Zìcóng shǒushù hòu, wǒ fùqīn yìzhí chǔyú liánghǎo de zhuàngtài.
My father has been in good health ever since his operation.
Sentence #334234 from Tatoeba · translation adapted
How 自从 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.
自zìself; oneself
自 is a single shape of 6 strokes. Learn it whole, then watch its stroke order below.
Memory aidDrawn from a nose. The usual explanation is that people point to their nose to mean “me”, so it came to mean “self”.
从cóngfrom; through; via
人person · rén
人person · rén
Memory aidOne person 人 following another 人: to follow, from.
How to write 自从
自 6 strokes · 从 4 strokes
Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.
Stroke order chart for 自从 (zìcóng). Red marks the next stroke, so you can copy it onto paper one step at a time.
自从 (zìcóng) means “since (a time)” or “ever since”. It is an HSK 5 word.
Say it zìcóng: zì with a 4th tone, then cóng 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, 自从 is written 自從. The pronunciation is the same.
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type zicong with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 自从 from the suggestions. Typing zicong into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
自从 is an HSK 5 word in the HSK 2.0 word lists.
Turn words into conversations
A dictionary gives you the words. A native teacher shows you how to use them. Start with a free 30-minute intro call.
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.
自zì4th tone, falling
从cóng2nd tone, rising
