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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing "from" with 从 (cóng) as a preposition

    Direction & Movement
    Location & Position

    Structure

    从 + Starting Point + (到 + Ending Point)

    Explanation

    从 (cóng) as a preposition means "from" and indicates a starting point in time, place, or sequence. It is placed before the noun or phrase that represents the origin. For example, 从北京到上海 means "from Beijing to Shanghai," and 从周五 means "from Friday."

    Examples

    • 我每天从家走到公司要二十分钟。

      Wǒ měitiān cóng jiā zǒu dào gōngsī yào èrshí fēnzhōng.

      It takes me twenty minutes to walk from home to the office every day.

    • 从明天开始我要早起锻炼。

      Cóng míngtiān kāishǐ wǒ yào zǎoqǐ duànliàn.

      Starting tomorrow, I'm going to get up early to exercise.

    • 她从小就喜欢画画。

      Tā cóngxiǎo jiù xǐhuān huàhuà.

      She has loved painting since she was little.

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    Expressing "from" with 从 (cóng) as a preposition | Chinese Grammar