HSK · Level 51
105 words
Chinese word
从来
Pronunciation
Pinyincóng lái
Meaning
- adverbalways
Example
她从来不迟到。tā cóng lái bù chí dào
She has always been on time.
More examples
他从来没有说过谎。tā cóng lái méi yǒu shuō guò huǎng
He has never told a lie.
Core concept
The whole period from the past to the present is viewed together, marking either a continuing pattern or the absence of an event.
Common phrases
从来没有说过cóng lái méi yǒu shuō guò
have never said
从来不担心cóng lái bù dān xīn
have never worried
Similar words
从来没有cóng lái méi yǒu: Means that someone has not done something even once up to now.
从不cóng bù: Describes a regular pattern of never doing something.
一直yì zhí: Describes an action or state that carries on continuously without stopping.
Definition in Chinese
从来为副词，基本含义为'自过去到现在'，可在肯定句表示长期持续，也可与否定词连用表示从未发生，两种用法皆常见。cóng lái wèi fù cí jī běn hán yì wèi zì guò qù dào xiàn zài kě zài kěn dìng jù biǎo shì cháng qī chí xù yě kě yǔ fǒu dìng cí lián yòng biǎo shì cóng wèi fā shēng liáng zhǒng yòng fǎ jiē cháng jiàn
Word origin
The compound 从来 (cónglái, "from the past to now") joins 从 (cóng, "from") with 来 (lái, "come"), turning movement from a starting point into a span reaching the present.
Usage tips
- 从来 (cónglái, "from the past to now") can modify adjectives as well as verbs, so it describes enduring states as well as repeated actions.
Other meanings
- neveradverb
Opposites
- 常常cháng chángregularlyadverb