conversation · Level 58
90 words
Chinese word
分离
Pronunciation
Pinyinfēn lí
Meaning
- verbseparate
Example
油和水很容易分离。yóu hé shuǐ hěn róng yì fēn lí
Oil and water separate easily.
More examples
孩子长大后，会逐渐与父母在情感上分离。hái zi zhǎng dà hòu huì zhú jiàn yǔ fù mǔ zài qíng gǎn shàng fēn lí
As children grow up, they gradually separate emotionally from their parents.
Core concept
The focus is on a change from one joined or mixed whole to distinct parts that can exist independently.
Common phrases
分离出来fēn lí chū lái
separate out
分离过程fēn lí guò chéng
separation process
Similar words
分开fēn kāi: Put people or things that are together apart from one another.
离开lí kāi: Go away from a place or from the people there.
分手fēn shǒu: Bring a romantic relationship with a partner to an end.
Definition in Chinese
把相连或混合的部分使其互相分开，成为各部分单独存在的动作或结果。bǎ xiāng lián huò hùn hé de bù fèn shǐ qí hù xiāng fēn kāi chéng wéi gè bù fèn dān dú cún zài de dòng zuò huò jié guǒ
Word origin
分离 (fēnlí, "separate") is formed from 分 (fēn, "divide") + 离 (lí, "leave"), so its components suggest dividing something and leaving it apart.
Usage tips
- The verb can describe either something causing parts to separate or parts becoming separate, with the surrounding subject and object showing which reading applies.