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从来 + 不 / 没 (never)
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Not once in his life
- Your grandfather is eighty and proud of one thing about his health.
- (coll.) father's father爷爷never从来不to smoke (a cigarette…抽烟。 — "Grandpa has never smoked."
ever从来 + not不 = never (habit or rule)
- never从来不 + Verb = never, as a habit or personal rule: he他never从来不to drink (alcohol)喝酒, I我never从来不to arrive late迟到.
- ever从来 goes before not不, after the subject.
he他ever从来not不drink喝alcohol酒。
Build: “He never drinks alcohol.”
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Subject + 从来 + 不 + verb.
ever从来 + not没(to have / there is有) + Verb + (experience)过 = never once
- ever从来not没(to have / there is有) + Verb + (experience)过 = has never done (an experience): I我ever从来not没go去(experience)过Tibet西藏。 — "I've never been to Tibet."
- (experience)过 highlights experience in these models; not没 itself does not require (experience)过 after every predicate.
I我ever从来not没go去(experience)过Tibet西藏。
Complete: “I've never eaten durian.” 我从来没吃____榴莲。
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从来没 + verb + 过 for an experience.
not不 or not没, and keep (experience)过
- Habit or choice → never从来不; past experience → ever从来not没 + V + (experience)过.
- Use (experience)过 to highlight experience in this model. It is not required after every ever从来not没; the predicate and intended meaning determine the complete phrase.
Which says “She never eats meat” (a personal rule)?
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A habit or rule takes 从来不.
Adjectives and ever从来all / both都
- With adjectives: he他never从来不anxious着急。 — "He's never in a hurry."
- ever从来all / both都 in a positive sentence stresses "always, without exception" (he他ever从来all / both都to be / is是this way / so这样); for a plain "always", all along一直 or always总是 is more usual: he他all along一直degree / adjective linker很to make an effort努力.
he他ever从来not不anxious着急。
从来 is the usual word for “always” in positive sentences.
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Use 一直 or 总是 for “always”; 从来 mostly appears with 不 / 没.
Recap
- never从来不 + Verb/Adj = never (habit, rule, character).
- ever从来not没 + Verb + (experience)过 = have never (experience). For "always", use all along一直 / always总是.
Read the full reference: HSK 4 grammar — Adverbs.
Your grandfather is eighty and proud of one thing about his health. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.
This is supported productive practice. Compare meaning and structure; your answer need not copy the model. A partner or teacher must hear the spoken response to comment on pronunciation.