从来

• Pinyin: cóng lái
• Hanzi breakdown: 从 = simplified from 從, two 人 (person) following; 来 = simplified from 來, meaning to come

Meaning

Always; never (with negation); all along. An adverb emphasising that something has been the case from the beginning up to now.

Almost always used with negation (从来不 or 从来没) to mean 'never.' Without negation, it means 'always' or 'all along' but this usage is less common in modern speech. Emphasises the consistency of a state or action over time.

Examples

1. 他从来不迟到，每天都准时上班。 He is never late and goes to work on time every day.
2. 我从来没去过那个地方。 I have never been to that place.
3. 她从来都是一个人解决问题的。 She has always solved problems on her own.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, emphasis

Tone: emphatic

Do Say

• 我从来没吃过这么好吃的菜。(I have never eaten such delicious food.)
• 他从来不说别人的坏话。(He never speaks ill of others.)

Don't Say

• 我从来去北京 (从来 needs negation in most cases — say 我从来没去过北京 for 'I have never been to Beijing'; without negation, use 一直 instead)

Origin & History

Compound of 从 (from, since) and 来 (come), literally 'from [the past] until coming [to now],' indicating a span from past to present.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal