从 from HSK Level 1 Vocabulary List

The Chinese character 从 (cóng) is composed of two parts: 丛 (cóng) and 乙 (yǐ). 丛 means "grass" or "plants", and 乙 is a pictograph of a person. Together, they form the character 从, which originally meant "to follow" or "to go along with". In modern Chinese, 从 is used in a variety of contexts, including:- As a preposition, 从 means "from" or "since". For example, 我从北京来 (wǒ cóng Běijīng lái) means "I come from Beijing".- As a verb, 从 means "to follow" or "to obey". For example, 他从老师的指示 (tā cóng lǎoshī de zhǐshì) means "He follows the teacher's instructions".- As a noun, 从 means "a follower" or "a disciple". For example, 孔子的从 (Kǒngzǐ de cóng) means "Confucius' disciples".The character 从 is also used in a number of idioms and proverbs. For example, the idiom 从一而终 (cóng yī ér zhōng) means "to be faithful to one person until the end", and the proverb 从善如流 (cóng shàn rú liú) means "to follow good advice readily".The character 从 is a versatile and important character in Chinese. It is used in a wide variety of contexts, and it has a rich history and etymology.