Expressing "from… to…" with "cong… dao…"
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Level
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Used for
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Keywords
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.
Contents
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
- 从 一号 到 五号, 一直 在 下雨。From the first to the fifth, it's been raining all the time.
- 老板 从这 个 星期二 到 下 周 五 都 要 出差。From this Thuesday until next Monday the boss will be on a business trip.
- 我 从 2004 年 到 2008年 一直 都 在 上海 工作。From 2004 to 2008, I have always worked in Shanghai.
- 她 从 出生 到 现在 都 没 见 过 她 的 妈妈。From birth till now, she never saw her mom.
- 你 不能 从 早 到 晚 一直 看 电视。You can't 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,从 超市 到 银行 怎么 走?May I ask, how do I get from the supermarket to the bank?
- 从 地铁 站 到 学校,有 很 多 饭 店。There are many restaurants from the metro station to the school.
- 从 酒吧 到 宾馆 有 多 远?How far is the bar from 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 学校。From my home to the metro station there are lots of schools.
- 从 这儿 到 火车站 需要 多久?How long does it take to get from here to the train station?
- 从 这里 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. 112-3) →buy
- Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 1 (博雅汉语初经起步篇) (p. 89) →buy
- Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 237-8) →buy