Chinese word

起

Pronunciation

Pinyinqǐ

Meaning

  • particlefrom

Example

从今天起，你要多注意休息。cóng jīn tiān qǐ nǐ yào duō zhù yì xiū xī

From today on, you need to pay more attention to getting enough rest.

Illustration for 起 (from)

More examples

从现在起，我们每天学半小时。cóng xiàn zài qǐ wǒ men měi tiān xué bàn xiǎo shí

From now on, we study for half an hour every day.

Core concept

Movement rises from a fixed point, whether a person stands up or an action begins.

Common phrases

  • 从现在起cóng xiàn zài qǐ

    from now on

  • 从昨天起cóng zuó tiān qǐ

    since yesterday

Similar words

从cóng: Introduces a time or place that serves as the starting point for an action, state, or change.
自从zì cóng: Introduces a time or event from which a state or series of events continues.
自zì: Introduces a starting point from which movement or change begins, often in formal wording.

Definition in Chinese

用作介词时，置于表示时间或地点的词之后，指示从该时间或地点开始的动作、状态或变化的起点。yòng zuò jiè cí shí zhì yú biǎo shì shí jiān huò dì diǎn de cí zhī hòu zhǐ shì cóng gāi shí jiān huò dì diǎn kāi shǐ de dòng zuò zhuàng tài huò biàn huà de qí diǎn

Word origin

起 (qǐ, "to rise") uses 走 (zǒu, "to move") for its meaning and 己 (jǐ, "self") for its sound, and its early rising sense later extended to mark where an action or period begins.

Usage tips

  • English usually puts from before a starting time or place, while Chinese can put this particle after the time or place.

Other meanings

  • get upverb
  • stand upverb

Related words

Word lists with this word