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ChineseGrammarWiki


			
				
					
						
						
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<h1>Expressing "ever since" with "yilai"
</h1>

<p>There are a few ways to express "ever since" in Chinese. In English, we would say something like "ever since I came to Shanghai, my Chinese has improved a lot." In this article, we will first take a look at using 以来 (yǐlái) to mean "ever since." We will also take a quick look at using "ever since" with 来 (lái), which is similar but used in a somewhat different way.
</p>
<h2>Contents</h2>

  
<div class="contents"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">1 Pattern with 以来 </span></li>
<ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">1.1 Structure </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">1.2 Examples </span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">2 Pattern with 来 </span></li>
<ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">2.1 Structure </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">2.2 Examples </span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">3 See also </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">4 Sources and further reading </span></li>
<ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">4.1 Books</span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
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<h2>Pattern with 以来</h2>

<p>To express "ever since," all one needs to do is put 以来 after a specific event or time. It expresses what has happened since the stated event until the time that the speaker talks (in other words, referring to a certain time period).</p>

<h3>Structure</h3>

<p>This grammar pattern is usually used to start a statement.</p>

<div class="deux">Time / Event + 以来 ，⋯⋯</div>

<p>When you need to use 以来 in a more formal or written context, you can add 自, 从, or 自从 (or other similar words) before the time or event.</p>

<div class="deux">自 / 从 / 自从 + Time / Event + 以来
</div>
<h3>Examples</h3>

<div class="exemple"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">今年 八月 以来 ，这里 一直 没 下 过 雨 。
Jīnnián Bāyuè yǐlái, zhèlǐ yīzhí méi xià guo yǔ.
It hasn't rained since August. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">结婚 以来 ，我们 没 吵 过 架 。
Jiéhūn yǐlái, wǒmen méi chǎo guo jià.
We've never had a fight since we got married. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">从 他 爸爸 去世 以来 ，他 一直 没 回 过 家 。
Cóng tā bàba qùshì yǐlái, tā yīzhí méi huí guo jiā.
He hasn't returned home since his father passed away. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">从 毕业 以来，她 一直 在 教 汉语 。
Cóng bìyè yǐlái, tā yīzhí zài jiāo Hànyǔ.
She has been teaching Chinese since she graduated. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">自 改革 开放 以来 ，中国 社会 发生 了 巨大 的 变化 。
Zì gǎigé kāifàng yǐlái, Zhōngguó shèhuì fāshēng le jùdà de biànhuà.
Tremendous changes have been taking place in China since the reform and opening up to the outside world.</span><br/></li>
</ul>
</div>

<h2>Pattern with 来</h2>

<p>Using 来 to mean "ever since" is basically the same as 以来. However, there is one key difference: you can only use 来 after a time interval. In other words, it needs to be used with a certain number of years, months, days, hours, etc. In English, this would be like saying "Ever since three days ago, I've had a constant headache." It doesn't have to be a specific number either; it could be "a few" (几).</p>

<h3>Structure</h3>

<div class="deux">Time Interval + 来 ，⋯⋯</div>

<p>This form cannot be used with 自, 从, or 自从 (or other similar words).
</p>
<h3>Examples</h3>

<div class="exemple"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">十 年 来，房价 一直 在 涨 。
Shí nián lái, fángjià yīzhí zài zhǎng.
In the past decade, housing prices have been going up. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">几 年 来 ，我们 公司 的 收入 一直 在 增加 。
Jǐ nián lái, wǒmen gōngsī de shōurù yīzhí zài zēngjiā.
Our company's income has been increasing over the past few years. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">实习 几 个 月来 ，我 学到 了 很 多 。
Shíxí jǐ gè yuè lái, wǒ xuédào le hěn duō.
I've learnt a lot from my internship during the last few months. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">出国 几 个 月 来 ，她 一点 也 不 想 家 。
Chūguó jǐ gè yuè lái, tā yīdiǎn yě bù xiǎng jiā.
She hasn't missed home at all since she went abroad a few month ago. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">离婚 这 几 年 来 ，他 从 没 去 看 过 孩子 。
Líhūn zhè jǐ nián lái, tā cóng méi qù kàn guo háizi.
He hasn't visited his child since he got divorced a few years ago.</span><br/></li>
</ul>
</div>

<h3>See also</h3>

<div class="See-also"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Before and after with "zhiqian" and "zhihou" </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Expressing "ever since" with "zicong"</span><br/></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Sources and further reading</h3>

<h4>Books</h4>

<div class="See-also"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4) (pp. 203) →buy </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 2 (博雅汉语初经起步篇) (pp. 25) →buy </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">现代汉语八百词 (pp. 616) →buy </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">卓越汉语－公司实战篇 (pp. 36) [ →buy] </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">HSK Standard Course 5上 (pp. 11) →buy</span><br/></li>
</ul>
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