从来 (cónglái) — never / always (with negation)
HSK 3 | adverb | used with negation to mean 'never' or 'not once'
从来 (cónglái)
An adverb always used with a negative word (不 or 没有) to express that something has never happened or has consistently not been the case.
Meanings
- [adverb] Never (used with 不 for habits: 从来不).
- [adverb] Never/not once (used with 没有 for past events: 从来没有).
Example Sentences
他从来不吃辣的食物。 Tā cónglái bù chī là de shíwù. He never eats spicy food.
我从来没有去过非洲。 Wǒ cónglái méiyǒu qùguò Fēizhōu. I have never been to Africa.
她从来不迟到。 Tā cónglái bù chídào. She never arrives late.
他从来没有说过谎。 Tā cónglái méiyǒu shuō guò huǎng. He has never told a lie.
Collocations
| Collocation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 从来不 | never (habitual negation) |
| 从来没有 | never have (past negation) |
| 从来不…过 | have never done (experience) |
| 从来如此 | always been this way (rare positive use) |
| 从来没想到 | never imagined |
Memory Hook
从来 literally means "from the very beginning coming here" — if you follow that whole long path and find nothing, the answer has always been "never."