从来

cóng lái

always

HSK 4

漢字分解

Usage of 从来

'从来' is used to emphasize that something has always been the case up to the present moment, often in negative sentences to express 'never' or 'not ever'. It is commonly paired with negation words like '' or '' to indicate something has never happened or never occurs.

Common Collocations

  • 从来 + verb: to express 'have never done something'.
  • 从来 + verb: to express 'never do something'.

Nuances

Using '从来' stresses the entire time span from the past until now, making it stronger than just '一直' or '总是'. It is often used in formal or written contexts but also appears in spoken language for emphasis.

Avoiding Confusion

Do not confuse '从来' with '一直' which means 'always' in a continuous sense. '从来' often appears with negation to mean 'never', while '一直' usually indicates continuous action or state.

Summary

Use '从来' to highlight that something has always or never been true up to now, especially in negative statements. It helps convey strong emphasis on the entire past experience or history.

例文

我从来没去过那个地方。

Wǒ cóng lái méi qù guò nà ge dìfāng.

I have never been to that place before.

他从来不迟到。

Tā cóng lái bù chídào.

He never arrives late.

这件事我从来没听说过。

Zhè jiàn shì wǒ cóng lái méi tīng shuō guò.

I have never heard of this matter before.