从 … (到 …): from … (to …)

【一15】介词“从”

Tone colorsā tone 1á tone 2ǎ tone 3à tone 4a neutral

从 + place / time (+ 到 + place / time) + Verb

从 (cóng) = “from” (starting point); 到 (dào) = “to, until” (end point). Together: 从…到… = “from… to…”, for space and time.

从家到学校 (from home to school). 从星期一到星期五 (from Monday to Friday).

The phrase goes before the verb: 我们从星期一到星期五工作.

For origin: 你从哪儿来？ → 我从法国来 (I come from France). Mind the order: 从 + place + 来.

Examples

我们从星期一到星期五工作。
Wǒmen cóng xīngqīyī dào xīngqīwǔ gōngzuò.
We work from Monday to Friday.
你从哪儿来？
Nǐ cóng nǎr lái?
Where do you come from?
哥哥从北京回来了。
Gēge cóng Běijīng huílái le.
My older brother came back from Beijing.
从这儿到机场要一个小时。
Cóng zhèr dào jīchǎng yào yí ge xiǎoshí.
It takes an hour from here to the airport.

Common mistakes

✗ 我来从法国 (from “I come from France”) → ✓ 我从法国来.

✗ 我工作从九点到五点 → ✓ 我从九点到五点工作.