自从 means "ever since" in English, and is used to express the starting point of an action in the past. It can be followed by phrases using the markers 起 and 以后
Structure
Examples
- 自从 来 到 湖南，我 越 来 越 能 吃 辣 了。 Ever since arriving in Hunan, I've been more and more able to eat spicy food.
- 自从 金融 危机 爆发，就业 市场 变 得 越 来 越 不 景气 了。 Ever since the economic crisis, the job market has been growing less and less.
- 自从 他 跟 我 分手 后，他 就 没有 联系 过 我。 Ever since he broke up with me, he hasn't contacted me.
In the above examples, 从 can be used interchangeably with 自从. The main difference is that 从 can also be used to state starting points in the future, a little like "from" in English. 自从 cannot be used in this way.
- 从 明天 开始，我 要 认真 看 书。 Starting from tomorrow, I'm going to study seriously.
- 自从 明天 开始，我 要 认真 看 书。
Note that 从 can be used to denote starting points in place and time, whereas 自从 can only be used to express starting points in time.
See also
Sources and further reading
Books
- >Boya Chinese Lower Intermediate 1 (博雅汉语准中级加速篇) (pp. 218)