For autodidact students of Mandarin, the preposition 从 (cóng) — "from / since / through" — is the primary word for expressing origin, starting point in time, and trajectory through space. It introduces a wide range of constructions: from where (从北京来, come from Beijing), from when (从小, since childhood), through what means (从这条路走, go through this road), and in compound forms expressing never (从不, 从来不) and always (从来都是).
Like all Chinese prepositions, 从 precedes its noun phrase and the resulting prepositional phrase comes BEFORE the main verb: 我从北京来 (I from Beijing come = I come from Beijing). This pre-verbal placement — already established in Lessons 26–27 — applies consistently to all Chinese prepositions.
Key Takeaways: - 从 + place = from [place]: 从北京 (from Beijing), 从家里 (from home) - 从 + time = from/since [time]: 从小 (since childhood), 从那时起 (from that time on) - 从…到… (cóng…dào…): from…to… — expressing range in time or space - 从来 (cónglái): always/ever — in 从来不 (never) and 从来都是 (always has been) - 从来没 (cónglái méi): have never — past negation with 从来
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
从 is a compound character: two 人 (rén, person) side by side, one slightly behind the other — an ancient pictograph of one person following another. This visual origin — following, hence coming from, proceeding — gives the character its meanings of origin and trajectory. The character 从 in simplified Chinese reduces the two-person structure to a more compressed form; in traditional Chinese it is written 從, retaining more of the original.
从 appears in important compound words: 从此 (cóngcǐ, from this point on / henceforth), 从来 (cónglái, always/ever — in temporal scope), 从事 (cóngshì, to engage in / to work in), 从容 (cóngróng, calm and unhurried — literally "proceeding calmly"). These compounds extend the core meaning of ordered, originating movement into abstract domains.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
29.1a 我 I 从 from 上海 Shanghai 来 come
29.1b (wǒ) I (cóng) from (Shànghǎi) Shanghai (lái) come
29.2a 她 she 从小 since-childhood 就 then 喜欢 liked 画画 drawing
29.2b (tā) she (cóng xiǎo) since-childhood (jiù) then (xǐhuan) liked (huà huà) drawing
29.3a 从 from 这里 here 到 to 车站 station 要 takes 走 walk 二十 twenty 分钟 minutes
29.3b (cóng) from (zhèlǐ) here (dào) to (chēzhàn) station (yào) takes (zǒu) walk (èrshí) twenty (fēnzhōng) minutes
29.4a 他 he 从来 ever 不 not 迟到 late-arrive
29.4b (tā) he (cónglái) ever (bù) not (chídào) late-arrive [= He never arrives late]
29.5a 我 I 从 from 没 not-PAST 见过 seen-EXP 这么 this-so 大 big 的 DE 湖 lake
29.5b (wǒ) I (cóng) from (méi) not-PAST (jiànguò) seen-EXP (zhème) this-so (dà) big (de) DE (hú) lake
29.6a 从 from 那 that 以后 onwards ， , 他们 they 再也 never-again 没 not-PAST 见面 met
29.6b (cóng) from (nà) that (yǐhòu) onwards (tāmen) they (zài yě) never-again (méi) not-PAST (jiànmiàn) met
29.7a 这 this 条 CL 河 river 从 from 北 north 流 flows 向 toward 南 south
29.7b (zhè) this (tiáo) CL (hé) river (cóng) from (běi) north (liú) flows (xiàng) toward (nán) south
29.8a 从 from 哪 which 条 CL 路 road 走 go 比较 relatively 近 near ？
29.8b (cóng) from/which (nǎ) which (tiáo) CL (lù) road (zǒu) go (bǐjiào) relatively (jìn) near?
29.9a 他 he 从 from 小到大 small-to-big [childhood to adulthood] 都 all 住 lived 在 in 这个 this-CL 城市 city
29.9b (tā) he (cóng xiǎo dào dà) childhood-to-adulthood (dōu) all (zhù) lived (zài) in (zhège) this-CL (chéngshì) city
29.10a 从 from 她 her 的 DE 眼睛 eyes 里 in ， , 我 I 看到 saw 了 PERF 很多 many 故事 stories
29.10b (cóng) from (tā) her (de) DE (yǎnjīng) eyes (lǐ) in (wǒ) I (kàn dào) saw (le) PERF (hěn duō) many (gùshi) stories
29.11a 这 this 个 CL 习惯 habit 从 from 何 where 而 from 来 come ？
29.11b (zhège) this-CL (xíguàn) habit (cóng) from (hé) where (ér) from (lái) come? [= Where does this habit come from?]
29.12a 从 from 古 ancient-times 到 to 今 now ， , 人们 people 都 all 仰望 gaze-up-at 星空 starry-sky
29.12b (cóng) from (gǔ) ancient-times (dào) to (jīn) now (rénmen) people (dōu) all (yǎngwàng) gaze-up-at (xīngkōng) starry-sky
29.13a 他 he 是 is 从 from 哪 which 里 place 来 come 的 DE ？
29.13b (tā) he (shì) is (cóng) from (nǎ) which (lǐ) place (lái) come (de) DE?
29.14a 她 she 从 from 包 bag 里 inside 拿 took 出来 out 一本 one-CL 书 book
29.14b (tā) she (cóng) from (bāo) bag (lǐ) inside (ná) took (chū lái) out (yī běn) one-CL (shū) book
29.15a 从 from 现在 now 开始 start ， , 好好 properly 珍惜 cherish 每 every 一天 one-day
29.15b (cóng) from (xiànzài) now (kāishǐ) start (hǎohǎo) properly (zhēnxī) cherish (měi) every (yī tiān) one-day
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
29.1 我从上海来。 "I come from Shanghai."
29.2 她从小就喜欢画画。 "She has liked drawing since she was a child."
29.3 从这里到车站要走二十分钟。 "It takes twenty minutes to walk from here to the station."
29.4 他从来不迟到。 "He never arrives late."
29.5 我从没见过这么大的湖。 "I have never seen such a large lake."
29.6 从那以后，他们再也没见面。 "From that point on, they never met again."
29.7 这条河从北流向南。 "This river flows from north to south."
29.8 从哪条路走比较近？ "Which road is shorter to take?"
29.9 他从小到大都住在这个城市。 "He has lived in this city from childhood to adulthood."
29.10 从她的眼睛里，我看到了很多故事。 "From her eyes, I saw many stories."
29.11 这个习惯从何而来？ "Where does this habit come from?"
29.12 从古到今，人们都仰望星空。 "From ancient times to now, people have gazed up at the starry sky."
29.13 他是从哪里来的？ "Where did he come from?"
29.14 她从包里拿出来一本书。 "She took a book out from her bag."
29.15 从现在开始，好好珍惜每一天。 "Starting from now, properly cherish every single day."
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
29.1 我从上海来。 29.2 她从小就喜欢画画。 29.3 从这里到车站要走二十分钟。 29.4 他从来不迟到。 29.5 我从没见过这么大的湖。 29.6 从那以后，他们再也没见面。 29.7 这条河从北流向南。 29.8 从哪条路走比较近？ 29.9 他从小到大都住在这个城市。 29.10 从她的眼睛里，我看到了很多故事。 29.11 这个习惯从何而来？ 29.12 从古到今，人们都仰望星空。 29.13 他是从哪里来的？ 29.14 她从包里拿出来一本书。 29.15 从现在开始，好好珍惜每一天。
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
These are the grammar rules for 从 (cóng) — "from/since":
从 as spatial preposition — "from [place]": 从 introduces the origin of movement. The full structure is 从 + starting point + verb (of movement or direction): 从北京来 (come from Beijing), 从包里拿出来 (take out from the bag), 从哪里来 (come from where). The verb follows 从's phrase.
从 as temporal preposition — "from/since [time]": 从 + time expression marks the starting point of a period or habit: 从小 (since childhood — literally "from small"), 从那以后 (from that point onwards), 从现在开始 (starting from now). Often paired with 就 (jiù) in the same clause: 从小就喜欢 (liked since childhood — the 就 emphasises the early start).
从…到… (cóng…dào…) — "from…to…": This paired structure marks a range in space or time: 从北到南 (from north to south), 从古到今 (from ancient times to now), 从小到大 (from childhood to adulthood), 从这里到那里 (from here to there). It is one of Chinese's most productive paired preposition patterns.
从来 (cónglái) — temporal scope adverb: 从来 means "ever / at any time from the beginning." It always appears in negative or conditional contexts: 从来不 (never — habitual), 从来没 (never — experiential past), 从来都是 (has always been). The positive 从来都 (always) also exists but is less common than the negative pattern.
- 从来不 (cónglái bù): never [habitually] — 他从来不迟到 (He never arrives late) - 从来没 (cónglái méi): have never [past experience] — 我从来没去过 (I have never been) - 从没 (cóng méi): contracted form of 从来没, equally common in speech
从…里/中/上/下 — extracting from a contained space: 从 + container noun + location suffix + verb: 从包里拿 (take from the bag), 从书中学 (learn from books), 从她的眼睛里看到 (see from within her eyes). This structure combines 从 with the location suffixes introduced in Lesson 26.
The 是…来的 (shì…lái de) structure for past origin: 他是从哪里来的 — this is the 是…的 structure used for explaining past events: "where did he come from [at some point in the past]?" The 是 and 的 bracket the important information (从哪里 / 来), marking it as the focus of a completed event.
Common Mistakes: - Placing 从 phrases after the main verb: *我来从上海 — wrong; must be 我从上海来 - Confusing 从 (from — starting point) with 离 (lí, away from — distance): 我的家离学校不远 (My home is not far from school — distance) vs 我从家出发 (I set out from home — starting point) - Using 从来不 where 从来没 is needed: 从来不 for habitual actions; 从来没 for past experiences
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
从小 (cóng xiǎo, since childhood) is one of the most common phrases in Chinese autobiographical speech. Chinese culture places great emphasis on early formation of character, taste, and skill — 从小学钢琴 (studied piano from childhood), 从小就爱读书 (loved reading from childhood). The phrase positions adult identity as something that originates in childhood, confirmed and developed over time rather than chosen later.
从古到今 (from ancient times to now) and 从来如此 (it has always been so) reflect a Chinese historical consciousness that takes time in very long units. Confucian tradition looks backward to the Duke of Zhou and the sage kings; the moral weight of the past legitimises the present. 从 in these phrases is not merely a preposition — it is a claim about continuity across centuries.
从容 (cóngróng, calm and unhurried) is a Confucian virtue: to proceed without haste, to be unhurried in the face of pressure. 从 in this compound carries the sense of moving forward in an orderly way. 从容应对 (respond with calm composure) is a phrase of high praise in Chinese character assessments.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
李白 (Lǐ Bái), 《赠汪伦》— To Wang Lun, c. 753 CE
Li Bai's farewell poem to his friend Wang Lun is one of the most beloved short poems in the Chinese tradition, and its final couplet uses 从 to measure the depth of friendship against the depth of water:
桃花潭水深千尺，不及汪伦送我情。
F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
桃花 (táohuā) peach-blossom 潭 (tán) pool 水 (shuǐ) water 深 (shēn) deep 千 (qiān) thousand 尺 (chǐ) feet ，
不及 (bù jí) not-reach 汪伦 (Wāng Lún) Wang-Lun 送 (sòng) see-off 我 (wǒ) me 情 (qíng) feeling
F-B: Authentic Text with Translation
桃花潭水深千尺，不及汪伦送我情。
"The water of the Peach Blossom Pool is a thousand feet deep — and yet it does not reach the feeling of Wang Lun seeing me off."
F-C: Authentic Text Only
桃花潭水深千尺，不及汪伦送我情。
F-D: Grammar and Vocabulary Notes
Although 从 does not appear explicitly in this couplet, the poem is built on a spatial comparison that from implies — the depth of friendship measured from the surface down, exceeding even a thousand feet of water. The implied 从 is: from the surface to the bottom is a thousand feet; the feeling 从 Wang Lun's heart exceeds this.
不及 (bù jí): "does not reach / is not as great as" — a comparison of inadequacy. 水深不及情深 (the water's depth does not reach the depth of feeling). 及 means "to reach/attain"; 不及 = insufficient to equal.
送 (sòng): "to see off / to escort someone leaving." In Chinese culture, seeing someone off (送行) is a significant social act — you accompany the departing person to their point of departure and remain until they go. Wang Lun accompanied Li Bai to the boat, singing and stamping. The act of 送 is the physical embodiment of the feeling the poem measures.
F-E: Literary Commentary
The poem begins with 从: from the shore down, the pool is a thousand feet deep. This spatial 从 — measuring depth from a starting point — becomes the unit of comparison for something immeasurable. Li Bai's genius is to make friendship measurable in feet, and then immediately declare that the measure fails. 从 invites us to start counting; the poem shows us where counting must stop. The lesson word, used to mark all origins and starting points, here marks the starting point of something that has no end.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
A young man from Guangzhou moves to Harbin — from China's subtropical south to its frigid north — for his first job. 从 appears throughout: marking origin, measuring distance in time and space, appearing in 从小 and 从此 and 从来. The narrative traces his journey through a year.
29.16a 陈伟 Chen-Wei 从小 since-childhood 生活 lived 在 in 广州 Guangzhou ， , 从没 never 见过 seen-EXP 雪 snow
29.16b (Chén Wěi) Chen-Wei (cóng xiǎo) since-childhood (shēnghuó) lived (zài) in (Guǎngzhōu) Guangzhou (cóng méi) never (jiànguò) seen-EXP (xuě) snow
29.17a 二十五岁 twenty-five-years-old 那年 that-year ， , 他 he 从 from 广州 Guangzhou 坐 took 火车 train 去 go 哈尔滨 Harbin 工作 work
29.17b (èrshíwǔ suì) twenty-five-years-old (nà nián) that-year (tā) he (cóng) from (Guǎngzhōu) Guangzhou (zuò) took (huǒchē) train (qù) go (Hā'ěrbīn) Harbin (gōngzuò) work
29.18a 从 from 广州 Guangzhou 到 to 哈尔滨 Harbin ， , 火车 train 要走 takes 将近 nearly 四十 forty 个小时 hours
29.18b (cóng) from (Guǎngzhōu) Guangzhou (dào) to (Hā'ěrbīn) Harbin (huǒchē) train (yào zǒu) takes (jiāngjìn) nearly (sìshí) forty (gè xiǎoshí) hours
29.19a 从 from 车窗 train-window 往外 outward 看 look ， , 风景 scenery 一点一点 little-by-little 地 DE-manner 变 changed
29.19b (cóng) from (chē chuāng) train-window (wǎng wài) outward (kàn) look (fēngjǐng) scenery (yī diǎn yī diǎn) little-by-little (de) DE-manner (biàn) changed
29.20a 从 from 绿树 green-trees 到 to 枯叶 bare-branches ， , 再到 then-to 白雪 white-snow ， , 像 like 翻 flipping 着 PROG 一本 one-CL 书 book
29.20b (cóng) from (lǜ shù) green-trees (dào) to (kū yè) bare-branches (zài dào) then-to (bái xuě) white-snow (xiàng) like (fān) flipping (zhe) PROG (yī běn) one-CL (shū) book
29.21a 到 arrive 了 PERF 哈尔滨 Harbin ， , 他 he 从 from 火车站 train-station 走 walked 出来 out ， , 第一次 first-time 感觉 felt 到 to 零下 below-zero 的 DE 空气 air
29.21b (dào le) arrive-PERF (Hā'ěrbīn) Harbin (tā) he (cóng) from (huǒchēzhàn) train-station (zǒu) walked (chū lái) out (dì yī cì) first-time (gǎnjué dào) felt (língxià) below-zero (de) DE (kōngqì) air
29.22a 从 from 那天 that-day 起 onwards ， , 他 he 开始 began 学 learning 用 use 筷子 chopsticks 吃 eat 冻梨 frozen-pear
29.22b (cóng) from (nà tiān) that-day (qǐ) onwards (tā) he (kāishǐ) began (xué) learning (yòng) use (kuàizi) chopsticks (chī) eat (dòng lí) frozen-pear
29.23a 同事们 colleagues 从 from 四面 four-sides 八方 eight-directions 来 came ， , 他 he 从 from 他们 them 身上 on-them 学到 learned 了 PERF 很多 much
29.23b (tóngshìmen) colleagues (cóng) from (sìmiàn bāfāng) four-sides-eight-directions (lái) came (tā) he (cóng) from (tāmen) them (shēn shàng) on-them (xué dào) learned (le) PERF (hěn duō) much
29.24a 他 he 从来 ever 没 not-PAST 想到 imagined 自己 self 会 would 喜欢 like 上 onto 北方 north 的 DE 冬天 winter
29.24b (tā) he (cónglái) ever (méi) not-PAST (xiǎngdào) imagined (zìjǐ) self (huì) would (xǐhuan) like (shàng) onto (běifāng) north (de) DE (dōngtiān) winter
29.25a 春节 Spring-Festival ， , 他 he 从 from 哈尔滨 Harbin 坐飞机 flew 回 return 广州 Guangzhou
29.25b (chūnjié) Spring-Festival (tā) he (cóng) from (Hā'ěrbīn) Harbin (zuò fēijī) flew (huí) return (Guǎngzhōu) Guangzhou
29.26a 妈妈 mother 从 from 门口 doorway 跑 ran 出来 out ， , 远远地 from-afar-DE 看 see 到 to 了 PERF 他 him
29.26b (māma) mother (cóng) from (ménkǒu) doorway (pǎo) ran (chū lái) out (yuǎn yuǎn de) from-afar-DE (kàn dào le) see-PERF (tā) him
29.27a 她 she 说 said ： : "你 you 从 from 北方 north 带 brought 什么 what 回来 back ？"**
29.27b (tā) she (shuō) said (nǐ) you (cóng) from (běifāng) north (dài) brought (shénme) what (huílái) back?
29.28a 他 he 想了想 thought-a-moment ， , 说 said ： : "从 from 那里 there 带 brought 回来 back 一种 one-kind 不怕冷 not-fear-cold 的 DE 心 heart 。"
29.28b (tā) he (xiǎng le xiǎng) thought-a-moment (shuō) said (cóng) from (nàlǐ) there (dài) brought (huílái) back (yī zhǒng) one-kind (bù pà lěng) not-fear-cold (de) DE (xīn) heart
29.29a 从 from 那次 that-time 经历 experience 以后 after ， , 他 he 明白 understood ： : 人 people 从 from 哪里 where 来 come 不重要 not-important ， , 重要 important 的 DE 是 is 去 go 哪里 where
29.29b (cóng nà cì jīnglì yǐhòu) after-that-experience (tā) he (míngbai) understood (rén) people (cóng) from (nǎlǐ) where (lái) come (bù zhòngyào) not-important (zhòngyào de shì) important-is (qù) go (nǎlǐ) where
29.30a 从 from 广州 Guangzhou 到 to 哈尔滨 Harbin ， , 从 from 南 south 到 to 北 north ， , 他 he 从此 from-then-on 变 became 成 into 另一 another 个 CL 人 person
29.30b (cóng) from (Guǎngzhōu) Guangzhou (dào) to (Hā'ěrbīn) Harbin (cóng) from (nán) south (dào) to (běi) north (tā) he (cóngcǐ) from-then-on (biàn) became (chéng) into (lìng yī) another (gè) CL (rén) person
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
29.16 陈伟从小生活在广州，从没见过雪。 "Chen Wei grew up in Guangzhou and had never seen snow."
29.17 二十五岁那年，他从广州坐火车去哈尔滨工作。 "At twenty-five, he took a train from Guangzhou to Harbin to work."
29.18 从广州到哈尔滨，火车要走将近四十个小时。 "From Guangzhou to Harbin, the train journey takes nearly forty hours."
29.19 从车窗往外看，风景一点一点地变。 "Looking out from the train window, the scenery changed little by little."
29.20 从绿树到枯叶，再到白雪，像翻着一本书。 "From green trees to bare branches, then to white snow — like flipping through a book."
29.21 到了哈尔滨，他从火车站走出来，第一次感觉到零下的空气。 "Arriving in Harbin, he walked out of the station and felt below-zero air for the first time."
29.22 从那天起，他开始学用筷子吃冻梨。 "From that day on, he began learning to eat frozen pears with chopsticks."
29.23 同事们从四面八方来，他从他们身上学到了很多。 "His colleagues came from all directions; he learned a great deal from them."
29.24 他从来没想到自己会喜欢上北方的冬天。 "He had never imagined he would come to love the northern winter."
29.25 春节，他从哈尔滨坐飞机回广州。 "For the Spring Festival, he flew from Harbin back to Guangzhou."
29.26 妈妈从门口跑出来，远远地看到了他。 "His mother came running out from the doorway and spotted him from far away."
29.27 她说："你从北方带什么回来？" "She said: 'What did you bring back from the north?'"
29.28 他想了想，说："从那里带回来一种不怕冷的心。" "He thought for a moment and said: 'A heart that doesn't fear the cold.'"
29.29 从那次经历以后，他明白：人从哪里来不重要，重要的是去哪里。 "After that experience, he understood: where a person comes from is not what matters — what matters is where they are going."
29.30 从广州到哈尔滨，从南到北，他从此变成另一个人。 "From Guangzhou to Harbin, from south to north — from that point on, he became a different person."
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
29.16 陈伟从小生活在广州，从没见过雪。 29.17 二十五岁那年，他从广州坐火车去哈尔滨工作。 29.18 从广州到哈尔滨，火车要走将近四十个小时。 29.19 从车窗往外看，风景一点一点地变。 29.20 从绿树到枯叶，再到白雪，像翻着一本书。 29.21 到了哈尔滨，他从火车站走出来，第一次感觉到零下的空气。 29.22 从那天起，他开始学用筷子吃冻梨。 29.23 同事们从四面八方来，他从他们身上学到了很多。 29.24 他从来没想到自己会喜欢上北方的冬天。 29.25 春节，他从哈尔滨坐飞机回广州。 29.26 妈妈从门口跑出来，远远地看到了他。 29.27 她说："你从北方带什么回来？" 29.28 他想了想，说："从那里带回来一种不怕冷的心。" 29.29 从那次经历以后，他明白：人从哪里来不重要，重要的是去哪里。 29.30 从广州到哈尔滨，从南到北，他从此变成另一个人。
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
从…起 (cóng…qǐ): "from [time] onwards" — 起 (qǐ, rise/start) added after the time expression intensifies the starting-point meaning: 从那天起 (from that day onward), 从明天起 (starting from tomorrow). Compare with 从那以后 (from that point on) — both are correct; 从…起 is slightly more emphatic about the commencement.
喜欢上 (xǐhuan shàng): "come to like / fall for" — 上 as a directional complement after 喜欢, 爱, 迷 indicates the beginning of an attachment: 爱上了她 (fell in love with her), 迷上了咖啡 (became fascinated by coffee), 喜欢上北方的冬天 (came to love the northern winter). The 上 marks not a pre-existing fondness but the moment when the affection took hold.
从四面八方 (cóng sìmiàn bāfāng): "from all directions" — 四面八方 (four sides, eight directions) is a fixed four-character expression meaning "from every direction / from all over." A classic example of the balanced four-character structures (成语-style) that characterise formal and literary Chinese.
一点一点地 (yī diǎn yī diǎn de): "little by little / gradually" — reduplicated measure phrase + 地 (manner marker) = "bit by bit." This reduplication of 一点 (a little) creates an adverbial of gradual progression. Similar patterns: 慢慢地 (slowly), 一步一步地 (step by step).
从此 (cóngcǐ): "from this point on / henceforth" — 从 (from) + 此 (this, classical demonstrative) = a fixed expression marking a decisive temporal turning point. 从此他变成了另一个人 (from then on he became a different person). 从此 often marks narrative climax — the point after which nothing is the same.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
从 (cóng) — IPA: /tsʰʊŋ˧˥/ — Second tone, rising.
- c: aspirated dental affricate [tsʰ] — similar to Mandarin z (Lesson 26) but with a puff of aspiration. The tongue tip touches behind the upper teeth and releases into a sibilant, with audible breath following. English has no direct equivalent; approximate with a very aspirated "ts" as in "cats" said with extra breath. - óng: the vowel [ʊ] is rounded and back, then closes through [ŋ] — the same nasal ending as in 中 (zhōng), 红 (hóng). The vowel is slightly lower and more central than English "oo." - Tone 2: starts at mid pitch and rises steadily to high — like the English rising intonation of a surprised "hm?"
Distinguish 从 from similar-sounding syllables: - 从 cóng (2nd tone) = from - 丛 cóng (2nd tone) = cluster/thicket — different character, same pronunciation - 聪 cōng (1st tone) = intelligent — same consonant and vowel, different tone - 冲 chōng (1st tone) = rush/rinse — different initial consonant (ch vs c)
In rapid speech: 从来 (cónglái) — the 从 maintains its second tone; 来 is first tone. The combination is rising-then-level, a natural and easy tonal pair.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
---