Chinese word

从没

Pronunciation

Pinyincóng méi

Meaning

  • adverbnever

Example

我从没去过日本。wǒ cóng méi qù guò rì běn

I have never been to Japan.

Illustration for 从没 (never)

More examples

我从没后悔过这个决定。wǒ cóng méi hòu huǐ guò zhè ge jué dìng

I have never regretted this decision.

Core concept

It marks a blank record stretching from earlier time up to the present.

Common phrases

  • 从没去过cóng méi qù guò

    have never been to

  • 从没见过cóng méi jiàn guò

    have never seen

Similar words

从未cóng wèi: States in a formal style that an action has not happened at any time before now.
从来没有cóng lái méi yǒu: States casually that an action has not happened at any time before now.
未曾wèi céng: States in a somewhat literary style that an action was never experienced in the past.

Definition in Chinese

表示在以往的经历中次数为零，强调至今未曾发生某事，常用于口语。biǎo shì zài yí wǎng de jīng lì zhōng cì shù wèi líng qiáng diào zhì jīn wèi céng fā shēng mǒu shì cháng yòng yú kóu yǔ

Word origin

从没 (cóngméi, "never") is a spoken shortening of 从来没有 (cónglái méiyǒu, "ever since + not have"), joining a look back through earlier time with the absence of an event.

Usage tips

  • Its usual position before the verb lets listeners know from the start that the whole action is being viewed across earlier experience.

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word