Chinese idiom · 成语
一箭之遥
Meaning
An arrow’s distance; very close range.
Character by character
Origin and story
literary usageThe image measures a short distance by a bowshot rather than by a fixed number of paces. A related form appears in chapter 90 of Water Margin: the other leaders have ridden a bowshot ahead, then rein in to wait while Song Jiang speaks with Guan Zhong. The text uses 'a bowshot's distance,' with di rather than yao. The familiar variant conveys the same practical picture of people still close enough to remain part of the same scene. Modern speakers use it for nearby homes, buildings, or destinations; it is an approximate comparison, not a standardized historical unit.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
新开的图书馆离我家只有一箭之遥，走路就能到。
The new library is just a short distance from my home; I can walk there.
A somewhat literary way to say two places are nearby; avoid treating it as an exact measurement.