远
far; distant
yuǎn
What does 远 mean?
远 (yuǎn) is the Chinese adjective for 'far' — both literal physical distance and figurative distance (relationships, time, abstraction). Like all Chinese adjectives, it doesn't need 'is/are' before it: 学校很远 ('the school is far'), with 很 added because Chinese adjectives generally take a degree adverb in plain statements. To ask 'how far?' use 多远: 你家离这儿多远？ ('How far is your home from here?'
). To express distance between two points, use the pattern A 离 B 远/近 — '离' (lí) marks the reference point: 我家离学校很远 ('My home is far from school'). Common compounds include 远方 (yuǎnfāng, 'a faraway place') and the proverb 远亲不如近邻 ('a distant relative is not as good as a close neighbor')
Character breakdown
far; distant (the 辶 walking radical hints at distance covered on foot)
Memory hook: The 辶 ('walking') radical on the left tells you 远 is about distance — far enough that you have to walk a long way.
Example sentences
我家离学校很远。
Wǒ jiā lí xuéxiào hěn yuǎn.
My home is very far from the school.
neutral
你家离这儿远不远？
Nǐ jiā lí zhèr yuǎn bu yuǎn?
Is your home far from here?
spoken
去机场的路太远了。
Qù jīchǎng de lù tài yuǎn le.
The road to the airport is too far.
neutral
他来自一个很远的地方。
Tā láizì yí ge hěn yuǎn de dìfang.
He comes from a very faraway place.
neutral
Common phrases with 远
Synonyms
遥远 is more literary/poetic — 'remote / distant.' Use it for 'distant lands,' 'a remote past.' For everyday distance, just say 远.
Don't confuse 远 with
FAQ
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