Expressing "from… to…" with "cong… dao…"

从...到... (cóng...dào...) is used in the same way as "from ... to ..." as in English, and it can be used both for times and places.

Used for time

To express from one time to another, the following structure is used:

Structure

Subj. + 从 + Time 1 + 到 + Time 2

The "time" here does not necessarily have to be a standard time word; it can also be an event or action, as we would say, in English, something like "from getting on the plane until arriving in China, I felt nervous."

Examples

• 从 一号 到 五号, 一直 在 下雨。Cóng yī hào dào wǔ hào, yīzhí zài xiàyǔ.From the first to the fifth, it's been raining all the time.
• 老板 从这 个 星期二 到 下 周 五 都 要 出差。Lǎobǎn cóng zhè ge xīngqīèr dào xià zhōuwǔ dōu yào chūchāi.From this Thuesday until next Monday the boss will be on a business trip.
• 我 从 2004 年 到 2008年 一直 都 在 上海 工作。Wǒ cóng èr-líng-líng-sì nián dào èr-líng-líng-bā nián yīzhí dōu zài Shànghǎi gōngzuò.From 2004 to 2008, I have always worked in Shanghai.
• 她 从 出生 到 现在 都 没 见 过 她 的 妈妈。Tā cóng chūshēng dào xiànzài dōu méi jiànguò tā de māmā.From birth till now, she never saw her mom.
• 你 不能 从 早 到 晚 一直 看 电视。Nǐ bùnéng cóng zǎo dào wǎn yīzhí kàn diànshì.You can't watch television from morning till evening.

This is the easiest way to talk about doing something from one time through to another. Remember that there are two options for the word order of time words, so the 从 ... 到 ... (cóng...dào...) phrase can go before or after the subject.

Used for place

The 从...到... (cóng...dào...) structure can also be used to express from one place to another, and is used

Structure

Subj. + 从 + Place 1 + 到 + Place 2

Examples

• 请问，从 超市 到 银行 怎么 走？Qǐngwèn, cóng chāoshì dào yínháng zěnme zǒu?May I ask, how do I get from the supermarket to the bank?
• 从 地铁 站 到 学校，有 很 多 饭 店。Cóng dìtiě zhàn dào xuéxiào, yǒu hěnduō fàndiàn.There are many restaurants from the metro station to the school.
• 从 酒吧 到 宾馆 有 多 远？Cóng jiǔbā dào bīnguǎn yǒu duō yuǎn?How far is the bar from the hotel?
• 从 我 家 到 机场 不太 远。Cóng wǒjiā dào jīchǎng bù tài yuǎn.From my home to the airport is not too far.
• 从 这里 到 洗手间 怎么 走？Cóng zhèlǐ dào xǐshǒujiān zěnme zǒu?How do I get from here to the toilet?
• 从 上海 到 东京 只 要 几 个 小时。Cóng Shànghǎi dào Dōngjīng zhǐyào jǐ gè xiǎoshí.From Shanghai to Tokyo only takes a few hours.
• 从 成都 到 西藏，需要 三 天。Cóng Chéngdū dào Xīzàng, xūyào sān tiān.It takes three days to go from Chengdu to Tibet.
• 从 我 家 到 地铁站 有 很 多 学校。Cóng wǒjiā dào dìtiě zhàn yǒu hěnduō xuéxiào.From my home to the metro station there are lots of schools.
• 从 这儿 到 火车站 需要 多久？Cóng zhè'er dào huǒchē zhàn xūyào duōjiǔ?How long does it take to get from here to the train station?
• 从 这里 到 公园，你 会 看到 很 多 美女。Cóng zhèlǐ dào gōngyuán, nǐ huì kàn dào hěnduō měinǚ.From here to the park, you can see many beautiful girls.

See also

• "(Ever) Since" with "(zi)cong"
• To go to a place

Sources and further reading

Books

• Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 84-5) →buy
• Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 112-3) →buy
• Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 1 (博雅汉语初经起步篇) (p. 89) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 237-8) →buy