Definitions
(preposition)
from; through; via
(verb)
to follow; to obey
(verb)
to engage in (an activity)
(noun)
subordinate; assistant
Etymology
Pictograph of one person following another.
About
The simplified character 从 is an ideogrammatic compound formed by placing two 人 (person) characters side by side. This arrangement of one person behind another visually conveys the act of following or moving together. Its traditional form, 從, incorporates foot and movement radicals to express the same concept of following a path. Beyond its core meaning of following or complying, 从 also functions as a preposition marking the starting point of an action, equivalent to "from" in English, indicating time, location, or origin.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我从中国来。
我的朋友从北京回来了。
请从这儿走到那里。
她从去年开始学习中文。
从学校到我家需要十分钟。
从明天起，我要每天锻炼。
这个故事是从一本古书中发现的。
他的很多灵感都从生活中来。