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Using 从 (cóng) to Introduce Direction and Route in Chinese
Beyond marking a simple starting point in time or space, the preposition 从 (cóng) is used before a location, doorway, or directional reference to indicate the path, channel, or route along which an action moves.
请从这儿往左走。
This establishes a reference or starting point with 从这儿, while 往左 supplies the direction. Compare it with the front-door example, where 从 marks the passage itself.
× 他走过去从前门。
In the intended neutral route sentence, place 从前门 before 走过去 rather than leaving it after the whole motion phrase.
Corrected example: 他从前门走过去。
Read the full explanation and examples
What 从2 Means When Introducing Direction and Route
Learners usually first meet the preposition 从 (cóng) as a way to mark an origin in space or a starting point in time, corresponding roughly to English from. In the supplied Level 2 grammar outline, however, the entry labeled 从2 specifically covers using 从 (cóng) as a preposition to introduce a direction or route of movement. Note that this level designation reflects the supplied syllabus outline rather than a guarantee about which exam version any given test center currently administers.
In this route-introducing function, 从 (cóng) translates naturally into English as by way of, via, through, or along. Instead of focusing on where a subject originally started their journey, it highlights the passage, doorway, intermediate landmark, or path that the movement passes through or follows.
Sentence Structure and Core Pattern
In the basic pattern, the 从 route phrase precedes the motion predicate, often after the subject. It can also frame a clause before the subject when context supports it. Other words can intervene, so do not require it to sit immediately after every subject or directly next to every verb.
- The slot after 从 (cóng) is filled by a place noun, a demonstrative like 这儿 (zhèr, here) or 那边 (nàbiān, over there), a specific opening such as 前门 (qiánmén, front door), or a road.
- When an ordinary noun like 公园 (gōngyuán, park) is used as a path to pass through, it often pairs with a locality word such as 里 (lǐ, inside) or 旁边 (pángbiān, beside) so it reads clearly as a spatial area.
- The verb phrase usually involves physical movement, such as 走 (zǒu, to walk), 进 (jìn, to enter), 出 (chū, to exit), or 路过 (lùguò, to pass by).
请从这儿往左走。
This establishes a reference or starting point with 从这儿, while 往左 supplies the direction. Compare it with the front-door example, where 从 marks the passage itself.
这辆公共汽车从医院路过。
Uses 从 (cóng) + 医院 (hospital) with 路过 (pass by) to show an intermediate landmark along a route.
Natural Contexts for Route and Passage
In everyday conversation, this pattern appears most frequently when giving street directions, guiding visitors through a building, or explaining which route a vehicle takes. Because Chinese motion verbs like 进 (jìn, enter) and 走 (zǒu, walk) do not inherently specify which access point or intermediate corridor is used, a preverbal 从 (cóng) phrase supplies that missing pathway.
大家从前门进教室。
Marks the doorway or channel (前门, front door) through which the action of entering happens.
我们从公园里走过去吧。
Marks the area (公园里, inside the park) serving as the pathway for walking over.
Notice how the object of the main verb and the object of 从 (cóng) play completely different roles. In the classroom example above, 教室 (jiàoshì, classroom) is the destination after 进 (jìn, enter), while 前门 (qiánmén, front door) after 从 (cóng) is the opening through which people pass.
Useful Contrasts: Origin vs. Route, and 从 vs. 往
To use 从 (cóng) accurately, it helps to separate two functions of the word itself and to distinguish it from another common directional preposition, 往 (wǎng).
- Origin vs. Route within 从 (cóng): When 从 (cóng) marks an origin, the noun is where the subject begins before moving elsewhere, such as coming from Beijing. When 从 (cóng) marks a route or direction (从2), the noun is an access point, pivot, or intermediate space that the movement passes through or follows, such as entering via the front door or passing by the hospital.
- Pathway 从 (cóng) vs. Target Direction 往 (wǎng): 往 (wǎng) points toward the direction an action faces or heads (toward the left, toward the south). 从 (cóng) marks the reference point or corridor along which the movement occurs. As seen in our first example, both prepositions can even combine in the same sentence: 从这儿 (via here / starting from this point) followed by 往左走 (walk toward the left).
Common Learner Mistake: Post-Verbal Placement
English speakers naturally place prepositional phrases like through the front door or via the park at the end of the sentence, after the main verb. In Mandarin, placing a 从 (cóng) route phrase after the verb phrase is ungrammatical. The entire prepositional phrase must precede the verb.
× 他走过去从前门。
In the intended neutral route sentence, place 从前门 before 走过去 rather than leaving it after the whole motion phrase.
Corrected example: 他从前门走过去。
他从前门走过去。
The route phrase 从前门 precedes the motion phrase 走过去.
Frequently asked questions
Why does 从 (cóng) sometimes translate as 'through' or 'by' instead of 'from'?
When 从 (cóng) is paired with verbs of passing, entering, or moving along a path, Chinese conceptualizes the doorway, road, or landmark as the spatial channel from which the movement proceeds. In natural English, we express that channel using words like 'through', 'via', or 'by'.
Do I need a locality word like 里 (lǐ) or 那儿 (nàr) after the noun following 从 (cóng)?
Use a locality expression when it helps identify the intended route, not because every place noun requires one. 从公园走过去 can work when the route is clear; 从公园里走过去 makes the inside path explicit. With a person, say 从他旁边走过去 for “walk past beside him”; do not add 里 mechanically.
