Sources & editorial notes
Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.
Source record: cd-2e9b871f81e77bad. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.
Original source entry:
從來 从来 [cong2 lai2] /always/at all times/never (if used in negative sentence)/Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.
Reference information
The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.
Character information
View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.
Other forms in these source records: 從來
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. []) retainer / attendant / (bound form) (Taiwan pr. []) assistant / auxiliary / subordinate / (bound form) (Taiwan pr. []) related by common paternal grandfather or earlier ancestor
to come / (used as a substitute for a more specific verb) / hither (directional complement for motion toward the speaker, as in 回來|回来[]) / ever since (as in 自古以來|自古以来[]) / for the past (amount of time) / (prefix) the coming ... / the next ... (as in 來世|来世[]) / (between two verbs) in order to / (after a round number) approximately / (used after 得[] to indicate possibility, as in 談得來|谈得来[], or after 不[] to indicate impossibility, as in 吃不來|吃不来[])
Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.