When you 疏远 (shūyuǎn) someone, it means you create distance between yourselves. You might stop talking to them as much, or stop spending time together. It's like drifting apart from a friend or a family member. They become estranged from you, or you from them. So, if you say "我疏远了他" (wǒ shūyuǎn le tā), it means "I alienated him" or "I became estranged from him."
§ Where you actually hear this word — work, school, news
Alright, let's get practical. You're learning Chinese to use it, right? So where does 疏远 pop up in real conversations? This isn't some ancient poetry word; it's something you'll hear in everyday life, especially when people are talking about relationships, whether at work, school, or even in the news. It's a useful word because it describes a common human experience.
Think about it: people drift apart. Friends lose touch, colleagues have disagreements, families have conflicts. 疏远 is the go-to word for this. It can describe a gradual process or a more sudden break. It's a verb, so it describes an action or a state of becoming.
§ At Work
In a professional setting, people often talk about colleagues becoming estranged or alienated due to various reasons like competition, misunderstandings, or changes in roles. It's a way to describe deteriorating professional relationships.
由于工作上的分歧，他和一些同事疏远了。
- Translation hint
- Due to disagreements at work, he became estranged from some colleagues.
办公室政治让他感到被疏远。
- Translation hint
- Office politics made him feel alienated.
§ At School
School life is full of friendships and social dynamics. When friends argue, or someone feels left out, 疏远 is the word you'll hear. It's a common topic in discussions about social relationships among students.
她觉得同学们都开始疏远她了。
- Translation hint
- She felt that her classmates were starting to alienate her.
多年的友谊因为误会而疏远了。
- Translation hint
- Years of friendship became estranged due to misunderstandings.
§ In the News and Social Commentary
When you read Chinese news or social commentary, you'll often see 疏远 used to describe broader social issues. It can refer to groups of people becoming separated, or individuals feeling detached from society or certain communities.
- Political factions becoming estranged.
- Generations growing apart.
- People feeling alienated from traditional values.
媒体报道说，科技产品正在让人们彼此疏远。
- Translation hint
- Media reports say that technological products are alienating people from each other.
一些年轻人感到被社会疏远。
- Translation hint
- Some young people feel alienated from society.
As you can see, 疏远 isn't just a word; it's a concept that helps you understand human relationships and social dynamics in Chinese. Knowing how to use it will make your Chinese sound much more natural and precise.
§ What 疏远 (shūyuǎn) means
- Definition
- To alienate; to become estranged.
Alright, let's talk about 疏远 (shūyuǎn). This verb is used when people or groups become less close, more distant, or even hostile towards each other. Think of it as drifting apart or having a falling out. It can describe a gradual process or a more sudden break in a relationship. It's not about physically moving away, but about an emotional or relational distance.
§ How to use 疏远 (shūyuǎn)
You'll often see 疏远 used to describe relationships between friends, family members, or even countries. It can be used to say someone alienated someone else, or that two parties became estranged.
他们因为误会而疏远了。
Translation hint: They became estranged because of a misunderstanding.
他的行为疏远了朋友。
Translation hint: His behavior alienated his friends.
§ Similar words and when to use 疏远 vs alternatives
Let's look at some words that might seem similar but have different nuances. Understanding these differences will help you use 疏远 correctly.
- 疏远 (shūyuǎn): This is about emotional or relational distancing. It's often used when a close bond becomes weak or breaks. The focus is on the alienation of feelings or connection.
他们渐渐疏远了。
Translation hint: They gradually grew apart.
- 分离 (fēnlí): This means to separate or to part. It's more general and can refer to physical separation as well as emotional. While people can separate emotionally, 分离 doesn't carry the same strong connotation of alienation or estrangement as 疏远. It can be neutral or even positive (e.g., separating components of a machine).
这对夫妇决定分离。
Translation hint: The couple decided to separate.
- 远离 (yuǎnlí): This means to be far away from or to keep away from. This word strongly implies physical distance or actively avoiding something/someone. While someone might 疏远 you and you then 远离 them, the core meaning of 远离 is about physical or active avoidance, not the emotional process of becoming estranged.
请远离危险。
Translation hint: Please stay away from danger.
So, when do you use 疏远? Use it when you want to emphasize the breakdown of a close relationship, the growing distance in feelings, or the act of alienating someone. It's about emotional disconnection. If you're talking about simply being physically apart or general separation, other words like 分离 or 远离 might be more appropriate. 疏远 specifically captures that sense of a bond weakening or breaking due to emotional distance.
자주 혼동되는 단어
This word is very close in meaning to '疏远' and often used interchangeably in modern Chinese to describe a sense of alienation or detachment. However, '疏远' often implies a more active process of becoming estranged from someone, while '疏离' can also describe a general feeling of detachment from society or one's surroundings.
This idiom means to respect someone but keep a respectful distance. While it involves '远' (far) and keeping distance, it's about a conscious choice to avoid getting too close to someone, often out of respect or a desire to avoid trouble, rather than an emotional estrangement that implies a previous closeness.
This term means to isolate or to separate, often physically or for safety reasons (e.g., quarantine). While it involves separation, it is typically a deliberate physical act of keeping apart, not primarily about emotional or social estrangement in relationships like '疏远'.
혼동하기 쉬운
Many students confuse '疏远' with '远离' (yuǎnlí) because both involve distance. However, '疏远' specifically refers to emotional or social distance, not physical distance.
'疏远' (shūyuǎn) means to alienate someone or to become estranged, focusing on relationships. '远离' (yuǎnlí) means to stay away from something or someone physically.
他开始疏远他的老朋友。 (Tā kāishǐ shūyuǎn tā de lǎo péngyǒu.) He started to alienate his old friends.
'陌生' is sometimes confused with '疏远' because both can describe a lack of familiarity. However, '陌生' is about being unfamiliar, while '疏远' is about a relationship becoming distant.
'陌生' (mòshēng) means strange, unfamiliar, or a stranger. It describes a state of not knowing someone or something. '疏远' (shūyuǎn) describes the *process* or *result* of a relationship becoming less close.
我对这个城市感到很陌生。 (Wǒ duì zhè ge chéngshì gǎndào hěn mòshēng.) I feel very unfamiliar with this city.
'冷淡' and '疏远' can both describe a lack of warmth in a relationship. The confusion arises because '冷淡' can be a symptom or a cause of '疏远'.
'冷淡' (lěngdàn) means indifferent, cold, or lukewarm in attitude or manner. It describes a feeling or behavior. '疏远' (shūyuǎn) describes the *state* of a relationship becoming distant or the *act* of causing that distance.
他对我的提议表现得很冷淡。 (Tā duì wǒ de tíyì biǎoxiàn de hěn lěngdàn.) He showed indifference to my proposal.
'隔阂' refers to a barrier or estrangement, which sounds similar to '疏远'. The distinction lies in '隔阂' being a barrier, while '疏远' is the action or state of being distant.
'隔阂' (géhé) means a barrier, estrangement, or rift, often due to misunderstanding. It's a noun describing something that separates people. '疏远' (shūyuǎn) is a verb meaning to alienate or become estranged, or an adjective describing a distant relationship.
他们之间存在着很深的隔阂。 (Tāmen zhī jiān cúnzài zhe hěn shēn de géhé.) There is a deep estrangement between them.
This is a common confusion because both imply distance. The key difference is the type of distance: '疏远' is emotional/social, '远离' is physical.
'远离' (yuǎnlí) means to be far from, to keep away from, or to leave a place. It's about physical separation. '疏远' (shūyuǎn) means to alienate or become estranged in a relationship, focusing on emotional or social distance.
我们应该远离那些危险的地方。 (Wǒmen yīnggāi yuǎnlí nà xiē wēixiǎn de dìfang.) We should stay away from those dangerous places.
셀프 테스트 18 질문
Write a short sentence about someone feeling distant from a friend using '疏远'.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
他觉得和朋友疏远了。(He feels estranged from his friend.)
Write a sentence about a change in a relationship where two people become alienated using '疏远'.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
他们俩慢慢疏远了。(The two of them slowly became estranged.)
Describe a situation where someone intentionally keeps a distance from another person using '疏远'.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
她故意疏远了他。(She intentionally alienated him.)
根据短文，小明和他的朋友之间发生了什么？
Read this passage:
小明最近常常一个人吃饭。以前，他总是和他的好朋友一起。现在，他们很少说话。小明觉得他们之间好像有点不一样了。
根据短文，小明和他的朋友之间发生了什么？
短文描述了小明和朋友的关系变得不亲近，这正是“疏远”的意思。
短文描述了小明和朋友的关系变得不亲近，这正是“疏远”的意思。
作者和家人的关系怎么样了？
Read this passage:
工作很忙，我没有时间给家人打电话。慢慢地，我觉得我和家人有点不那么亲密了。
作者和家人的关系怎么样了？
因为工作忙，作者没有时间联系家人，导致关系不那么亲密，即疏远了。
因为工作忙，作者没有时间联系家人，导致关系不那么亲密，即疏远了。
丽丽和她的同学现在的关系是：
Read this passage:
丽丽和她的同学以前是好朋友。但是最近，丽丽觉得她的同学不理她了。她们现在很少一起玩。
丽丽和她的同学现在的关系是：
同学不理丽丽，很少一起玩，这说明她们的关系正在疏远。
同学不理丽丽，很少一起玩，这说明她们的关系正在疏远。
Imagine you had a disagreement with a good friend. Write two sentences describing how you would feel if that disagreement caused you to become estranged from them.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
如果我和好朋友因为争吵而疏远，我会很难过。我希望我们能和好。(If my good friend and I became estranged because of an argument, I would be very sad. I hope we can make up.)
You are writing a short diary entry. Describe a situation where someone might feel '疏远' (alienated) from their family because they moved to a new city. Write two sentences.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
搬到新城市后，我感觉和家人有点疏远了。我应该多给他们打电话。(After moving to a new city, I feel a bit alienated from my family. I should call them more often.)
Think about a time when you might have felt left out or distanced from a group. Write one sentence using '疏远' to describe that feeling.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
有时候，我会感觉自己和大家疏远了。(Sometimes, I feel alienated from everyone.)
小明为什么不开心？
Read this passage:
小明最近常常一个人吃饭。他和他的朋友们玩得越来越少了。他觉得他和大家疏远了。他有点不开心。
小明为什么不开心？
文章中说“他觉得他和大家疏远了。他有点不开心。” (The passage says 'He feels estranged from everyone. He is a little unhappy.')
文章中说“他觉得他和大家疏远了。他有点不开心。” (The passage says 'He feels estranged from everyone. He is a little unhappy.')
莉莉为什么感觉和父母疏远了？
Read this passage:
因为工作很忙，莉莉很少回家。慢慢地，她感觉自己和父母疏远了。她决定周末多回家看看。
莉莉为什么感觉和父母疏远了？
文章中说“因为工作很忙，莉莉很少回家。慢慢地，她感觉自己和父母疏远了。” (The passage says 'Because she is very busy with work, Lily rarely goes home. Gradually, she feels estranged from her parents.')
文章中说“因为工作很忙，莉莉很少回家。慢慢地，她感觉自己和父母疏远了。” (The passage says 'Because she is very busy with work, Lily rarely goes home. Gradually, she feels estranged from her parents.')
文章建议吵架后如果想和好，应该怎么做？
Read this passage:
两个人吵架后，常常会疏远。如果想和好，需要多沟通。
文章建议吵架后如果想和好，应该怎么做？
文章中说“如果想和好，需要多沟通。” (The passage says 'If you want to make up, you need to communicate more.')
文章中说“如果想和好，需要多沟通。” (The passage says 'If you want to make up, you need to communicate more.')
This sentence means 'He alienated himself from his friends.' The correct order puts the subject, then the verb, then the object. The '了' indicates a completed action.
This sentence means 'They became estranged just because of a small matter.' The structure starts with the subject, then '就' (meaning 'just' or 'then'), then the reason, followed by the verb.
This sentence means 'I don't want to alienate my family.' The structure is subject + '不想' (don't want to) + '和' (with) + object + verb.
/ 18 correct
Perfect score!
