# Expressing "never" with "从来"

<SentenceQuiz>

- 她 _从来 不_ 喝酒。
  <!-- - Tā _cónglái bù_ hējiǔ. -->
  - She never drinks.
- 我 女朋友 _从 不_ 给 我 打 电话。
  <!-- - 来 has been omitted here. -->
  <!-- - Wǒ nǚpéngyou _cóng bù_ gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà. -->
  - My girlfriend never calls me.
- 这 个 人 很 奇怪，他 _从来 不_ 笑。
  <!-- - Zhège rén hěn qíguài, tā _cónglái bù_ xiào. -->
  - This person is very strange. He never laughs.
- 你 父母 _从来 不_ 打 你 吗？
  <!-- - "hit" can mean "spank" -->
  <!-- - Nǐ fùmǔ _cónglái bù_ dǎ nǐ ma? -->
  - Your parents never hit you?
- 他 _从 不_ 关心 别人。
  <!-- - 来 has been omitted here. -->
  <!-- - Tā _cóng bù_ guānxīn biérén. -->
  - He never cares about other people.
- 你 _从来 没有_ 想 _过_ 这 个 问题 吗？
  <!-- - Nǐ _cónglái méiyǒu_ xiǎng _guo_ zhège wèntí ma?  -->
  - Have you never thought about this question?
- 她 _从来 没_ 见 _过_ 她 妈妈。
  <!-- - Tā _cónglái méi_ jiàn _guo_ tā māma. -->
  - She has never met her mother.
- 我 _从没_ 学 _过_ 这 个 词。
  - 来 has been omitted here.
  <!-- - Wǒ _cóngméi_ xué _guo_ zhège cí. -->
  - I have never before studied this word.
- 你们 _从来 没有_ 听说 _过_ 这 个 地方 吗？
  <!-- - Nǐmen _cónglái méiyǒu_ tīngshuō _guo_ zhège dìfang ma?  -->
  - Have you never heard about this place before?
- 很 多 中国人 _从来 没_ 出 _过_ 国。
  <!-- - Hěn duō Zhōngguó rén _cónglái méi_ chū _guo_ guó. -->
  - A lot of Chinese people have never been abroad.

</SentenceQuiz>

<TOC>

- Level: [A2](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/A2_grammar_points) / [HSK4](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/HSK4_grammar_points)
- Similar to
  - [Expressing "always" with "从来"](../B1/从来.md) (B1)
  - [Expressing "always previously" with "向来"](../C1/向来.md) (C1)
- Used for: [Referring to habitual actions](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Referring_to_habitual_actions), [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: [不](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%B8%8D), [没有](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E6%B2%A1%E6%9C%89), [从来](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%BB%8E%E6%9D%A5), [从不](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%BB%8E%E4%B8%8D), [从没](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%BB%8E%E6%B2%A1)

</TOC>

Although it can also work in the positive, 从来 (cónglái) 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, 从来 (cónglái) may be shortened to just 从 (cóng) in casual speech.

## "To Never Do" with 从来 (cónglái) + 不 (bù)

When you follow 从来 (cónglái) with 不 (bù), 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."

### Structure

The structure is:

Subj. + 从来 + 不 + [Verb Phrase]

Keep in mind that 从来 (cónglái) may be shortened to just 从 (cóng) in casual speech.

### Examples

- 她 _从来 不_ 喝酒。
  <!-- - Tā _cónglái bù_ hējiǔ. -->
  - She never drinks.
- 我 女朋友 _从 不_ 给 我 打 电话。
  <!-- - 来 has been omitted here. -->
  <!-- - Wǒ nǚpéngyou _cóng bù_ gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà. -->
  - My girlfriend never calls me.
- 这 个 人 很 奇怪，他 _从来 不_ 笑。
  <!-- - Zhège rén hěn qíguài, tā _cónglái bù_ xiào. -->
  - This person is very strange. He never laughs.
- 你 父母 _从来 不_ 打 你 吗？
  <!-- - "hit" can mean "spank" -->
  <!-- - Nǐ fùmǔ _cónglái bù_ dǎ nǐ ma? -->
  - Your parents never hit you?
- 他 _从 不_ 关心 别人。
  <!-- - 来 has been omitted here. -->
  <!-- - Tā _cóng bù_ guānxīn biérén. -->
  - He never cares about other people.

## "To Have Never Done" with 从来 (cónglái) + 没有 (méiyǒu)

Use 从来 (cónglái) with 没 (méi) or 没有 (méiyǒu) (and 过 (guo) 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 没有 (méiyǒu) is appropriate. 过 (guo) also makes sense, because you're making a statement about your life experience.

### Structure

The structure is:

Subj. + 从来 + 没(有) + Verb + 过

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.

### Examples

- 你 _从来 没有_ 想 _过_ 这 个 问题 吗？
  <!-- - Nǐ _cónglái méiyǒu_ xiǎng _guo_ zhège wèntí ma?  -->
  - Have you never thought about this question?
- 她 _从来 没_ 见 _过_ 她 妈妈。
  <!-- - Tā _cónglái méi_ jiàn _guo_ tā māma. -->
  - She has never met her mother.
- 我 _从没_ 学 _过_ 这 个 词。
  - 来 has been omitted here.
  <!-- - Wǒ _cóngméi_ xué _guo_ zhège cí. -->
  - I have never before studied this word.
- 你们 _从来 没有_ 听说 _过_ 这 个 地方 吗？
  <!-- - Nǐmen _cónglái méiyǒu_ tīngshuō _guo_ zhège dìfang ma?  -->
  - Have you never heard about this place before?
- 很 多 中国人 _从来 没_ 出 _过_ 国。
  <!-- - Hěn duō Zhōngguó rén _cónglái méi_ chū _guo_ guó. -->
  - A lot of Chinese people have never been abroad.

## See Also

- [Expressing experiences with "过" ](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_experiences_with_%22guo%22)
- [Comparing "不" and "没" ](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Comparing_%22bu%22_and_%22mei%22)
- ["没有" as a Verb ](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%22meiyou%22_as_a_Verb)
- [Standard negation with "不"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Standard_negation_with_%22bu%22)
- ["Always" with "从来"](../B1/从来.md)

## 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,)
- [BRIDGE (桥梁 实用汉语中级教程上)](<https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/BRIDGE_(%E6%A1%A5%E6%A2%81_%E5%AE%9E%E7%94%A8%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E4%B8%AD%E7%BA%A7%E6%95%99%E7%A8%8B%E4%B8%8A)>) (p.40) [→buy](https://www.amazon.cn/gp/product/B003AKZFFC/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B003AKZFFC&linkCode=as2&tag=allset-23)
- [Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Integrated_Chinese:_Level_2,_Part_2) (p. 59) [→buy](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276881/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0887276881)

### Websites

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