从...开始
Reach for this to anchor where something begins — a date, an event, a chapter, a person. 'Starting from 2010,' 'starting from today,' 'starting from the introduction.' It's the everyday way to mark the starting point of a process, habit, story, or change. Combine it with a verb describing what unfolds from there, or use it standalone as a fronted time phrase before the main clause.
Structure
从 [STARTING POINT] 开始
cóng... kāishǐ
How to Think About It
从 plants the start; 开始 confirms 'this is where the action begins.' The slot takes a noun — usually a time, date, event, or position. Native speakers use this pair as a single chunk; dropping 开始 leaves 从 hanging, while dropping 从 makes 开始 sound like a verb command ('begin') rather than a time marker. The 从...开始 frame is what tells the listener 'I'm setting the clock now, here.'
Examples
从二零一零年开始, 他在中国生活。
Cóng èr líng yī líng nián kāishǐ, tā zài Zhōngguó shēnghuó.
Starting from 2010, he has been living in China.
从下个月开始, 房租要涨。
Cóng xià gè yuè kāishǐ, fángzū yào zhǎng.
Starting next month, the rent will go up.
从这一页开始, 故事变得很有意思。
Cóng zhè yí yè kāishǐ, gùshì biàn de hěn yǒu yìsi.
Starting from this page, the story gets interesting.
Common Mistake
Learners place 开始 right next to the verb instead of after the time phrase ('从明天我开始跑步'). The natural order is 从 + time + 开始 as a unit, then the main clause. Splitting them feels broken to native ears.
从明天我开始跑步。
从明天开始, 我跑步。
Don't Confuse With
从...起
Same meaning, more formal/written — 'as of...' 从今天起 appears in announcements and contracts; 从今天开始 is everyday speech.
自从...以来
'Ever since...' — emphasizes the long stretch of consequences from a past point. Use 自从...以来 in essays and emotional contexts; use 从...开始 for neutral, factual starts.
从...到...
Adds an endpoint — 'from X to Y' as a full range. Use 从...开始 when only the start matters, 从...到... when both endpoints matter.
Practice
___ 明天开始, 我每天看书。
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从
从下周 ___ , 我们换办公室。
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开始
Put in order: [开始 / 从 / 不吃糖 / 今天 / 我]
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从今天开始, 我不吃糖。
Translate to Chinese: 'Starting from next year, prices will be cheaper.'
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从明年开始, 价格会便宜。
Write one sentence using 从...开始 to mark a new habit or change.
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Example answer: 从下个学期开始, 我要学日语。 (Starting next semester, I'll study Japanese.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode: