从 meaning and stroke order
From; through; via; (bound form) to follow; (bound form) to obey
How to write 从, stroke by stroke
4 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Meaning of 从
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- from; through; via
- (bound form) to follow
- (bound form) to obey
- (bound form) to engage in (an activity)
- (used before a negative) ever
- (bound form) (Taiwan pr. [zong4]) retainer; attendant
How 从 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. One person 人 following another.
Radical: 人 (man), shared by 30 characters on this site.
How to remember 从
从 is two people 人 side by side, one walking behind the other. Picture the second person following the first, which gives the ideas of following and coming from somewhere.
从 (cóng) usually marks a starting point in place or time, often paired with 到 (dào) or 开始 (kāishǐ). Example: 我从北京来。(Wǒ cóng Běijīng lái.) I come from Beijing. Before a negative it means ever, as in 从来不 (cónglái bù), never.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 从 with 众 (zhòng, crowd), which has three 人, or with 丛 (cóng, thicket), which adds a line underneath. Also keep the second tone in cóng, not cōng as in 聪 (cōng, clever).
Common words with 从
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 从小 | cóngxiǎo | from childhood; from a young age | HSK 2 |
| 从来 | cónglái | always; at all times | HSK 3 |
| 自从 | zìcóng | since (a time); ever since | HSK 3 |
| 从前 | cóngqián | previously; formerly | HSK 3 |
| 从事 | cóngshì | to go for; to engage in | HSK 3 |
| 从此 | cóngcǐ | from now on; since then | HSK 4 |
| 服从 | fúcóng | to obey (an order); to comply | HSK 5 |
| 从中 | cóngzhōng | from among them; from it | HSK 5 |
| 从而 | cóng'ér | thus; thereby | HSK 5 |
| 从没 | cóng méi | never (in the past); never did | HSK 6 |
| 从不 | cóng bù | never | HSK 6 |
| 从未 | cóngwèi | never | HSK 7-9 |
| 从来不 | cónglái bù | never | HSK 7-9 |
| 听从 | tīngcóng | to listen and obey; to comply with | HSK 7-9 |
从 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 从
Learning 从 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 从
How many strokes are in 从?
从 is written with 4 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 从 mean?
从 (cóng) means from; through; via; (bound form) to follow; (bound form) to obey. A common word with it is 从小 (cóngxiǎo), meaning "from childhood; from a young age".
How do you pronounce 从?
从 is pronounced cóng, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 从?
The radical of 从 is 人, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 从 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 从?
The traditional form of 从 is 從. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 从 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 从 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 从 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
What is the difference between 从 and 离 when saying from?
从 marks the starting point of movement or time, as in 从家走 (cóng jiā zǒu), walk from home. 离 (lí) describes distance between two points, as in 学校离家很近 (xuéxiào lí jiā hěn jìn), the school is close to home.
Does 从来 mean always or never?
Alone it can mean always, but it is most often used before a negative to mean never. 我从来不喝酒 (wǒ cónglái bù hē jiǔ) means I never drink alcohol.