<p>奴 means slave. If you want to type 女, you should type 'nv' in Chinese input method program.</p>
<p>In my opinion, 'I've been learning (Chinese) from my Girlfriend' should be translated as '我已经在向我的女朋友学（中文）了'.</p>
<p>'向' means 'from', '已经在' means 'have been doing', '学（中文）' means 'learn (Chinese)'.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-17T16:23:02.933Z
Why can't we use 从 instead of 向 in this case? Are they interchangeable?
Adrift
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-17T16:27:10.150Z
I think '向...学习' is a fixed collocation, especially ’向某人学习‘ means ’learn from somebody‘, we usually use ’向‘.
宋亚磊
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-17T16:31:59.427Z
But if I want to say 'I have learnt some method from this book', I will say '我从这本书里学到了某种方法'. '向某人学习' usually means 'will learn something from somebody', for 'from something', or 'already learnt', I think '从' is better.
宋亚磊
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-17T16:51:29.200Z
Thank you! That helps a lot.
Adrift
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-17T16:17:51.797Z
2023-01-17T16:17:51.797Z
宋亚磊
<blockquote>
<p>I've been learning (Chinese) from my Girlfriend.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>To reflect the &quot;present perfect continuous tense&quot;, I propose the following sentences:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<ol>
<li>我<strong>一直從</strong>我女朋友<strong>那裡</strong>學英文. [一直 - all along; all the way; continuously. 從..那裡 - from (someone) there] -</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>
<ol start="2">
<li>我<strong>一直(在)向/跟</strong>我的女朋友學英文. [here, (在)向 and (在)跟 both mean &quot;from&quot;]</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-18T00:01:00.627Z
2023-01-18T00:01:00.627Z
r13
<p>In my opinion, <code>我向我的女朋友學習</code> would be considered that I have <strong>actively</strong> learned something from my girl-friend and maybe have a passion for it and have asked her lots of questions about it, which is more active than <code>我從我的女朋友學習</code> as I have learned something from her, maybe passively or occasionally learned.
Meanwhile, <code>我從書本學習</code> would be more usual than <code>我向書本學習</code> for I cannot ask the book any question.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-31T16:18:52.867Z
2023-01-31T16:18:52.867Z
user6099871
<p>For some reason, 从[person] is considered a grammar error in Chinese (this grammar point often arises as an exam question).  My understanding is that after 从 we should add a place, not a person (despite being able to say e.g. &quot;learned that from you&quot; in English).  So afterwards we add a 那儿 or 那里 or something similar:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我从朋友那儿听说你通过了考试。<br />
I heard from a friend you passed the test.</p>
<p>我从女朋友那里学到了这个词汇。<br />
I learned that word from my girlfriend.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>(And 奴 [part of 奴隶 = &quot;slave&quot;] is a typo for 女.)</p>
<p>For the desired expression (&quot;I've been learning (Chinese) from my Girlfriend&quot;), I'd suggest something like:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>最近我女朋友帮我学中文。<br />
Recently, my girlfriend has been helping me learn Chinese.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In regards to using 向……学习, the <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22towards%22_with_%22xiang%22#Used_as_.22From.22" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Chinese Grammar Wiki</a> writes about this:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Whereas in English we would say &quot;learn from someone,&quot; in Chinese this would be expressed as &quot;learn toward someone,&quot;</strong> as in the following example (and famous propaganda slogan):</p>
<blockquote>
<p>向雷锋同志学习！<br />
Learn from Comrade Lei Feng!</p>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<p>The relevant definition for 向 is &quot;towards&quot;, and it's used as a preposition, but since we don't use &quot;towards&quot; like that in English grammar (although it's used literally, like in &quot;Muslims pray towards the Kaaba&quot;), it won't appear in English translations.  Another example is:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我应该向你道歉。<br />
I should apologize to you.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In this example, we couldn't use &quot;towards&quot; in English.</p>
<p>The Google Translate sentence</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我向我的女朋友学习。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>would probably be interpret as habitual, not just a once-off.  You can likely infer from context that it's referring to the recent time period, and it's ongoing.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-31T17:04:52.120Z
Note that collocations like 听从 do exist, but mean something very different to English _to hear from_ / German _hören von_ / Korean ~에게 들었다. In Chinese, it implies 听而服从; e.g. from Xunzi (荀子): 事圣君者，有**听从**无谏争; also found in more modern Mandarin: **听从**耶稣的教导.
Michaelyus
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-01T08:31:14.937Z
just wanted to add a comment that a good english equivalent structure to the 从point would be something like "the place I learned that word from is my girlfriend" etc.
zagrycha
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-18T00:26:23.197Z
2023-01-18T00:31:23.543Z
2023-01-18T00:31:23.543Z
Becky 李蓓
<p>I wanted to say, I've been learning (Chinese) from my girlfriend.</p>
<p>I thought it would be something like: <strong>我在学习从我的奴朋友</strong> (<strong>Pinyin:</strong> Wǒ zài xuéxí cóng wǒ de nú péngyǒu)</p>
<p>Which Google Translate funnily translates as: I'm learning from my <strong>slave</strong> girlfriend. Probably because of tone-confusion on <strong>nú.</strong></p>
<p>But Google translated it as: <strong>我向我的女朋友学习。</strong> (<strong>Pinyin</strong>: Wǒ xiàng wǒ de nǚ péngyǒu xuéxí.)</p>
<p>Obviously <strong>向</strong> is different usage from <strong>想</strong>, but from the Zhongwen browser app I don't see any definition that relates to learning or anything. And I thought I would need to add <strong>在</strong> to represent <strong>learning</strong> in the present tense, as it is in my intended sentence.</p>

<grammar><mandarin><google-translate>
Translation of the sentence 我向我的女朋友学习
# Translation of the sentence 我向我的女朋友学习

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-01-17)

I wanted to say, I've been learning (Chinese) from my girlfriend.

I thought it would be something like: **我在学习从我的奴朋友** (**Pinyin:** Wǒ zài xuéxí cóng wǒ de nú péngyǒu)

Which Google Translate funnily translates as: I'm learning from my **slave** girlfriend. Probably because of tone-confusion on **nú.**

But Google translated it as: **我向我的女朋友学习。** (**Pinyin**: Wǒ xiàng wǒ de nǚ péngyǒu xuéxí.)

Obviously **向** is different usage from **想**, but from the Zhongwen browser app I don't see any definition that relates to learning or anything. And I thought I would need to add **在** to represent **learning** in the present tense, as it is in my intended sentence.

**Tags:** grammar, mandarin, google-translate


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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2023-01-18. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

For some reason, 从[person] is considered a grammar error in Chinese (this grammar point often arises as an exam question). My understanding is that after 从 we should add a place, not a person (despite being able to say e.g. "learned that from you" in English). So afterwards we add a 那儿 or 那里 or something similar:

> 我从朋友那儿听说你通过了考试。  
> I heard from a friend you passed the test.
>
> 我从女朋友那里学到了这个词汇。  
> I learned that word from my girlfriend.

(And 奴 [part of 奴隶 = "slave"] is a typo for 女.)

For the desired expression ("I've been learning (Chinese) from my Girlfriend"), I'd suggest something like:

> 最近我女朋友帮我学中文。  
> Recently, my girlfriend has been helping me learn Chinese.

In regards to using 向……学习, the [Chinese Grammar Wiki](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22towards%22_with_%22xiang%22#Used_as_.22From.22) writes about this:

> **Whereas in English we would say "learn from someone," in Chinese this would be expressed as "learn toward someone,"** as in the following example (and famous propaganda slogan):
>
> > 向雷锋同志学习！  
> > Learn from Comrade Lei Feng!

The relevant definition for 向 is "towards", and it's used as a preposition, but since we don't use "towards" like that in English grammar (although it's used literally, like in "Muslims pray towards the Kaaba"), it won't appear in English translations. Another example is:

> 我应该向你道歉。  
> I should apologize to you.

In this example, we couldn't use "towards" in English.

The Google Translate sentence

> 我向我的女朋友学习。

would probably be interpret as habitual, not just a once-off. You can likely infer from context that it's referring to the recent time period, and it's ongoing.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: Note that collocations like 听从 do exist, but mean something very different to English _to hear from_ / German _hören von_ / Korean ~에게 들었다. In Chinese, it implies 听而服从; e.g. from Xunzi (荀子): 事圣君者，有**听从**无谏争; also found in more modern Mandarin: **听从**耶稣的教导.  
> **username_6**: just wanted to add a comment that a good english equivalent structure to the 从point would be something like "the place I learned that word from is my girlfriend" etc.  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2023-01-17. Score: 2

奴 means slave. If you want to type 女, you should type 'nv' in Chinese input method program.

In my opinion, 'I've been learning (Chinese) from my Girlfriend' should be translated as '我已经在向我的女朋友学（中文）了'.

'向' means 'from', '已经在' means 'have been doing', '学（中文）' means 'learn (Chinese)'.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Why can't we use 从 instead of 向 in this case? Are they interchangeable?  
> **username_1**: I think '向...学习' is a fixed collocation, especially ’向某人学习‘ means ’learn from somebody‘, we usually use ’向‘.  
> **username_1**: But if I want to say 'I have learnt some method from this book', I will say '我从这本书里学到了某种方法'. '向某人学习' usually means 'will learn something from somebody', for 'from something', or 'already learnt', I think '从' is better.  
> **username_0**: Thank you! That helps a lot.  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2023-01-18. Score: 2

> I've been learning (Chinese) from my Girlfriend.

To reflect the "present perfect continuous tense", I propose the following sentences:

* 1. 我**一直從**我女朋友**那裡**學英文. [一直 - all along; all the way; continuously. 從..那裡 - from (someone) there] -
* 2. 我**一直(在)向/跟**我的女朋友學英文. [here, (在)向 and (在)跟 both mean "from"]


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### Answer by username_3 on 2023-01-31. Score: 0

In my opinion, `我向我的女朋友學習` would be considered that I have **actively** learned something from my girl-friend and maybe have a passion for it and have asked her lots of questions about it, which is more active than `我從我的女朋友學習` as I have learned something from her, maybe passively or occasionally learned.
Meanwhile, `我從書本學習` would be more usual than `我向書本學習` for I cannot ask the book any question.


---

