Learn Chinese： Is there any difference between 以来 (yi lai) and 自从 (zi cong)? | General Chinese

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Is there any difference between 以来 (yi lai) and 自从 (zi cong)?

okay, i will give you 3 examples to make it clear:

1) zi cong er ling ling ling (year 2000) nian, ..... = since year 2000
er ling ling ling nian yi lai , .... = since year 2000
zi cong er ling ling ling yi lai = since year 2000
which one is correct from above?

2) zi cong wo ren shi ta, ... = since i know him, .....
wo ren shi ta yi lai, .... = since i know him,......
zi cong wo ren shi ta yi lai, .... = since i know him,....
which one is correct??

3) how to say "since 3 years ago" ??? zi cong san nian yi lai?? san nian yi lai? zi cong san nian?

please help me jennifer. thank you so much for your help.

Asked by Willy Halim - General Chinese - 4 Answers

Answers

Answerer 1

Thank you for your concern. “以来” and “自从” both can be used to refer to a period of time. “以来” means the period of time from time A to time B. It can be used together with “自从” or “从” as “自从(从)…以来”. For example,
Zìcóng tā líkāi Běijīng yǐ lái, wǒmen yìzhí méi jiànmiàn.
自从他离开北京以来，我们一直没见面.
Since he left Beijing, (up to now,) we’ve never met each other.

While, “自从” means the time starting from time A, for example:

Zìcóng tā líkāi Běijīng, wǒmen yìzhí méi jiànmiàn.
自从他离开北京，我们一直没见面.
Since he left Beijing, we’ve never met each other.

More often, these two words are exchangeable in daily expressions. But “以来(yǐlái))” is usually used with a period of time, like “三年以来(sān nián yǐlái)”; you can not say “三年前以来(sān nián qián yǐlái)”. To mean certain point of time, you must use “自从三年前(zìcóng sān nián qián)”

To sum up, the two words share the similar meaning, but different usages.

Hope my answer is helpful to you. If you have any question about Chinese learning, please do not hesitate to contact me.

, answered by Jennifer Zhu

Answerer 2

This is such a common point of confusion for learners, myself included! I always get tangled up trying to figure out which one fits best, especially when talking about personal experiences, not just dates. It's like trying to remember the subtle differences between power-ups in a game like Ragdoll Archers. Thanks for breaking it down, Jennifer, hopefully this will stick! https://ragdollarchersonline.io

, answered by Andy Jesen

Answerer 3

, answered by ahr147

Answerer 4

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