从此

• Pinyin: cóng cǐ
• Hanzi breakdown: 从 = simplified form of 從, depicting one person following another; 此 = 止 (stop) + 匕 (person)

Meaning

From then on; since then; henceforth. An adverb marking a turning point after which things changed.

Used to indicate that something changed permanently from a specific point in time. Often appears in narratives to mark a significant shift. Common in storytelling, personal accounts, and historical descriptions. More literary than 从那以后.

Examples

1. 他去了北京上大学，从此就很少回老家了。 He went to Beijing for university and rarely went back to his hometown from then on.
2. 那次失败让她学到了很多，从此变得更加努力。 That failure taught her a lot, and she became even more hardworking from then on.
3. 两个人因为误会吵了一架，从此再也没有联系过。 The two had a fight over a misunderstanding and never contacted each other again after that.

Usage Guide

Context: narrative, everyday, writing

Tone: reflective

Do Say

• 从此以后，他每天都坚持跑步。(From then on, he ran every day without fail.)
• 她从此爱上了音乐。(From that point on, she fell in love with music.)

Don't Say

• 用从此来描述还没有发生的事情 (Don't use 从此 for things that haven't happened yet — it marks a past turning point; use 从现在起 for future resolutions)

Origin & History

从 (from) + 此 (this) — literally 'from this point,' indicating a temporal marker after which a new state begins.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal