Expressing "never" with "conglai"

Although it can also work in the positive, 从来 (cónglái) is usually used when you want to express that you never do something (as a habit, or as a rule), or that you have never done something (it's not a part of your life experience). In either usage, 从来 (cónglái) may be shortened to just 从 (cóng) in casual speech.

"To Never Do" with 从来 (cónglái) + 不 (bù)

When you follow 从来 (cónglái) with 不 (bù), you are expressing that you never do something (as a habit, or as a rule). It's often used as a way to refuse something, as in "I never drink."

Structure

The structure is:

Subj. + 从来 + 不 + [Verb Phrase]

Keep in mind that 从来 (cónglái) may be shortened to just 从 (cóng) in a casual setting.

Examples

• 她 从来 不 喝酒。 Tā cónglái bù hējiǔ. She never drinks.
• 我 女朋友 从 不 给 我 打 电话。来 has been omitted here.Wǒ nǚpéngyou cóng bù gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà. My girlfriend never gives me a call.
• 这 个 人 很 奇怪，他 从来 不 笑。Zhège rén hěn qíguài, tā cónglái bù xiào. This person is very strange. He never laughs.
• 你 父母 从来 不 打 你 吗？Nǐ fùmǔ cónglái bù dǎ nǐ ma? Your parents never hit you?
• 他 从 不 关心 别人。来 has been omitted here.Tā cóng bù guānxīn biérén. He never cares about other people.

"To Have Never Done" with 从来 (cónglái) + 没有 (méiyǒu)

Use 从来 (cónglái) with 没 (méi) or 没有 (méiyǒu) (and 过 (guò) after the verb) to indicate that you have never done something (it's not a part of your life experience). You're talking about the past now, because you're talking about what you haven't done before, so 没有 (méiyǒu) is appropriate. 过 (guò) also makes sense, because you're making a statement about your life experience.

Structure

The structure is:

Subj. + 从来 + 没(有) + Verb + 过

Again, 从来 (cónglái) may be shortened to just 从 (cóng) in casual speech. Note that you can have an object or other information after the verb, but the 过 (guò) needs to come immediately after the verb.

Examples

• 你 从来 没有 想 过 这 个 问题 吗？Nǐ cónglái méiyǒu xiǎng guo zhège wèntí ma? Have you never thought about this question?
• 她 从来 没 见 过 她 妈妈。Tā cónglái méi jiàn guo tā māma. She has never met her mother.
• 我 从没 学 过 这 个 词。来 has been omitted here.Wǒ cóngméi xué guo zhège cí. I have never before studied this word.
• 你们 从来 没有 听说 过 这 个 地方 吗？Nǐmen cónglái méiyǒu tīngshuō guo zhège dìfang ma? Have you never heard about this place before?
• 很 多 中国人 从来 没 出 过 国。Hěn duō Zhōngguó rén cónglái méi chū guo guó. A lot of Chinese people have never been abroad.

See Also

• Expressing experiences with "guo"
• Comparing "bu" and "mei"
• "meiyou" as a Verb
• Standard negation with "bu"
• "Always" with "conglai"

Sources and further reading

Books

• BRIDGE (桥梁 实用汉语中级教程上) (p.40) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (p. 59) →buy

Websites

• Yale Chinese Usage Dictionary: Usage of 从来