Difference between revisions of "Expressing "never" with "conglai""

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* 她 <em>从来 不</em> 喝酒。 <span class="pinyin">Tā <em>cónglái bù</em> hējiǔ. </span> <span class="trans">She never drinks. </span>
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* 她 <em>从来 不</em> 喝酒。 <span class="pinyin">Tā <em>cónglái bù</em> hējiǔ. </span><span class="trans">She never drinks. </span>
*我 女朋友 <em>从 不</em> 给 我 打 电话。<span class="expl pdf-simple-expl">来 has been omitted here.</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ nǚpéngyou <em>cóng bù</em> gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà.</span> <span class="trans">My girlfriend never gives me a call. </span>
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*我 女朋友 <em>从 不</em> 给 我 打 电话。<span class="expl pdf-simple-expl">来 has been omitted here.</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ nǚpéngyou <em>cóng bù</em> gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà.</span><span class="trans">My girlfriend never gives me a call. </span>
*这 个 人 很 奇怪,他 <em>从来 不</em> 笑。<span class="pinyin">Zhège rén hěn qíguài, tā <em>cónglái bù</em> xiào. </span> <span class="trans">This person is very strange. He never laughs. </span>
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*这 个 人 很 奇怪,他 <em>从来 不</em> 笑。<span class="pinyin">Zhège rén hěn qíguài, tā <em>cónglái bù</em> xiào. </span><span class="trans">This person is very strange. He never laughs. </span>
*你 父母 <em>从来 不</em> 打 你 吗?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ fùmǔ <em>cónglái bù</em> dǎ nǐ ma?</span> <span class="trans">Your parents never hit you? </span>
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*你 父母 <em>从来 不</em> 打 你 吗?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ fùmǔ <em>cónglái bù</em> dǎ nǐ ma?</span><span class="trans">Your parents never hit you? </span>
*他 <em>从 不</em> 关心 别人。<span class="expl pdf-simple-expl">来 has been omitted here.</span><span class="pinyin">Tā <em>cóng bù</em> guānxīn biérén. </span> <span class="trans">He never cares about other people. </span>
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*他 <em>从 不</em> 关心 别人。<span class="expl pdf-simple-expl">来 has been omitted here.</span><span class="pinyin">Tā <em>cóng bù</em> guānxīn biérén. </span><span class="trans">He never cares about other people. </span>
  
 
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* 你 <em>从来 没有</em> 想 <em>过</em> 这 个 问题 吗?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>cónglái méiyǒu</em> xiǎng <em>guo</em> zhège wèntí ma? </span> <span class="trans">Have you never thought about this question? </span>
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* 你 <em>从来 没有</em> 想 <em>过</em> 这 个 问题 吗?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>cónglái méiyǒu</em> xiǎng <em>guo</em> zhège wèntí ma? </span><span class="trans">Have you never thought about this question? </span>
* 她 <em>从来 没</em> 见 <em>过</em> 她 妈妈。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>cónglái méi</em> jiàn <em>guo</em> tā māma. </span> <span class="trans">She has never met her mother. </span>
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* 她 <em>从来 没</em> 见 <em>过</em> 她 妈妈。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>cónglái méi</em> jiàn <em>guo</em> tā māma. </span><span class="trans">She has never met her mother. </span>
* 我 <em>从没</em> 学 <em>过</em> 这 个 词。<span class="expl pdf-simple-expl">来 has been omitted here.</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>cóngméi</em> xué <em>guo</em> zhège cí.</span> <span class="trans">I have never before studied this word.</span>
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* 我 <em>从没</em> 学 <em>过</em> 这 个 词。<span class="expl pdf-simple-expl">来 has been omitted here.</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>cóngméi</em> xué <em>guo</em> zhège cí.</span><span class="trans">I have never before studied this word.</span>
* 你们 <em>从来 没有</em> 听说 <em>过</em> 这 个 地方 吗?<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen <em>cónglái méiyǒu</em> tīngshuō <em>guo</em> zhège dìfang ma? </span> <span class="trans">Have you never heard about this place before? </span>
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* 你们 <em>从来 没有</em> 听说 <em>过</em> 这 个 地方 吗?<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen <em>cónglái méiyǒu</em> tīngshuō <em>guo</em> zhège dìfang ma? </span><span class="trans">Have you never heard about this place before? </span>
* 很 多 中国人 <em>从来 没</em> 出 <em> 过</em> 国。<span class="pinyin">Hěn duō Zhōngguó rén <em>cónglái méi</em> chū <em> guo</em> guó. </span> <span class="trans">A lot of Chinese people have never been abroad.</span>
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* 很 多 中国人 <em>从来 没</em> 出 <em> 过</em> 国。<span class="pinyin">Hěn duō Zhōngguó rén <em>cónglái méi</em> chū <em> guo</em> guó. </span><span class="trans">A lot of Chinese people have never been abroad.</span>
  
 
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Revision as of 03:50, 24 May 2017

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 casual speech.

Examples

  • 从来 不 喝酒。 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?
  • 从 不 关心 别人。来 has been omitted here.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 (guo) 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 (guo) 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 (guo) needs to come immediately after the verb.

Examples

  • 从来 没有 这 个 问题 吗?cónglái méiyǒu xiǎng guo zhège wèntí ma? Have you never thought about this question?
  • 从来 没 她 妈妈。cónglái méi jiàn guo tā māma. She has never met her mother.
  • 从没 这 个 词。来 has been omitted here.cóngméi xué guo zhège cí.I have never before studied this word.
  • 你们 从来 没有 听说 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 国。Hěn duō Zhōngguó rén cónglái méi chū guo guó. A lot of Chinese people have never been abroad.

See Also

Sources and further reading

Books

Websites