Fixed Frames: 从…来看、到…为止、在…看来
A fixed frame is a set pair of words that wraps a clause to give a viewpoint or a limit. 从…来看 (judging from) takes evidence, 在…看来 (in someone's view) takes a person, and 到…为止 (up to) takes a point in time.
从…来看 = 'judging from…'. Puts evidence before 来看:
从 + [evidence] + 来看，+ [conclusion]。
在…看来 = 'in X's opinion'. X must be a person/group, not evidence:
在 + [person] + 看来，+ [opinion]。
到…为止 = 'up until [time point]', marking a deadline/cutoff:
到 + [time point] + 为止，+ [state]。
Common mistake: using 在…看来 with evidence instead of a person — say 从这份数据来看, not 在这份数据看来。
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 从他的话来看，他好像不太满意。 | Cóng tā de huà lái kàn, tā hǎo xiàng bú tài mǎn yì. | Judging from what he said, he doesn't seem very satisfied. | 从…来看 with evidence (他的话) before the conclusion. |
| 在老师看来，这篇作文写得非常好。 | Zài lǎo shī kàn lái, zhè piān zuò wén xiě de fēi cháng hǎo. | In the teacher's view, this essay is written very well. | 在…看来 with a person (老师) giving an opinion. |
| 到现在为止，还没有人能解决这个难题。 | Dào xiàn zài wéi zhǐ, hái méi yǒu rén néng jiě jué zhè gè nán tí. | Up until now, no one has been able to solve this difficult problem. | 到…为止 marks a time boundary (现在). |
| 从这几年的变化来看，到今年为止，这座城市的人口已经翻了一倍。 | Cóng zhè jǐ nián de biàn huà lái kàn, dào jīn nián wéi zhǐ, zhè zuò chéng shì de rén kǒu yǐ jīng fān le yí bèi. | Judging from the changes over these past few years, as of this year, this city's population has already doubled. | Combines 从…来看 and 到…为止 in one sentence. |
Word by word
Each word in this pattern on its own: what it does here, the structure, three more examples, and the mistake to avoid.
从…来看 (cóng…lái kàn)
Gives the evidence first and then the conclusion drawn from it.
Structure: 从 + evidence + 来看，+ conclusion
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 从价格来看，这个牌子比那个划算。 | Cóng jià gé lái kàn, zhè gè pái zi bǐ nà gè huá suàn. | Judging by the price, this brand is better value than that one. |
| 从孩子的成绩来看，他最近很用功。 | Cóng hái zi de chéng jì lái kàn, tā zuì jìn hěn yòng gōng. | Judging by his grades, the child has been working hard lately. |
| 从天气预报来看，明天可能会下雪。 | Cóng tiān qì yù bào lái kàn, míng tiān kě néng huì xià xuě. | Judging by the forecast, it may snow tomorrow. |
Not: 在天气预报来看，明天有雨。 来看 pairs with 从. 在 pairs with 看来, and only with a person: 从天气预报来看。
在…看来 (zài…kàn lái)
Introduces whose opinion follows, so the middle must be a person or a group.
Structure: 在 + person or group + 看来，+ opinion
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 在我看来，学汉语最重要的是多说。 | Zài wǒ kàn lái, xué hàn yǔ zuì zhòng yào de shì duō shuō. | In my view, the most important thing in learning Chinese is to speak a lot. |
| 在很多年轻人看来，工作和生活同样重要。 | Zài hěn duō nián qīng rén kàn lái, gōng zuò hé shēng huó tóng yàng zhòng yào. | In the eyes of many young people, work and life matter equally. |
| 在医生看来，他的病并不算严重。 | Zài yī shēng kàn lái, tā de bìng bìng bú suàn yán zhòng. | In the doctor's view, his illness is not serious. |
Not: 在这本书看来，他是对的。 A book cannot hold an opinion. Use 从这本书来看, or name a person: 在作者看来。
到…为止 (dào…wéi zhǐ)
Marks the point in time up to which a situation has held.
Structure: 到 + time + 为止，+ situation
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 到上个月为止，我已经学了五百个汉字。 | Dào shàng gè yuè wéi zhǐ, wǒ yǐ jīng xué le wǔ bǎi gè hàn zì. | Up to last month, I had learned five hundred characters. |
| 到昨天为止，已经有三百人报名了。 | Dào zuó tiān wéi zhǐ, yǐ jīng yǒu sān bǎi rén bào míng le. | As of yesterday, three hundred people had signed up. |
| 报名到本周五为止，请大家抓紧时间。 | Bào míng dào běn zhōu wǔ wéi zhǐ, qǐng dà jiā zhuā jǐn shí jiān. | Registration closes this Friday, so please hurry. |
Not: 到明天为止，我要开始学习。 到…为止 gives the end of a stretch of time. It does not fit the start of a future action.
Compared side by side: 从…来看 vs 在…看来.
What you need first
Every topic in GraphChinese names its own prerequisites, and these are the grammar points this one is built on. If a sentence here will not parse, one of them is why.
Questions about Fixed Frames
What does 固定格式 (Fixed Frames) mean in Chinese?
A fixed frame is a set pair of words that wraps a clause to give a viewpoint or a limit. 从…来看 (judging from) takes evidence, 在…看来 (in someone's view) takes a person, and 到…为止 (up to) takes a point in time. It is an HSK 5 grammar point.
How do you use 固定格式 (Fixed Frames) in a sentence?
从他的话来看，他好像不太满意。 — Cóng tā de huà lái kàn, tā hǎo xiàng bú tài mǎn yì. — Judging from what he said, he doesn't seem very satisfied. 从…来看 with evidence (他的话) before the conclusion.
What do you need to know before 固定格式 (Fixed Frames)?
Topic-comment sentence structure (HSK 4). This pattern is built out of them, so a sentence here that will not parse usually means one of them has not landed yet.
What is the difference between 从…来看 and 在…看来?
从…来看 judges from evidence: 从数据来看. 在…看来 gives a person's opinion: 在老师看来. If the middle is a person, use 在…看来.
Can 到…为止 look forward as well as back?
Yes. It can mark a deadline too: 报名到周五为止。 Most often it sums up the past: 到现在为止，我们还没有收到回信。
Fixed Frames is one topic of 829. GraphChinese teaches them in prerequisite order, so this pattern reaches you on the day everything it rests on is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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