How to Ask 'Is It Far from Here?' in Mandarin Chinese
Learn to ask about distance in Mandarin Chinese using 远 (yuǎn) and 近 (jìn), and understand time estimates like '10 minutes on foot'. Includes pinyin, tone marks, and a practical dialogue.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
Asking whether a place is far is one of the most practical questions in Mandarin Chinese. The core word is 远 (yuǎn), meaning 'far'. To ask 'Is it far from here?', you say 离这儿远吗？(lí zhèr yuǎn ma?). The pattern 离 (lí) means 'from', 这儿 (zhèr) means 'here', and 吗 (ma) turns the sentence into a yes/no question. In this lesson, you will learn this question, its opposite 近 (jìn, 'near'), and how to understand time estimates such as 走路十分钟 (zǒulù shí fēnzhōng, 'ten minutes on foot'). You will also practice asking for clarification if the answer is too fast. All examples use simplified Chinese and pinyin with tone marks.
By the end, you can…
- ask 'Is it far from here?' in Mandarin Chinese.
- understand and give simple time estimates for walking or taking a taxi.
- ask someone to repeat a distance or time answer more slowly.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
离这儿远吗？
Is it far from here?
lí zhèr yuǎn ma?
The most direct way to ask about distance from your current location. Use 这儿 (zhèr) for 'here' in northern China; 这里 (zhèlǐ) is also correct and slightly more formal.
不远，很近。
Not far, it's very near.
bù yuǎn, hěn jìn.
A common answer. 不远 (bù yuǎn) means 'not far'; 很近 (hěn jìn) means 'very near'. Use 很 (hěn) before 近 to make it natural.
走路十分钟。
Ten minutes on foot.
zǒulù shí fēnzhōng.
A typical time estimate. 走路 (zǒulù) means 'to walk'; 十分钟 (shí fēnzhōng) means 'ten minutes'. You can replace 十 (shí) with other numbers.
坐出租车五分钟。
Five minutes by taxi.
zuò chūzūchē wǔ fēnzhōng.
Use 坐 (zuò) before a vehicle to say 'by' that vehicle. 出租车 (chūzūchē) means 'taxi'. In some regions, people say 打的 (dǎ dī) for 'take a taxi'.
请说慢一点。
Please speak a little more slowly.
qǐng shuō màn yīdiǎn.
A polite request when you cannot catch the time or distance. 请 (qǐng) means 'please'; 慢一点 (màn yīdiǎn) means 'a little slower'.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern 离 + place + 远吗？ (lí + place + yuǎn ma?) asks whether a place is far from another place. For example: 离这儿远吗？ (lí zhèr yuǎn ma? 'Is it far from here?'), 离火车站远吗？ (lí huǒchēzhàn yuǎn ma? 'Is it far from the train station?'), and 离学校远吗？ (lí xuéxiào yuǎn ma? 'Is it far from the school?'). To answer, you can say 不远 (bù yuǎn, 'not far') or 很远 (hěn yuǎn, 'very far'). To ask about nearness, replace 远 with 近: 离这儿近吗？ (lí zhèr jìn ma? 'Is it near here?'). Note that Chinese does not use a separate word for 'is' in this pattern; 离...远吗？ is complete.
When to use it
Use 离这儿远吗？ when you are at a current location and want to know the distance to another place. It is common when asking for directions, deciding whether to walk, or checking if you need a taxi. For example, if you are at a hotel and want to go to a museum, ask: 博物馆离这儿远吗？ (bówùguǎn lí zhèr yuǎn ma? 'Is the museum far from here?'). If the answer includes a time estimate like 走路十分钟 (zǒulù shí fēnzhōng, 'ten minutes on foot'), you can confirm by repeating: 走路十分钟，是吗？ (zǒulù shí fēnzhōng, shì ma? 'Ten minutes on foot, right?'). This pattern works in both casual and polite situations; adding 请问 (qǐngwèn, 'excuse me, may I ask') at the start makes it more polite.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
请问，地铁站离这儿远吗？
Excuse me, is the subway station far from here?qǐngwèn, dìtiězhàn lí zhèr yuǎn ma?不远，走路十分钟。
Not far, ten minutes on foot.bù yuǎn, zǒulù shí fēnzhōng.走路十分钟，是吗？
Ten minutes on foot, right?zǒulù shí fēnzhōng, shì ma?对，一直往前走。
Yes, go straight ahead.duì, yīzhí wǎng qián zǒu.A little context goes a long way
In mainland China, 这儿 (zhèr) is common in northern speech, while 这里 (zhèlǐ) is more standard in the south and in writing. Both are correct. When asking strangers for directions, starting with 请问 (qǐngwèn, 'excuse me, may I ask') is polite and expected. Time estimates are often given in minutes rather than kilometers, and walking times are usually realistic for short distances. If you do not understand, 请说慢一点 (qǐng shuō màn yīdiǎn) is a polite way to ask for slower speech.
One thing to watch for
Saying 这儿远吗？ (zhèr yuǎn ma?) to mean 'Is it far from here?'
Try this instead: This omits 离 (lí, 'from') and can sound incomplete or mean 'Is here far?'. The correct pattern is 离这儿远吗？ (lí zhèr yuǎn ma?). Always include 离 before the reference place when asking about distance from it.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask 'Is the train station far from here?' in Mandarin Chinese?
Show a sample answer
火车站离这儿远吗？ (huǒchēzhàn lí zhèr yuǎn ma?)
This uses the pattern 离 + place + 远吗？. 火车站 (huǒchēzhàn) means 'train station'. You could also say 离这儿远吗，火车站？ but the first version is more natural.
2What does 走路十分钟 (zǒulù shí fēnzhōng) mean?
Show a sample answer
Ten minutes on foot.
走路 (zǒulù) means 'to walk'; 十分钟 (shí fēnzhōng) means 'ten minutes'. If the number changes, the meaning changes accordingly, e.g., 走路五分钟 (wǔ fēnzhōng) means 'five minutes on foot'.
3How would you politely ask someone to speak more slowly if you don't understand their time estimate?
Show a sample answer
请说慢一点。 (qǐng shuō màn yīdiǎn.)
This is a polite request. 请 (qǐng) means 'please'; 说 (shuō) means 'speak'; 慢一点 (màn yīdiǎn) means 'a little slower'. You could also say 请再说一遍 (qǐng zài shuō yī biàn, 'please say it again').
To ask 'Is it far from here?' in Mandarin Chinese, use 离这儿远吗？ (lí zhèr yuǎn ma?). Listen for time estimates like 走路十分钟 (zǒulù shí fēnzhōng) and don't forget 请问 (qǐngwèn) for politeness.
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