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)."

Basic Pattern

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.

Structure

Subj. + 从来 + 都 + Predicate

The predicate part of the pattern can be a verb or an adjective.

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.
• 她 买 衣服 从来 都 只 买 名牌 。Tā mǎi yīfu cónglái dōu zhǐ mǎi míngpái.She always buys brand-name clothes when she goes shopping.
• 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 学校 的 学生 从来 都 只 能 穿 校服 。Wǒmen xuéxiào de xuéshēng cónglái dōu zhǐ néng chuān xiàofú.Students in our school can only wear school uniforms.
• 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.
• 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.

Pattern with 是……的

It's quite common to follow 从来都 with an additional 是……的 pattern for emphasis.

Structure

Subj. + 从来 + 都 + 是 + Predicate + 的

Examples

• 我们 下棋 ，从来 都 是 他 赢 。Wǒmen xiàqí, cónglái dōu shì tā yíng.He always wins when we play chess.

For more on 是……的, see the "shi... de" construction.

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 (pp. 132) 卓越汉语－公司实战篇 →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (pp. 59) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4) (pp. 121) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy

Websites

• Yale Chinese Usage Dictionary: Usage of 从来