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<h1>Expressing "never" with "<span class="pinyinst">conglai</span>" "<span class="hanzist">从来</span>"</h1>
<p>Although it can also work in the positive, <span class="hanzi">从来</span> (<span class="pinyin">cónglái</span>) is usually used when you want to express that you never do something (as a habit, or as a rule), or that you have never done something (it's not a part of your life experience). In either usage, <span class="hanzi">从来</span> (<span class="pinyin">cónglái</span>) may be shortened to just <span class="hanzi">从</span> (<span class="pinyin">cóng</span>) in casual speech.</p>
<h2 id="to-never-do-with-从来-cónglái-不-bù">"To Never Do" with <span class="hanzist">从来</span> (<span class="pinyinst">cónglái</span>) + <span class="hanzist">不</span> (<span class="pinyinst">bù</span>)</h2>
<p>When you follow <span class="hanzi">从来</span> (<span class="pinyin">cónglái</span>) with <span class="hanzi">不</span> (<span class="pinyin">bù</span>), you are expressing that you never do something (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="deux">
<p>Subj. + <span class="hanzist">从来</span> + <span class="hanzist">不</span> + [Verb Phrase]</p>
</div>
<p>Keep in mind that <span class="hanzi">从来</span> (<span class="pinyin">cónglái</span>) may be shortened to just <span class="hanzi">从</span> (<span class="pinyin">cóng</span>) in casual speech.</p>
<h3 id="examples">Examples</h3>
<div class="exemple">
<ul>
<li><span class="hanzi">她 从来 不 喝酒。</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">Tā cónglái bù hējiǔ.</span> <br/> She never drinks.</li>
<li><span class="hanzi">我 女朋友 从 不 给 我 打 电话。</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin"><span class="vert">来 has been omitted here.</span> <br/> Wǒ nǚpéngyou cóng bù gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà.</span> <br/> My girlfriend never calls me.</li>
<li><span class="hanzi">这 个 人 很 奇怪，他 从来 不 笑。</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin"> Zhège rén hěn qíguài, tā cónglái bù xiào.</span> <br/> This person is very strange. He never laughs.</li>
<li><span class="hanzi">你 父母 从来 不 打 你 吗？</span> <br/> <span class="vert">"hit" can mean "spank"</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">Nǐ fùmǔ cónglái bù dǎ nǐ ma?</span> <br/> Your parents never hit you?</li>
<li><span class="hanzi">他 从 不 关心 别人。</span> <br/> <span class="vert">来 has been omitted here.</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">Tā cóng bù guānxīn biérén.</span> <br/> He never cares about other people.</li>
</ul>
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<h2 id="to-have-never-done-with-从来-cónglái-没有-méiyǒu">"To Have Never Done" with <span class="hanzist">从来</span> (<span class="pinyinst">cónglái</span>) + <span class="hanzist">没有 </span>(<span class="pinyinst">méiyǒu</span>)</h2>
<p>Use <span class="hanzi">从来</span> (<span class="pinyin">cónglái</span>) with <span class="hanzi">没</span> (<span class="pinyin">méi</span>) or <span class="hanzi">没有</span> (<span class="pinyin">méiyǒu</span>) (and <span class="hanzi">过</span> (<span class="pinyin">guo</span>) after the verb) to indicate that you have never done something (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 <span class="hanzi">没有</span> (<span class="pinyin">méiyǒu</span>) is appropriate. <span class="hanzi">过</span> (<span class="pinyin">guo</span>) 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="deux">
<p>Subj. + <span class="hanzist">从来</span> + <span class="hanzist">没(有)</span> + Verb + <span class="hanzist">过</span></p>
</div>
<p>Again, <span class="hanzi">从来</span> (<span class="pinyin">cónglái</span>) may be shortened to just <span class="hanzi">从</span> (<span class="pinyin">cóng</span>) in casual speech. Note that you can have an object or other information after the verb, but the <span class="hanzi">过</span> (<span class="pinyin">guo</span>) needs to come immediately after the verb.</p>
<h3 id="examples-1">Examples</h3>
<div class="exemple">
<ul>
<li><span class="hanzi">你 从来 没有 想 过 这 个 问题 吗？</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin"> Nǐ cónglái méiyǒu xiǎng guo zhège wèntí ma?</span> <br/> Have you never thought about this question?</li>
<li><span class="hanzi">她 从来 没 见 过 她 妈妈。</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin"> Tā cónglái méi jiàn guo tā māma.</span> <br/> She has never met her mother.</li>
<li><span class="hanzi">我 从没 学 过 这 个 词。</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin"><span class="vert">来 has been omitted here.</span> Wǒ cóngméi xué guo zhège cí.</span> <br/> I have never before studied this word.</li>
<li><span class="hanzi">你们 从来 没有 听说 过 这 个 地方 吗？</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin"> Nǐmen cónglái méiyǒu tīngshuō guo zhège dìfang ma?</span> <br/> Have you never heard about this place before?</li>
<li><span class="hanzi">很 多 中国人 从来 没 出 过 国。</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">Hěn duō Zhōngguó rén cónglái méi chū guo guó.</span> <br/> A lot of Chinese people have never been abroad.</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>BRIDGE (<span class="hanzi">桥梁 实用汉语中级教程上</span>) (p.40)</li>
<li>Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (p. 59)</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>
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