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若即若離

简若即若离 · 繁若即若離

Mandarin · pinyin ruò jí ruò lí

lit. seeming neither close nor distant (idiom)
fig. to keep one's distance
(of a relationship) lukewarm
vague

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Characters in this entry

若: ruò · if, supposing, assuming; similar
即: jí · promptly, quickly, immediately
離: Look up this written character
离: lí · rare beast; strange; elegant

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

4–2–4–2 · ruo4 ji2 ruo4 li2

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

若即若離 · find source passages ↗ · 若即若离 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

joek6 zik1 joek6 lei4

Cantonese word readings for 若即若離. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(idiomatic) to be neither familiar nor distant; to maintain a lukewarm relationship
(idiomatic) to be unclear; to be vague

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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