从此以后 (cóng cǐ yǐ hòu) — from this moment on; henceforth

Definition

Written/emphatic 'from now on / henceforth' — marks a clear turning point after a specific past event. Pairs with 从此 to sound more formal; 以后 alone is neutral.

verb
from this moment onhenceforth

Examples

  • 从此以后
    cóng cǐ yǐ hòu, Wǒ yào gèng jiā nǔ lì xué xí.
    From now on, I will study even harder.
  • 从此以后
    cóng cǐ yǐ hòu, Tā men zài yě méi yǒu jiàn guò miàn.
    After that, they never saw each other again.
  • 从此以后
    Tā cí qù le gōng zuò, cóng cǐ yǐ hòu zhuān xīn xiě zuò.
    He quit his job and focused on writing from then on.

Origin

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 從; 从 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
cóngcóng
Same sound today

The traditional form 從 pairs 辵 (walk) with 从, which gives the sound; the character was originally written 从.

Open 从 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

此 shows 止 (feet) and 人 (person), drawing a person stopping, to mean 'this' or 'here.'

Open 此 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape came from a drawing of a person carrying something; in 以, part of that person is still visible on the right.

Open 以 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 後; 后 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 後 showed 夊 (foot) bound by 幺 (thread), a foot caught by a rope and lagging behind; the simplified 后 is a later abbreviation, and 后 also has a different meaning.

Open 后 →
Appears in

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