HSK 5 · Function Words

以来 yǐlái “since (a previous event)” in Chinese

Traditional 以來

What 以来 means

  1. since (a previous event)
  2. since (used after a specified time or event)

How to say 以来

  • Pitch chart of the third tone: dips low then rises, 2 to 1 to 4 on the five-level scale以yǐ3rd tone, dipping
  • Pitch chart of the second tone: rises from mid to high, 3 to 5 on the five-level scale来lái2nd tone, rising

以来 in a sentence

  1. 自从我开始学汉语以来已经有两年了。

    Zìcóng wǒ kāishǐ xué Hànyǔ yǐlái yǐjīng yǒu liǎng nián le.

    It’s been two years since I started learning Chinese.

    Sentence #4764653 from Tatoeba

  2. 谢谢你一直以来对我的照顾。

    Xièxie nǐ yìzhí yǐlái duì wǒ de zhàogu.

    Thank you for always looking after me.

    Sentence #2431764 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

  3. 那是我幼年以来的梦想。

    Nà shì wǒ yòunián yǐlái de mèngxiǎng.

    That’s been my dream since I was a child.

    Sentence #10326092 from Tatoeba · converted to simplified characters · translation adapted

How 以来 is built

Each colour is one part of the character. Parts repeat across thousands of characters, so learning them makes new words easier. See all 214 in our radicals chart.

The character 以 (yǐ) drawn as one shape
以yǐto use

以 is a single shape of 4 strokes. Learn it whole, then watch its stroke order below.

The character 来 (lái) with each of its parts in a different colour
来láito come
  • 未part of the character
  • 丷eight form of 八 · bā

Memory aidDrawn from a stalk of wheat. It was borrowed early on for “to come”.

How to write 以来

以 4 strokes · 来 7 strokes

Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.

以来 (yǐlái) stroke order chart: each stroke of the characters in the order you write them
Stroke order chart for 以来 (yǐlái). Red marks the next stroke, so you can copy it onto paper one step at a time.

Words related to 以来

Words with 以

可以kěyǐ · can所以suǒyǐ · so以前yǐqián · before以后yǐhòu · after以下yǐxià · below以上yǐshàng · above以外yǐwài · apart from以yǐ · with以为yǐwéi · to think (wrongly)以及yǐjí · and

Words with 来

来lái · to come出来chūlái · to come out过来guòlái · to come over回来huílai · to return进来jìnlái · to come in上来shànglái · to come up下来xiàlai · to come down后来hòulái · afterwards起来qǐlai · beginning or continuing an action带来dàilái · to bring (about)

More words: Function Words & Grammar

一律yílǜ · without exception依然yīrán · still乙yǐ · second (in a sequence)以及yǐjí · and因而yīn'ér · therefore一再yízài · again and again与其yǔqí · rather than (与其 A，不如 B: B rather than A)再三zàisān · over and over again

FAQs

以来 (yǐlái) means “since (a previous event)” or “since (used after a specified time or event)”. It is an HSK 5 word.
Say it yǐlái: yǐ with a 3rd tone, then lái with a 2nd tone. Press Listen at the top of this page to hear it, or Slowly to hear each tone clearly.
In Traditional characters, used in Taiwan and Hong Kong, 以来 is written 以來. The pronunciation is the same.
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type yilai with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 以来 from the suggestions. Typing yilai into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
以来 is an HSK 5 word in the HSK 2.0 word lists.

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Sources: meaning and pinyin checked by a native Mandarin teacher against the official HSK lists. Extra meanings from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0). Example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). Character parts and stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi.