Difference between revisions of "Expressing "from… to…" with "cong… dao…""

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* <em>从</em> 一号 <em>到</em> 五号,我 北京。<span class="pinyin"><em>Cóng</em> yī hào <em>dào</em> wǔ hào, wǒ zài Běijīng.</span><span class="trans">From the first to the fifth, I am in Beijing.</span>
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* <em>从</em> 一号 <em>到</em> 五号, 一直 下雨。<span class="pinyin"><em>Cóng</em> yī hào <em>dào</em> wǔ hào, huì yīzhí xiàyǔ.</span><span class="trans">From the first to the fifth, it rains all the time.</span>
* 他 <em>从</em> 七点 <em>到</em> 十点 都 在 上网。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>cóng</em> qī diǎn <em>dào</em> shí diǎn dōu zài shàngwǎng.</span><span class="trans">He is online from 7 o'clock to 10 o'clock.</span>
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*老板 <em>从</em>这 个 星期二 <em>到</em> 下 周 出差。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>cóng</em> zhè ge xīngqīèr <em>dào</em> xià zhōuwǔ lǎobǎn dōu yào chūchāi.</span><span class="trans">From this Thuesday until next Monday the boss will be on a business trip.</span>
* 我们 <em>从</em> 早 <em>到</em> 晚 都 在 喝 啤酒。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <em>cóng</em> zǎo <em>dào</em> wǎn dōu zài hē píjiǔ.</span><span class="trans">We drink beer from morning until night.</span>
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*<em>从</em> 2004 年 <em>到</em> 2008年 一直 都 在 上海 工作。<span class="pinyin"><em>cóng</em> èr-líng-líng-sì nián <em>dào</em> èr-líng-líng-bā nián yīzhí dōu zài Shànghǎi gōngzuò.</span><span class="trans">From 2004 to 2008, I have always worked in Shanghai.</span>
*<em>从</em> 去年 <em>到</em> 现在,我 一直 没 有 女朋友。<span class="pinyin"><em>Cóng</em> qùnián <em>dào</em> xiànzài, wǒ yīzhí méiyǒu nǚpéngyou.</span><span class="trans">From last year to now, I haven't had a girlfriend.</span>
 
*<em>从</em> 现在 <em>到</em> 明天 早上,你 不 能 出去。<span class="pinyin"><em>Cóng</em> xiànzài <em>dào</em> míngtiān zǎoshang, nǐ bùnéng chūqù.</span><span class="trans">From now to tomorrow morning, you are not allowed to go out.</span>
 
*我 <em>从</em> 明天 <em>到</em> 下 周 在 北京 出差。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>cóng</em> míngtiān <em>dào</em> xià zhōuyī dōu zài Běijīng chūchāi.</span><span class="trans">From tomorrow until next Monday I will be in Beijing on a business trip.</span>
 
*<em>从</em> 2004 年 <em>到</em> 2008年,我 一直 都 在 上海。<span class="pinyin"><em>Cóng</em> èr-líng-líng-sì nián <em>dào</em> èr-líng-líng-bā nián, wǒ yīzhí dōu zài Shànghǎi.</span><span class="trans">From 2004 to 2008, I have always lived in Shanghai.</span>
 
 
*她 <em>从</em> 出生 <em>到</em> 现在 都 没 见 过 她 的 妈妈。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>cóng</em> chūshēng <em>dào</em> xiànzài dōu méi jiànguò tā de māmā.</span><span class="trans">From birth till now, she never saw her mom.</span>
 
*她 <em>从</em> 出生 <em>到</em> 现在 都 没 见 过 她 的 妈妈。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>cóng</em> chūshēng <em>dào</em> xiànzài dōu méi jiànguò tā de māmā.</span><span class="trans">From birth till now, she never saw her mom.</span>
*你 不 要 <em>从</em> 早 <em>到</em> 晚 看 电视。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ bùyào <em>cóng</em> zǎo <em>dào</em> wǎn dōu kàn diànshì.</span><span class="trans">You don't want to watch television from morning till evening.</span>
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*你 不 要 <em>从</em> 早 <em>到</em> 晚 一直 看 电视。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ bùyào <em>cóng</em> zǎo <em>dào</em> wǎn dōu kàn diànshì.</span><span class="trans">You don't want to watch television from morning till evening.</span>
*<em>从</em> 那个时候 <em>到</em> 现在,我 一直 在 这 个 公司 工作。<span class="pinyin"><em>Cóng</em> nàge shíhou <em>dào</em> xiànzài, wǒ yīzhí zài zhè ge gōngsī gōngzuò.</span><span class="trans">From that time till now, I've always worked at this company.</span>
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Revision as of 03:26, 13 October 2015

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

  • 一号 五号, 一直 在 下雨。Cóng yī hào dào wǔ hào, huì yīzhí xiàyǔ.From the first to the fifth, it rains all the time.
  • 老板 这 个 星期二 下 周 五 都 要 出差。cóng zhè ge xīngqīèr dào xià zhōuwǔ lǎobǎn dōu yào chūchāi.From this Thuesday until next Monday the boss will be on a business trip.
  • 2004 年 2008年 一直 都 在 上海 工作。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.
  • 出生 现在 都 没 见 过 她 的 妈妈。cóng chūshēng dào xiànzài dōu méi jiànguò tā de māmā.From birth till now, she never saw her mom.
  • 你 不 要 晚 一直 看 电视。Nǐ bùyào cóng zǎo dào wǎn dōu kàn diànshì.You don't want to 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

Subject + 从 + Place 1 + 到 + Place 2

Examples

  • 请问, 超市 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?
  • 地铁 站 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.
  • 酒吧 宾馆 有 多 远?Cóng jiǔbā dào bīnguǎn yǒu duō yuǎn?How far is the bar from the hotel?
  • 我 家 机场 不太 远。Cóng wǒjiā dào jīchǎng bù tài yuǎn.From my home to the airport is not too far.
  • 这里 洗手间 怎么 走?Cóng zhèlǐ dào xǐshǒujiān zěnme zǒu?How do I get from here to the toilet?
  • 上海 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.
  • 成都 西藏,需要 三 天。Cóng Chéngdū dào Xīzàng, xūyào sān tiān.It takes three days to go from Chengdu to Tibet.
  • 我 家 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.
  • 这儿 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?
  • 这里 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

Sources and further reading

Books