từ thuở

từ thuở

Từ thuở còn bé, cô ấy đã thích vẽ tranh.

Definition
  1. Prepositional phrase / Temporal phrase:
    • Since the time when / From the era when: Used to indicate the starting point of a period, event, or condition, often one that began in the distant or formative past. It carries a literary or formal tone and is frequently used to evoke a sense of time's passage or origin.
Usage Examples
  • Prepositional phrase:
    • Từ thuở còn thơ bé, tôi đã thích đọc sách. (Since the time I was a child, I have liked reading books.)
    • Từ thuở khai thiên lập địa, con người đã tìm hiểu tự nhiên. (From the era when heaven and earth were formed, humans have sought to understand nature.)
    • Lòng yêu nước ấy có từ thuở ông còn đi học. (That patriotism has existed since the time he was still in school.)
Advanced Usage
  • The phrase is often used in formal writing, poetry, or historical narrative to establish a temporal backdrop. It can introduce a clause that describes a past state which continues to have relevance.
    • Từ thuở mang gươm đi mở cõi, tinh thần ấy vẫn còn nguyên vẹn. (Since the time they took swords to expand the territory, that spirit remains intact.)
Variants and Related Words

  • Từ thuở nào: An even more indefinite and poetic variant meaning "since some indeterminate time long ago."

    • Câu chuyện cổ tích ấy đã lưu truyền từ thuở nào. (That fairy tale has been passed down since time immemorial.)

  • Từ buổi: A slightly less formal synonym meaning "since the time of."

    • Từ buổi đó, mọi thứ đã thay đổi. (Since that time, everything has changed.)
Synonyms
  • Since the time (when): Indicates the beginning of a period.
  • From the era (when): Suggests a starting point in a historical or personal epoch.
  • Ever since: Emphasizes continuity from a past point until now.
Related Idioms and Fixed Phrases
  • Từ thuở hàn vi: A classical idiom meaning "from the time of poverty" or "from humble beginnings," used to describe someone's origin before they achieved success.
    • Ông ấy làm việc chăm chỉ từ thuở hàn vi. (He has worked hard since the days of humble beginnings.)

Proverbs and Idioms