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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing 'from' with the preposition 从 (cóng)

    Direction & Movement
    Location & Position

    Structure

    从 + Place / Time + Verb

    Explanation

    从 (cóng) is a preposition meaning 'from,' indicating a starting point in space or time. It is placed before the location or time to mark where an action originates. For example, 从城市撤出 means 'to withdraw from the city.'

    Examples

    • 我从北京坐高铁到上海,只用了四个小时。

      wǒ cóng běijīng zuò gāotiě dào shànghǎi, zhǐ yòng le sì ge xiǎoshí.

      I took the high-speed train from Beijing to Shanghai, and it only took four hours.

    • 她每天从家走路到公司,大概需要二十分钟。

      tā měitiān cóng jiā zǒulù dào gōngsī, dàgài xūyào èrshí fēnzhōng.

      She walks from home to work every day, which takes about twenty minutes.

    • 这个包裹是从日本寄过来的。

      zhège bāoguǒ shì cóng rìběn jì guòlái de.

      This package was sent from Japan.

    Expressing 'from' with the preposition 从 (cóng) | Chinese Grammar