离开
to leave; to depart from
líkāi
What does 离开 mean?
离开 (líkāi) means 'to leave' or 'to depart from' — to physically move away from a place, person, or situation. It is a separable verb-complement: 离 ('separate / be apart from') + 开 ('apart / away'). The key thing for English speakers is that 离开 almost always takes a direct object: 离开北京 (leave Beijing), 离开家 (leave home), 离开公司 (leave the company / quit). Unlike English 'I left,' Chinese expects you to name what you left — bare 我走了 (wǒ zǒu le, 'I'm off') is the casual replacement when no destination matters.
离开 also carries a slight weight or finality: leaving a job, a relationship, or a city long-term. For 'step out for a moment,' use 出去 (chūqù) instead. The opposite is 回来 (huílai, come back) or 留下
Character breakdown
to be apart from; separate
open; apart; away
Memory hook: 离 = separate, 开 = away — put them together and you 'separate away,' which is leaving.
Example sentences
他昨天离开了北京。
Tā zuótiān líkāi le Běijīng.
He left Beijing yesterday.
neutral
我不想离开你。
Wǒ bù xiǎng líkāi nǐ.
I don't want to leave you.
spoken
请不要离开教室。
Qǐng bú yào líkāi jiàoshì.
Please don't leave the classroom.
polite
她离开了公司，去了一家新公司。
Tā líkāi le gōngsī, qù le yì jiā xīn gōngsī.
She left the company and went to a new one.
neutral
Common phrases with 离开
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Synonyms
Don't confuse 离开 with
分开 means 'separate / split apart' — two people or things parting from each other (couples 分开 means 'break up'). 离开 is one party leaving a place or another party.
离婚 specifically means 'divorce' (the 离 here is the same character, but the compound is fixed). 离开 is general leaving; do not use 离开 to mean divorce.
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