always; ever; (with negative) never
HSK level
从来 is written with 11 strokes (从: 4, 来: 7). The animation replays automatically.
从来 (cónglái) is an adverb meaning 'always / all along up to now,' and by far most often 'never' when paired with a negative.
It combines 从 ('from') and 来 ('come'), literally 'from the past coming up to now,' expressing that something has been true across all time up to the present. Its most important use is 从来不 / 从来没(有) — 'never (in the past or as a rule).'
Two differences from English: 从来 must be followed by a negative to mean 'never' — 从来不吃 ('never eats'), 从来没去过 ('has never been') — you cannot use 从来 alone for 'never'; and it emphasizes a habitual, ongoing truth spanning one's whole experience, stronger than 从不 in feel. 从来不 marks a standing habit; 从来没有 negates any past occurrence.
Character by character
Memory hook: 'From' (从) the past 'coming' (来) to now — always, all along; with 不/没 it flips to 'never all along.'
他从来不迟到。
Tā cónglái bù chídào.
He is never late.
neutral
我从来没有去过日本。
Wǒ cónglái méiyǒu qùguò Rìběn.
I have never been to Japan.
neutral
这件事她从来没提过。
Zhè jiàn shì tā cónglái méi tíguò.
She has never mentioned this matter.
spoken
我们的规矩从来都是这样。
Wǒmen de guīju cónglái dōu shì zhèyàng.
Our rules have always been like this.
written
从不 is a tighter form meaning 'never (do),' used only with habitual negation and always followed directly by a verb. 从来 is more flexible, taking both 不 and 没有, and can also mean 'always' in affirmative 从来都是。
向来 means 'always / consistently up to now' and is usually affirmative (向来如此). 从来 leans toward negative 'never' constructions in everyday use.
Acquire it by listening
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