Question 1

What does 从 mean in Chinese?

Accepted Answer

从 (cóng) is the preposition 'from' — used to mark the starting point of a movement, time, or action. The basic pattern is 从 + STARTING POINT + (VERB PHRASE): 我从北京来 ('I come from Beijing'), 从星期一开始 ('starting from Monday'), 从早到晚 ('from morning to night'). Two grammar points English speakers must internalize. First, 从 is almost always paired with another word that names the endpoint or direction: 从…到… ('from…to…'), 从…开始 ('starting from…'), 从…出发 ('depart from…'). Second, 从 always comes BEFORE the verb, never after: 我从中国来, never 我来从中国. The companion word 离 (lí) handles distance ('far from'), and 自 (zì) is the formal/literary equivalent of 从 (来自 'come from,' 自从 'ever since'). 从 also appears in the fixed expression 从来 ('ever / always') paired with 不/没 to mean 'never': 我从来不喝咖啡 ('I never drink coffee'). The character originally pictured one person following another — the 'follow / from' meaning came from that source-and-trail image.

Question 2

How do you pronounce 从?

Accepted Answer

从 is pronounced cóng — 从 (cóng).

Question 3

Is 从 a noun, verb, or something else?

Accepted Answer

从 is a preposition, register: neutral.

Question 4

What's the difference between 从 and 离?

Accepted Answer

离 means 'distance from' — used with 远 ('far') and 近 ('close'): 我家离学校很近 ('my house is close to school'). 从 marks the starting point of motion. 离 measures gaps; 从 starts journeys.

Question 5

What's the difference between 从 and 在?

Accepted Answer

在 means 'at / in / on' — locates something in a place. 从 marks movement FROM a place. 我在北京 ('I'm in Beijing') vs 我从北京来 ('I come from Beijing'). Different meaning entirely.

从

What does 从 mean?

Character breakdown

Example sentences

Common phrases with 从

Synonyms

Don't confuse 从 with

FAQ

Hear 从 in real Chinese, not in a flashcard.