# Expressing "always" with "从来"

<SentenceQuiz>

- 他 _从来 都_ 这样 。
  <!-- - Tā _cónglái dōu_ zhèyàng. -->
  - He's always like this.
- 她 _从来 都_ 这么 晚 睡 。
  <!-- - Tā _cónglái dōu_ zhème wǎn shuì. -->
  - She's always gone to bed so late.
- 他 说话 _从来 都_ 很 大声 。
  <!-- - Tā shuōhuà _cónglái dōu_ hěn dàshēng. -->
  - He's always spoken very loudly.
- 我们 学校 的 学生 _从来 都_ 只 能 穿 校服 。
  <!-- - Wǒmen xuéxiào de xuéshēng _cónglái dōu_ zhǐ néng chuān xiàofú. -->
  - Students in our school can only wear school uniforms.
- 成功 _从来 都_ 要 靠 自己 努力 。
  <!-- - Chénggōng _cónglái dōu_ yào kào zìjǐ nǔlì. -->
  - Success always depends on working hard by oneself.
- 我们 下棋 ，_从来 都是_ 他 赢 。
  <!-- - Wǒmen xiàqí, _cónglái dōushì_ tā yíng. -->
  - He always wins when we play chess.
- 她 买 衣服 _从来 都是_ 只 买 名牌 。
  <!-- - Tā mǎi yīfu _cónglái dōushì_ zhǐ mǎi míngpái. -->
  - She always buys brand-name clothes when she goes shopping.
- 我 _从来 都是_ 一个人 住 ，已经 习惯 了 。
  <!-- - Wǒ _cónglái dōushì_ yīgèrén zhù, yǐjīng xíguàn le. -->
  - I've always lived alone; I'm used to it already.

</SentenceQuiz>

<TOC>

- Level: [B1](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/B1_grammar_points) / [HSK4](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/HSK4_grammar_points)
- Similar to
  - [Expressing "always" with "总是"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22always%22_with_%22zongshi%22) (A2)
  - [Expressing "never" with "从来"](../A2/从来.md) (A2)
  - [Using "always" as a complaint with "老是"](../B1/老是.md) (B1)
  - [Expressing "always previously" with "向来"](../C1/向来.md) (C1)
- Used for: [Referring to the past](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Referring_to_the_past), [Expressing frequency](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_frequency)
- Keywords: [是](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E6%98%AF), [来](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E6%9D%A5), [都](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E9%83%BD), [从](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%BB%8E), [从来](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%BB%8E%E6%9D%A5)

</TOC>

Although perhaps more often used in the negative to mean "[never](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Never)," 从来 (cónglái) can be used with [都](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E9%83%BD) (dōu) to mean "always" or "have always (done)."

Without the negative adverbs [不](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%B8%8D) and [没](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E6%B2%A1), [从来](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%BB%8E%E6%9D%A5) takes on the meaning of "[always](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Always)." (Literally, 从来 means something like "from the beginning," although no one is really thinking that phrase when they use it.) When used in the positive, though, it is customary to put the adverb 都 after 从来.

## Structure

Subj. + 从来 + 都 (是) + Predicate

The [predicate](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Predicate) part of the pattern can be a verb or an adjective. It's also quite common to follow 从来都 with an additional [是](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E6%98%AF) for emphasis.

## Examples

- 他 _从来 都_ 这样 。
  <!-- - Tā _cónglái dōu_ zhèyàng. -->
  - He's always like this.
- 她 _从来 都_ 这么 晚 睡 。
  <!-- - Tā _cónglái dōu_ zhème wǎn shuì. -->
  - She's always gone to bed so late.
- 他 说话 _从来 都_ 很 大声 。
  <!-- - Tā shuōhuà _cónglái dōu_ hěn dàshēng. -->
  - He's always spoken very loudly.
- 我们 学校 的 学生 _从来 都_ 只 能 穿 校服 。
  <!-- - Wǒmen xuéxiào de xuéshēng _cónglái dōu_ zhǐ néng chuān xiàofú. -->
  - Students in our school can only wear school uniforms.
- 成功 _从来 都_ 要 靠 自己 努力 。
  <!-- - Chénggōng _cónglái dōu_ yào kào zìjǐ nǔlì. -->
  - Success always depends on working hard by oneself.
- 我们 下棋 ，_从来 都是_ 他 赢 。
  <!-- - Wǒmen xiàqí, _cónglái dōushì_ tā yíng. -->
  - He always wins when we play chess.
- 她 买 衣服 _从来 都是_ 只 买 名牌 。
  <!-- - Tā mǎi yīfu _cónglái dōushì_ zhǐ mǎi míngpái. -->
  - She always buys brand-name clothes when she goes shopping.
- 我 _从来 都是_ 一个人 住 ，已经 习惯 了 。
  <!-- - Wǒ _cónglái dōushì_ yīgèrén zhù, yǐjīng xíguàn le. -->
  - I've always lived alone; I'm used to it already.

## See Also

- ["Never" with "从来"](../A2/从来.md)
- ["Always" as a complaint with "老是"](../B1/老是.md)
- ["Always" with "总是"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%22Always%22_with_%22zongshi%22)

## Sources and further reading

### Books

- [HSK Standard Course 4上](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/HSK_Standard_Course_4%E4%B8%8A) (pp. 5) [Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy](https://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001J0ADWA&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001J0ADWA,)
- [现代汉语八百词](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%85%AB%E7%99%BE%E8%AF%8D) (pp. 132) [卓越汉语－公司实战篇 →buy](http://amzn.to/2z4g8q6,)
- [Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Integrated_Chinese:_Level_2,_Part_2) (pp. 59) [Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy](https://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001J0ADWA&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001J0ADWA,)
- [New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4)](<https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/New_Practical_Chinese_Reader_4_(%E6%96%B0%E5%AE%9E%E7%94%A8%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E8%AF%BE%E6%9C%AC4)>) (pp. 121) [Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy](https://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001J0ADWA&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001J0ADWA,)

### Websites

- Yale Chinese Usage Dictionary: [Usage of 从来](http://comet.cls.yale.edu/chineseusagedictionary/0119.html)