▎從…起, (cóng (Prep)...qĭ (Ptc)), starting from...

 

Function This pattern specifies the beginning point of an instance.

1 學生總是說從明天起，我要好好地念書，不讓父母失望。

Xuéshēng zǒngshì shuō cóng míngtiān qǐ, wǒ yào hǎohǎo de niànshū, bú ràng fùmǔ shīwàng.

Students always say, ‘I’ll study hard starting tomorrow. I don’t want my parents to be disappointed.’

2 那個語言中心規定從今年秋天起，申請獎學金的學生，成績要有85分。

Nà ge yǔyán zhōngxīn guīdìng cóng jīnnián qiūtiān qǐ, shēnqǐng jiǎngxuéjīn de xuéshēng, chéngjī yào yǒu 85 fēn.

The language center has stipulated that starting this fall, students applying for scholarships must have a grade average of at least 85.

3 因為放暑假的關係，學校的圖書館從後天起，上午九點才開門。

Yīnwèi fàng shǔjià de guānxi, xuéxiào de túshūguǎn cóng hòutiān qǐ, shàngwǔ jiǔdiǎn cái kāimén.

Due to summer vacation, starting tomorrow, the school library won’t open until 9:00 in the morning.

4 你弄錯了。百貨公司打折活動是從十月十號起，不是十月一號。

Nǐ nòngcuò le. Bǎihuò gōngsī dǎzhé huódòng shì cóng shíyuè shíhào qǐ, búshì shíyuè yīhào.

You’ve got it wrong. The department store sales start from October 10th, not from October 1st.

5 那個展覽館從下星期一起到下個月三十一號，要舉行電腦展。

Nà ge zhǎnlǎn guǎn cóng xià xīngqíyī qǐ dào xià ge yuè sānshíyīhào, yào jǔxíng diànnǎoz hǎn.

That exhibition hall will be holding a computer exhibition starting next Monday, on until the 31st of next month.

 

Usage 從…起 is relatively literary and formal. It’s more colloquial to say 從…開始cóng...kāishǐ. E.g., 從明天開始，我不再吃炸的東西了。Cóng míngtiān kāishǐ, wǒ bú zài chī zhá de dōngxi le. ‘Starting tomorrow, I’m not eating fried foods.’