以来
How to Understand
以来 is an adverb used to indicate a time period starting from a specific point in the past up to the present. It emphasizes continuity and is often used with time expressions like 'since' or 'from...on.'
The character 以 (yǐ) originally meant 'by means of' or 'according to,' while 来 (lái) means 'to come' or 'to arrive.' Together, 以来 suggests a continuous action or state that has been ongoing since a certain moment.
It is commonly used in formal and informal contexts, especially in written Chinese. For example, it appears in news reports, academic writing, and daily conversations to describe events that have been happening for a certain duration. It can also be combined with other words to form phrases like '自……以来' (since...), which is widely used in both spoken and written language.