<p>Although it can also work in the positive, 从来 (cónglái) is usually used when you want to express that you <em><strong>never</strong> do something</em> (as a habit, or as a rule), or that you <em>have <strong>never</strong> done something</em> (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.</p> <h2 id="to-never-do-with-从来-cónglái-不-bù">"To Never Do" with 从来 (cónglái) + 不 (bù)</h2> <p>When you follow 从来 (cónglái) with 不 (bù), you are expressing that you <em><strong>never</strong> do something</em> (as a habit, or as a rule). It's often used as a way to refuse something, as in "I never drink."</p> <h3 id="structure">Structure</h3> <p>The structure is:</p> <div class="jiegou"> <p>Subj. + 从来 + 不 + [Verb Phrase]</p> </div> <p>Keep in mind that 从来 (cónglái) may be shortened to just 从 (cóng) in casual speech.</p> <h3 id="examples">Examples</h3> <div class="liju"> <ul> <li>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></li> <li>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 calls me.</span></li> <li>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></li> <li>你 父母 <em>从来 不</em> 打 你 吗？<span class="expl pdf-simple-expl">"hit" can mean "spank"</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐ fùmǔ <em>cónglái bù</em> dǎ nǐ ma?</span><span class="trans">Your parents never hit you?</span></li> <li>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></li> </ul> </div> <h2 id="to-have-never-done-with-从来-cónglái-没有-méiyǒu">"To Have Never Done" with 从来 (cónglái) + 没有 (méiyǒu)</h2> <p>Use 从来 (cónglái) with 没 (méi) or 没有 (méiyǒu) (and 过 (guo) after the verb) to indicate that you <em>have <strong>never</strong> done something</em> (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.</p> <h3 id="structure-1">Structure</h3> <p>The structure is:</p> <div class="jiegou"> <p>Subj. + 从来 + 没(有) + Verb + 过</p> </div> <p>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.</p> <h3 id="examples-1">Examples</h3> <div class="liju"> <ul> <li>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></li> <li>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></li> <li>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></li> <li>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></li> <li>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></li> </ul> </div> <h2 id="see-also">See Also</h2> <ul> <li><a href="Expressing_experiences_with_"guo"" title="wikilink">Expressing experiences with "guo"</a></li> <li><a href="Comparing_"bu"_and_"mei"" title="wikilink">Comparing "bu" and "mei"</a></li> <li><a href=""meiyou"_as_a_Verb" title="wikilink">"meiyou" as a Verb</a></li> <li><a href="Standard_negation_with_"bu"" title="wikilink">Standard negation with "bu"</a></li> <li><a href=""Always"_with_"conglai"" title="wikilink">"Always" with "conglai"</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and further reading</h2> <h3 id="books">Books</h3> <ul> <li><a href="BRIDGE_(桥梁_实用汉语中级教程上)" title="wikilink">BRIDGE (桥梁 实用汉语中级教程上)</a> (p.40) <a href="http://www.amazon.cn/gp/product/B003AKZFFC/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B003AKZFFC&linkCode=as2&tag=allset-23">→buy</a></li> <li><a href="Integrated_Chinese:_Level_2,_Part_2" title="wikilink">Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2</a> (p. 59) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276881/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0887276881">→buy</a></li> </ul> <h3 id="websites">Websites</h3> <ul> <li>Yale Chinese Usage Dictionary: <a href="http://comet.cls.yale.edu/chineseusagedictionary/0119.html">Usage of 从来</a></li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><a href="Category:A2_grammar_points" title="wikilink">Category:A2 grammar points</a></p>