由...到...

From...to...

Level 2Sounds Like jau4 . . . dou3 . . .

由...到... (jau4 ... dou3 ...) is the standard Cantonese pattern for expressing continuous ranges: from X to Y. It works for time, physical distance, and abstract ranges like age or difficulty.

How It Works

The pattern 由...到... (jau4 ... dou3 ...) forms a prepositional frame that highlights unbroken continuity, total extent, or thoroughness across two boundaries.

1. Major Applications
• Time Spans: Marks duration between two time points, e.g., 由星期一到星期五 (jau4 sing1 kei4 jat1 dou3 sing1 kei4 ng5, 'from Monday to Friday').
• Spatial Distance: Marks travel or physical origin to destination, e.g., 由呢度到嗰度 (jau4 ni1 dou6 dou3 go2 dou6, 'from here to there').
• Abstract Scales: Marks ranges of age, status, or complexity, e.g., 由簡單到複雜 (jau4 gaan2 daan1 dou3 fuk1 zaa6, 'from simple to complex').

2. Emphasizing All-Inclusiveness with 都
In 由...到... structures, the correlative adverb 都 (dou1) is very frequently placed right before the main verb phrase. It emphasizes total extent or all-inclusiveness across the entire range (e.g., 由朝到晚都要工作 jau4 ziu1 dou3 maan5 dou1 jiu3 gung1 zok3, 'working from morning to night').

3. Important Pronunciation Note
In this pattern, 到 is pronounced in Tone 3 as dou3 (mid-level tone, meaning 'to / until'). Do not confuse it with Tone 2 dou2, which functions as a resultative marker for attainment (e.g., 睇到 tai2 dou2, 'able to see').

4. Register and Everyday Usage
In everyday spoken Cantonese, 由 (jau4) is the default spoken word for 'from'. Mandarin speakers often default to 從 (cung4), but using 從 in spoken Cantonese sounds unnaturally formal. For official contexts, announcements, or written text, the formal counterpart 由...至... (jau4 ... zi3 ...) is used instead.

Examples (4)

  1. 佢由朝到晚都喺度睇電視。

    He watches TV from morning till night.

    Word by Word: He from morning to night all at-here watch TV.

    由朝到晚 (jau4 ziu1 dou3 maan5) is a standard idiom meaning 'all day long' or 'from morning to night'.

  2. 我由細到大都喺香港住。

    I have lived in Hong Kong ever since I was small.

    Word by Word: I from small to big all in Hong Kong live.

    由細到大 (jau4 sai3 dou3 daai6) is the standard Cantonese set phrase for 'since childhood'.

  3. 由沙田到旺角要幾耐呀？

    How long does it take from Sha Tin to Mong Kok?

    Word by Word: From Sha Tin to Mong Kok need how long PRT?

    Demonstrates using the pattern for physical travel distance between place names.

  4. 由星期一到星期五，我都要返工。

    From Monday to Friday, I have to go to work.

    Word by Word: From Monday to Friday, I all need go-to-work.

    Demonstrates setting a clear weekly time boundary for a recurring routine.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 從 (cung4) instead of 由 (jau4) in casual spoken Cantonese

    佢從朝到晚都喺度睇電視。
    佢由朝到晚都喺度睇電視。

    While 從 (cóng) is standard in Mandarin, daily spoken Cantonese strongly prefers 由 (jau4). Using 從 in everyday conversation sounds overly formal or bookish.

  • Using 喺 (hai2) instead of 由 (jau4) to express a time range

    喺星期一到星期五，我哋都要上學。
    由星期一到星期五，我哋都要返學。

    喺 (hai2) marks static locations or fixed time points ('at/in'), but cannot pair with 到 (dou3) to mark a starting boundary of a span. Use 由 (jau4) for 'from'.

  • Pronouncing 到 as Tone 2 (dou2) instead of Tone 3 (dou3)

    由細到 (dou2) 大
    由細到 (dou3) 大

    In range structures, 到 is always tone 3 (dou3). Tone 2 (dou2) is reserved for potential/resultative attainment suffixes like 睇到 (tai2 dou2).

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

由...到...Level 2From...to...

Learn This First

To understand the 'from... to...' construction, you need to know the individual markers for the starting point (由) and the endpoint (到) of a span in time or space.

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