Expressing "from… to…" with "cong… dao…"
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从...到... (cóng...dào...) is used in the same way as "from ... to ...", and as in English, it can be used both for times and places.
Time
To express from one time to another, the following structure is used:（这里的Time不一定只是时间名词，它可以是表示时间的事件或动作。）
Subject + 从 + Time 1 + 到 + Time 2
- 从 一号 到 五号，我 在 北京。From the first to the fifth, I am in Beijing.
- 他 从 七点 到 十点 都 在 上网。He is online from 7 o'clock to 10 o'clock.
- 我们 从 早 到 晚 都 在 喝 啤酒。We drink beer from morning until dawn.
- 从 去年 到 现在，我 一直 没有 女朋友。From last year to now, I haven't had a girlfriend.
- 从 现在 到 明天 早上，你 要 待 在 家 里。From now to tomorrow morning, you want to stay home.
- 我 从 明天 到 下 周一 都 在 北京 出差。From tomorrow until next Monday I will be in Beijing on a business trip.
- 从 上 大学 到 结婚，我 一直 都 在 上海。From when I started college to when I got married, I have always lived in Shanghai.
- 她 从 出生 到 现在 一直 都 没 见 过 她 的 妈妈。From birth till now, she never saw her mom.
- 你 不要 从 早 到 晚 都 看 电视。You don't want to watch television from morning till evening.
- 从 那个时候 到 现在，我 一直 在 这 个 公司 工作。From that time till now, I always worked at this office.
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 ... phrase can go before or after the subject.
Place
The 从...到 structure can also be used to express from one place to another, and is used
Subject + 从 + Place 1 + 到 + Place 2
Here are some examples:
- 请问，从 超市 到 银行 怎么 走？May I ask, how do I get from the supermarket to the bank??
- 我 开车 从 地铁 站 到 学校。I drive from the metro station to the school.
- 从 酒吧 到 酒店 有 多 远？How far is the bar to the hotel?
- 从 我 家 到 机场 不太 远。From my home to the airport is not too far.
- 从 这里 到 洗手间 怎么 走？How do I get from here to the toilet?
- 从 上海 到 东京 只 要 几 个 小时。From Shanghai to Tokyo only takes a few hours.
- 从 成都 到 西藏，需要 三 天。It takes three days to go from Chengdu to Tibet.
- 从 我 家 到 地铁站 有 很 多 饭店。From my home to the metro station there are lots of restaurants.
- 我 从 这儿 到 火车站 需要 多久？How long does it take from here to the train station?
- 从 这儿 到 公园，你 会 看到 很 多 美女。From here to the park, you can see many beautiful girls.
See also
Sources and further reading
Books
- Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 84-5) →buy
- Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 112 - 113) →buy
- Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 1 (博雅汉语初经起步篇) (pp. 89) →buy
- Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 237-8) →buy
