Expressing "always" with "conglai"

Although perhaps more often used in the negative to mean "never," 从来 (cónglái) can be used with 都 (dōu) to mean "always" or "have always (done)."

Structure

Without the negative adverbs 不 and 没, 从来 takes on the meaning of "always." (Literally, 从来 means something like "from the beginning," although no one is really thinking that phrase when they use it.) When used in the positive, though, it is customary to put the adverb 都 after 从来.

Subj. + 从来 + 都 + Predicate

Examples

• 他 从来 都 这样 。Tā cónglái dōu zhèyàng.He's always like this.
• 她 从来 都 这么 晚 睡 。Tā cónglái dōu zhème wǎn shuì.She's always gone to bed so late.
• 他 说话 从来 都 很 大声 。Tā shuōhuà cónglái dōu hěn dàshēng.He's always spoken very loudly.
• 这个 国家 的 女孩 从来 都 很早 结婚 。Zhège guójiā de nǚhái cónglái dōu hěn zǎo jiéhūn.Girls in this country always get married at a very young age.
• 我们 下棋 ，从来 都 是 他 赢 。Wǒmen xiàqí, cónglái dōu shì tā yíng.He's always won when we play chess.
• 我 从来 都 一个人 住 ，已经 习惯 了 。Wǒ cónglái dōu yīgèrén zhù, yǐjīng xíguàn le.I've always lived alone; I'm used to it already.
• 她 买 衣服 从来 都 只 买 名牌 。Tā mǎi yīfu cónglái dōu zhǐ mǎi míngpái.She's always bought brand-name ones when she buys clothes.
• 我们 学校 的 学生 从来 都 只 能 穿 校服 。Students in our school can only.
• 成功 从来 都 要 靠 自己 努力 。Chénggōng cónglái dōu yào kào zìjǐ nǔlì.Success always depends on working hard by oneself.

See Also

• "Never" with "conglai"
• "Always" as a complaint with "laoshi"
• "Always" with "zongshi"

Sources and further reading

Books

• 现代汉语八百词(p.132) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (p. 59) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4) (p. 121) →buy

Websites

• Yale Chinese Usage Dictionary: Usage of 从来