以来 (yǐlái): How to Say “Ever Since” in Chinese

Why this trips learners up

以来 (yǐlái) is how Chinese says “ever since.” You put it after a past event or time, and it marks a continuous stretch running from then right up to now: [Event / Time] + 以来. 毕业以来，我换了三份工作 (“since I graduated, I’ve changed jobs three times”), 搬到这个城市以来，我交了不少新朋友 (“since I moved to this city, I’ve made quite a few new friends”). Because it covers a whole period up to the present, it almost always pairs with words like 一直 (“the whole time”) or 没…过 (“haven’t … at all”).

In more formal or written Chinese you can wrap the event in a sandwich, fronting it with 自从 or 从: 自从开始跑步以来，他的身体好多了 (“ever since he started running, his health has improved”), 从去年冬天以来，这个问题一直没解决 (“since last winter, this problem hasn’t been solved”). The 自从…以来 frame is just a fuller, more emphatic version of plain …以来.

There is a shorter cousin: bare 来, which means the same “ever since,” but with one strict limit. 来 attaches only to a length of time, never to an event or a specific date: 三年来，他一直在准备这场考试 (“over the past three years, he’s been preparing for this exam”), 这几个月来，我们几乎天天加班 (“these past few months, we’ve worked overtime almost daily”). It works with a number plus a unit (三年, 几个月) or with 几 (“a few”), but you cannot say 毕业来 for an event, only 毕业以来.

Two more limits keep bare 来 and 以来 apart. Bare 来 never takes the 自从 / 从 sandwich (三年来, not 自从三年来). And neither word is just “after”: 以来 describes a continuous period up to now, so for a single thing that happened right after an event (“after class we went to eat”), you want 以后, not 以来. If there is a stretch of time and an “all the way until now” feeling, reach for 以来 (or bare 来 after a duration).

The structure

Time 以来 yǐlái Other

Colour key

Each colour marks one grammatical role — and the same colour means the same role on every page in the Lab.

Pattern Subject Verb Object Time Place Negation Adverb Function word Adjective Measure word Other

Examples in context

Real-world sentences, easiest first. Toggle pinyin or the translation, tap any word to see its role, or play the audio.

Tap a word to see its grammatical role.

bìyè 毕业 Verb yǐlái 以来 Pattern wǒ 我 Subject huàn 换 Verb le 了 Function word sān fèn 三份 Measure word gōngzuò 工作 Object

Since I graduated, I’ve changed jobs three times (event + 以来).

bāndào 搬到 Verb zhège chéngshì 这个城市 Place yǐlái 以来 Pattern wǒ 我 Subject jiāo 交 Verb le 了 Function word bù shǎo 不少 Adjective xīn péngyou 新朋友 Object

Since I moved to this city, I’ve made quite a few new friends.

sān nián 三年 Time lái 来 Pattern tā 他 Subject yìzhí 一直 Adverb zài 在 Function word zhǔnbèi 准备 Verb zhè chǎng kǎoshì 这场考试 Object

Over the past three years, he’s been preparing for this exam (duration + bare 来).

zìcóng 自从 Other kāishǐ 开始 Verb pǎobù 跑步 Verb yǐlái 以来 Pattern tā de shēntǐ 他的身体 Subject hǎo duō le 好多了 Adjective

Ever since he started running, his health has improved a lot (自从…以来 sandwich).

zhè jǐ gè yuè 这几个月 Time lái 来 Pattern wǒmen 我们 Subject jīhū 几乎 Adverb tiāntiān 天天 Time jiābān 加班 Verb

These past few months, we’ve worked overtime almost every day.

cóng 从 Other qùnián dōngtiān 去年冬天 Time yǐlái 以来 Pattern zhège wèntí 这个问题 Subject yìzhí 一直 Adverb méi 没 Negation jiějué 解决 Verb

Since last winter, this problem hasn’t been resolved (从…以来 + a season).

jǐ tiān 几天 Time lái 来 Pattern tā 她 Subject yìzhí 一直 Adverb méi 没 Negation jiē 接 Verb wǒ de diànhuà 我的电话 Object

For the past few days, she hasn’t been answering my calls.

shí jǐ nián 十几年 Time lái 来 Pattern zhè jiā xiǎo diàn de wèidào 这家小店的味道 Subject yìzhí 一直 Adverb méi 没 Negation biàn 变 Verb

For more than ten years, this little shop’s flavour hasn’t changed.

Common mistakes

Avoid: 工作来，我没请过假。 gōngzuò lái, wǒ méi qǐng guo jià.

Say this: 工作以来，我没请过假。 gōngzuò yǐlái, wǒ méi qǐng guo jià.

Why it happens: Bare 来 only attaches to a length of time, never to an event. 工作 is an event, so it needs 以来: 工作以来 (“ever since I started working”), not 工作来. Use bare 来 only after a duration like 三年 or 几个月.

Avoid: 下课以来，我们去吃饭了。 xiàkè yǐlái, wǒmen qù chīfàn le.

Say this: 下课以后，我们去吃饭了。 xiàkè yǐhòu, wǒmen qù chīfàn le.

Why it happens: 以来 marks a continuous stretch up to now (usually with 一直 / 没…过); it isn’t a plain “after.” For a single thing that happened right after an event, use 以后: 下课以后我们去吃饭了, not 下课以来.

Avoid: 自从这几年来，天气越来越热。 zìcóng zhè jǐ nián lái, tiānqì yuèláiyuè rè.

Say this: 这几年来，天气越来越热。 zhè jǐ nián lái, tiānqì yuèláiyuè rè.

Why it happens: The 自从 / 从 sandwich goes only with 以来, never with bare 来. After a duration, just say 这几年来 (“over the past few years”), not 自从这几年来.

Compare & contrast

以来 (after any event or time; takes 自从 / 从)	来 (after a length of time only; no 自从)	The difference
上大学以来shàng dàxué yǐlái	三年来sān nián lái	上大学以来 (“ever since starting university”) attaches 以来 to an event, the everyday choice. 三年来 (“over the past three years”) shortens to bare 来 because it follows a length of time, not an event.
自从他走以来zìcóng tā zǒu yǐlái	几个月来jǐ gè yuè lái	自从他走以来 (“ever since he left”) fronts the event with 自从, a sandwich only 以来 allows. 几个月来 (“over the past few months”) is a plain duration, so bare 来 fits and 自从 is impossible.

Rule of thumbBoth mean “ever since,” a stretch of time running up to now (often with 一直 or 没…过). For an event or a specific date, use 以来, and you may front it with 自从 / 从. For a length of time (三年, 几个月), you can drop 以 to bare 来, which never takes an event or 自从.

Try it yourself

Say “Ever since I graduated, I’ve been busy the whole time.” Use 以来 after the event and 一直 in the clause.

Related patterns

Quick reference card

How to Say “Ever Since” with 以来 (yǐlái) grammar.merrymandarin.com

A pocket summary — print it and keep it by your desk.

Structure

Time + 以来 + Other

Example

毕业以来我换了三份工作

Since I graduated, I’ve changed jobs three times (event + 以来).

Watch out

✗ 工作来，我没请过假。 → ✓ 工作以来，我没请过假。