Meaning of 从小
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- from childhood; from a young age
How to use 从小
从小 goes before the verb to say something has been true since childhood, often with 就 (jiù) for emphasis. 我从小就喜欢画画。(Wǒ cóngxiǎo jiù xǐhuan huàhuà.) I have loved drawing since I was a kid.
从 (cóng) means "from" and 小 (xiǎo) means "small", so 从小 is literally "from small", meaning from the time you were little. Picture the two people in 从 walking forward from a tiny starting point.
Common mistake: Learners often put 从小 at the end of the sentence like English "since childhood", as in 我喜欢音乐从小. It must come before the verb: 我从小喜欢音乐.
从小 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
小 xiǎo · small · 3 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
Related words
Words that share a character with 从小.
| 小姐 | xiǎojiě | young lady; miss |
| 小时 | xiǎoshí | hour |
| 小朋友 | xiǎopéngyǒu | child; kid (used to refer to a child, or by an adult to address a child, or, in Taiwan, to |
| 小学 | xiǎoxué | elementary school; primary school |
| 小孩儿 | xiǎoháir | erhua variant of 小孩[xiao3 hai2] |
| 小学生 | xiǎoxuéshēng | primary school student; schoolchild |
| 小心 | xiǎoxīn | to be careful; to take care |
| 小时候 | xiǎoshíhou | in one's childhood |
| 小组 | xiǎozǔ | group |
| 小说 | xiǎoshuō | novel; fiction |
| 大小 | dàxiǎo | large and small; size |
| 小声 | xiǎo shēng | in a low voice; (speak) in whispers |
Questions about 从小
What does 从小 mean?
从小 (cóngxiǎo) means "from childhood; from a young age" and is used as a adverb.
How do you write 从小?
从小 is made of 2 characters: 从 (4 strokes), 小 (3 strokes). That is 7 strokes in total.
Is 从小 an HSK word?
Yes. 从小 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 从小 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 从小 is written 從小.
What is the difference between 从小 and 小时候?
小时候 (xiǎoshíhou) means "when I was little" and points to a past time. 从小 means "from childhood on" and suggests the situation continued, often up to now.
Can 从小 be followed by 到大?
Yes. 从小到大 (cóng xiǎo dào dà) means "from childhood until adulthood" or "all my life so far", as in 从小到大我都住在北京。(Cóng xiǎo dào dà wǒ dōu zhù zài Běijīng.) I have lived in Beijing my whole life.