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Chinese grammar - 'Never have' with 从来没...过 (cónglái méi...guò)

'Never have' with 从来没...过 (cónglái méi...guò)

In Chinese, the pattern 从来没... (cónglái méi...guò) is used to express that some action has never taken place, or to some state has never existed.

It is like saying 'has never done' or 'has never been'.

The structure with a verb is: [subject] + 从来没 + [verb] + . + [noun]

The structure with an adjective is: [subject] + 从来没 + [adjective] + .

Examples:
我从来没去过中国。
wǒ cónglái méi qù guò zhōngguó.
I have never been to China.

从来 (lái) means 'come'

他从来没见过我。
tā cónglái méi jiàn guò wǒ.
He has never seen me.
我们从来没吃过这种食物。
wǒmen cónglái méi chī guò zhè zhǒng shíwù.
We have never eaten this kind of food.
我从来没读过这本书。
wǒ cónglái méi dú guò zhè běn shū.
I have never read this book.
我从来没见过他。
wǒ cónglái méi jiàn guò tā.
I have never seen him.
她从来没去过法国。
tā cónglái méi qù guò fǎguó.
She has never been to France.
我们从来没见过面。
wǒmen cónglái méi jiàn guò miàn.
We have never met.
这座城市从来没干净过。
zhè zuò chéngshì cónglái méi gānjìng guò.
This city has never been clean.

(zuò) is a measure word used for large and immovable objects, such as cities, built structures, and mountains

干净 (gānjìng) means 'clean'

香港从来没冷过。
Xiānggǎng cónglái méi lěng guò.
Hong Kong has never been cold.
那家店从来没忙过。
nà jiā diàn cónglái méi máng guò.
That shop has never been busy.

(diàn) means 'store'

这个房间从来没温暖过。
zhè ge fángjiān cónglái méi wēnnuǎn guò.
This room has never been warm.

温暖 (wēnnuǎn) means 'warm'

那家餐厅从来没关过门。
nà jiā cāntīng cónglái méi guān guò mén.
That restaurant has never been closed.

Note how splits the verb 关门

那个地方从来没安全过。
nà ge dìfāng cónglái méi ānquán guò.
That place has never been safe.