Comparison of "历来" and "从来"

In Chinese, both "历来" (lìlái) and "从来" (cónglái) indicate a temporal aspect and are used to express experiences or events in the past, but they have nuances in their meanings and usage contexts.

历来 (lìlái)

"历来" is an adverb that means "always" or "throughout history". It is used to indicate something that has happened or been widely acknowledged over a long period in the past.

• Example: This city has historically always been a center of trade. - 这个城市历来都是贸易中心。(Zhège chéngshì lìlái dōu shì màoyì zhōngxīn.)
• Example: These ideas have been popular for many generations. - 这些想法历来在许多世代中都很流行。(Zhèxiē xiǎngfǎ lìlái zài xǔduō shìdài zhōng dōu hěn liúxíng.)

从来 (cónglái)

"从来" is also an adverb that means "always" or "all along". However, its use is associated with negation and indicates that an event or experience never happened in the past or did not happen until a certain point in time.

• Example: I have never seen such a strange building. - 我从来没见过这样奇怪的建筑。(Wǒ cónglái méi jiànguò zhèyàng qíguài de jiànzhù.)
• Example: She has always been generous and kind to others. - 她对别人从来都很慷慨和善良。(Tā duì biérén cónglái dōu hěn kāngkǎi hé shànliáng.)

Main Differences

• Tone: "历来" is usually used to describe widely accepted or long-standing facts in the past, whereas "从来" is used with negation and indicates the absence of an experience or event in the past.
• Affirmation vs. Negation: "历来" asserts a fact, while "从来" negates or emphasizes the absence of an experience or event.