多远 How Far Is It in Chinese

星期天xīngqītiān，哥哥gēge想xiǎng骑qí自行车zìxíngchē去qù公园gōngyuán，我wǒ也yě想xiǎng去qù。

On Sunday, older brother wanted to ride his bike to the park, and I wanted to go too.

我wǒ问wèn他tā：“公园gōngyuán离lí我们wǒmen家jiā远yuǎn不bù远yuǎn？”

I asked him: "Is the park far or not far from our house?"

哥哥gēge说shuō：“不bù远yuǎn，可是kěshì我wǒ也yě不bù知道zhīdào有yǒu多duō远yuǎn。”

Older brother said: "Not far, but I don't know exactly how far either."

我们wǒmen问wèn了le爸爸bàba，爸爸bàba说shuō：“公园gōngyuán离lí这儿zhèr不bù远yuǎn，骑qí自行车zìxíngchē十shí分钟fēnzhōng就jiù到dào了le。”

We asked dad, and he said: "The park isn't far from here — ten minutes by bike and you're there."

我们wǒmen很hěn高兴gāoxìng，马上mǎshàng骑qí自行车zìxíngchē出门chūmén了le。

We were happy, and right away got on our bikes and went out.

骑qí了le十shí分钟fēnzhōng，我们wǒmen真的zhēnde到dào了le公园gōngyuán，哥哥gēge笑xiào着zhe说shuō：“你nǐ看kàn，一点yìdiǎn也yě不bù远yuǎn！”

After ten minutes of riding, we really did reach the park, and older brother laughed and said: "See, it's not far at all!"

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

远yuǎnfar

离lí(distance) from

多duōhow (much/far)

骑qíto ride

自行车zìxíngchēbicycle

出门chūménto go out

A 离 B + 远/近（measuring distance between places）

离 states the distance from one place to another.

公园离我们家远不远？— Is the park far or not far from our house?

有多远？(asking exactly how far)

有多远 asks for the precise distance, once you already know it's 'far' in some sense.

我也不知道有多远。— I don't know exactly how far it is either.

远不远？(yes/no question about distance)

Repeating 远 with 不 in between makes an A-not-A question asking simply whether something is far.

公园离我们家远不远？— Is the park far from our house or not?

1. What is the writer asking her brother?

2. Who explains that the bike ride only takes ten minutes?

3. What does older brother say when they arrive at the park?