How to use 从……到
从⋯⋯到⋯⋯
从 introduces a starting point and 到 introduces the endpoint of a range. The points can be places or times, so the same basic structure describes a route or a period. A following predicate can explain what happens across that range, how long travel takes, or what applies between the endpoints.
Time endpoints do not have to be dates or clock readings: events can also define the beginning and end of a period. Keep the two markers attached to the appropriate reference points rather than treating 从 as a general verb of travel. Whether a range includes every moment or location within it depends on the wider sentence, not on the markers alone.
Examples with pinyin and English
从 2004 年到 2008 年
from 2004 to 2008
从一号到五号都在下雨。
From the first to the fifth, it's been raining non-stop.
老板从周二到周五都要出差。
From Tuesday until Friday the boss will go on a business trip.
她从 18岁到现在都一个人住。
She's lived alone since she was 18 until now.
What to remember
- Put the start after 从.
- Put the endpoint after 到.
- Use locations, times, or events as endpoints.
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Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
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