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Expressing 'from' or 'since' with 自 (zì)
Direction & Movement
Time Expressions
Structure
自 + Time/Place
Explanation
The word 自 (zì) means "from" or "since" and is used to indicate a starting point in time or place. It appears frequently in formal or written Chinese to mark the origin of an action or state. For example, 自古以来 means "since ancient times."
Examples
自二〇一〇年起，这家公司就一直在快速发展。
zì èr líng yī líng nián qǐ, zhè jiā gōngsī jiù yìzhí zài kuàisù fāzhǎn.
Since 2010, this company has been developing rapidly.
自从上次见面后，她变了很多。
zìcóng shàng cì jiànmiàn hòu, tā biàn le hěn duō.
She has changed a lot since the last time we met.
自古以来，人们就对星空充满好奇。
zìgǔ yǐlái, rénmen jiù duì xīngkōng chōngmǎn hàoqí.
Since ancient times, people have been full of curiosity about the starry sky.