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Using the Preposition 从 (cóng) to Introduce Time and Place
The preposition 从 (cóng) introduces the starting point of an action in time or space. In Chinese sentence order, the prepositional phrase formed with 从 comes before the main verb.
哥哥今天从北京坐火车回家。
从 introduces Beijing as the city of departure before the verb phrase.
× 妈妈买菜回来了从超市。
In the neutral written sentence intended here, do not leave 从超市 after the whole return phrase. Place it before the movement it modifies, as in the following model.
Corrected example: 妈妈从超市买菜回来了。
Read the full explanation and examples
Core Function and Syllabus Scope
In Mandarin Chinese, prepositions introduce background details such as time, location, direction, or participants before the main action happens. In the supplied HSK 2 grammar outline, the primary entry 从1 (cóng) is categorized as a preposition (介词, jiè cí) that introduces time and place (引出时间、处所).
Specifically, 从 marks an origin, starting point, or route through which a movement occurs. In English, it usually translates to from, or occasionally through and via when describing a doorway, road, or entrance. Note that level designations in the supplied outline establish teaching scope rather than guaranteeing the exact test version administered at every examination center.
Sentence Structure and Word Order
Unlike English, where phrases starting with from usually sit at the end of a sentence, Chinese prepositional phrases built with 从 almost always appear before the verb phrase they modify. Most everyday sentences place the subject first, followed immediately by 从 and the time or place noun, and finally the action.
When speakers want to emphasize the starting time or starting place as the topic of the sentence, the entire 从 phrase can also move to the very front, before the subject.
Introducing a Place of Departure or Route
When followed by a place word, 从 indicates where a movement starts or the point through which someone passes. The noun after 从 must represent a recognizable location, such as a city, a building, a room, or a specific entrance.
哥哥今天从北京坐火车回家。
从 introduces Beijing as the city of departure before the verb phrase.
请大家从前门进教室。
从 introduces the pathway or entrance used for the movement.
Introducing a Starting Point in Time
从 plus a time expression sets the starting point. It often appears with 开始 or a corresponding endpoint, but neither is universally obligatory: 我从小喜欢音乐 means “I have liked music since childhood”. Choose the main predicate according to what continues or begins.
我们从明天开始学习新课文。
从 pairs with 明天 and the verb 开始 to mark when the action begins.
上午的课从八点开始。
从 introduces the exact starting hour before 开始.
Useful Contrast: 从 (cóng) vs. 在 (zài)
Learners sometimes confuse 从 (cóng) and 在 (zài) because both prepositions appear right before location words and before the main verb. However, they describe different relationships between the action and the place:
- Use 在 when an action happens within a stationary location without focusing on leaving it.
- Use 从 when an action involves moving away from a starting point, passing through a place, or beginning at a specific time.
弟弟在学校看书。
在 marks the static location where the reading takes place.
弟弟从学校走回家。
从 marks the school as the point of departure for walking home.
Common Learner Mistake and Correction
A 从 phrase normally precedes the predicate it modifies. In the model below, it sets the origin for returning from the supermarket. Do not infer that every 从 phrase must precede every earlier action in a multi-event sentence: 妈妈买完菜后，从超市回来了 is also natural.
× 妈妈买菜回来了从超市。
In the neutral written sentence intended here, do not leave 从超市 after the whole return phrase. Place it before the movement it modifies, as in the following model.
Corrected example: 妈妈从超市买菜回来了。
妈妈从超市买菜回来了。
从超市 introduces the origin before 买菜回来 in this model. Other sentences can separate the shopping and return into clauses with their own modifiers.
In the corrected sentence, 从超市 (from the supermarket) establishes the spatial setting and origin before both the errand 买菜 (buy groceries) and the return movement 回来 (come back).
Frequently asked questions
Can a 从 (cóng) phrase ever go after the main verb?
No. In standard Mandarin, when 从 introduces a starting time or place, the prepositional phrase must come before the verb, either right after the subject or at the very beginning of the sentence.
Why does 从八点开始 translate as 'start at eight o'clock' instead of 'from eight o'clock'?
English normally uses 'at' with the verb 'start' for a single point in time, whereas Chinese treats the start of a schedule as the origin of a time span and naturally introduces it with 从.
Why is this grammar point labeled 从1 in the syllabus?
The supplied Level 2 page lists 从1 for time/place and 从2 for direction/route. The numbers distinguish entries, not a general progression to higher HSK levels. This article concentrates on the starting-point use.
