Meaning of 从不
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- never
How to use 从不
从不 goes before a verb to say someone never does something as a habit or rule. It is a little more formal than 从来不 (cónglái bù), which means the same. Example: 他从不喝酒。(Tā cóng bù hē jiǔ.) He never drinks alcohol.
从 (cóng) means "from" and 不 (bù) means "not", so 从不 is "from (the start), not": from the beginning until now, it does not happen. Think of it as "not, ever since".
Common mistake: Learners often use 从不 for something that never happened in the past, but for past experience Chinese uses 从没 (cóng méi) or 从来没有, as in 我从没去过北京 (I have never been to Beijing). Use 从不 for habits and choices, not past experiences with 过.
从不 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
从 cóng · from · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
不 bù · no · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Related words
Words that share a character with 从不.
| 对不起 | duìbuqǐ | I'm sorry; excuse me; I beg your pardon; to let (sb) down; to disappoint |
| 是不是 | shì bu shì | is or is not (used to form yes-no questions) |
| 不用 | bùyòng | need not |
| 不大 | bù dà | not very (clear, far away etc); not too; not often; infrequently |
| 不对 | bùduì | incorrect; wrong |
| 不客气 | bù kèqì | you're welcome; don't mention it |
| 不要 | bùyào | don't!; must not |
| 不过 | bùguò | only; merely |
| 不错 | bùcuò | correct; right |
| 不行 | bùxíng | won't do; be out of the question |
| 不同 | bù tóng | different; distinct |
| 不好意思 | bù hǎoyìsi | to feel embarrassed; to find it embarrassing |
Questions about 从不
What does 从不 mean?
从不 (cóng bù) means "never".
How do you write 从不?
从不 is made of 2 characters: 从 (4 strokes), 不 (4 strokes). That is 8 strokes in total.
Is 从不 an HSK word?
Yes. 从不 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 从不 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 从不 is written 從不.
What is the difference between 从不 and 从没?
从不 describes a habit or a personal rule, like "he never eats meat". 从没 describes something that has never happened up to now and usually pairs with 过, like 我从没见过他 (I have never met him).
Where does 从不 go in a sentence?
It goes after the subject and before the verb, like other adverbs. Time words can come before it: 他晚上从不出门 (Tā wǎnshang cóng bù chūmén), He never goes out at night.