Difference between revisions of "Expressing "always" with "conglai""

Line 42: Line 42:
  
 
*我们 下棋 ,<em>从来 都</em> 是 他 赢 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen xiàqí, <em>cónglái dōu</em> shì tā yíng.</span><span class="trans">He always wins when we play chess.</span>
 
*我们 下棋 ,<em>从来 都</em> 是 他 赢 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen xiàqí, <em>cónglái dōu</em> shì tā yíng.</span><span class="trans">He always wins when we play chess.</span>
 
+
*她 买 衣服 <em>从来 都是</em> 只 买 名牌 。<span class="pinyin">Tā mǎi yīfu <em>cónglái dōushì </em> zhǐ mǎi míngpái.</span><span class="trans">She always buys brand-name clothes when she goes shopping.</span>
 +
*我 <em>从来 都是</em> 一个人 住 ,已经 习惯 了 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>cónglái dōushì </em> yīgèrén zhù, yǐjīng xíguàn le.</span><span class="trans">I've always lived alone; I'm used to it already.</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
  

Revision as of 08:22, 23 November 2018

Although perhaps more often used in the negative to mean "never," 从来 (cónglái) can be used with (dōu) to mean "always" or "have always (done)."

Basic Pattern

Without the negative adverbs and , 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

  • 从来 都 这样 。cónglái dōu zhèyàng.He's always like this.
  • 从来 都 这么 晚 睡 。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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 她 买 衣服 从来 都是 只 买 名牌 。Tā mǎi yīfu cónglái dōushì zhǐ mǎi míngpái.She always buys brand-name clothes when she goes shopping.
  • 从来 都是 一个人 住 ,已经 习惯 了 。cónglái dōushì yīgèrén zhù, yǐjīng xíguàn le.I've always lived alone; I'm used to it already.

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

See Also

Sources and further reading

Books

Websites