从

cóng

from; through; via

surname Cong; (bound form) to follow; (bound form) to obey; (bound form) to engage in (an activity); (used before a negative) ever; (bound form) (Taiwan pr. [zong4]) retainer; attendant; (bound form) (Taiwan pr. [zong4]) assistant; auxiliary; subordinate; (bound form) (Taiwan pr. [zong4]) related by common paternal grandfather or earlier ancestor

person (人) + person (人) = one following another

One person follows behind another — the visual logic is direct: two figures walking in the same direction encode following and compliance. This shape later extended to 'from' and 'via', the path one person traces after another.

人+人→从
人PersonSemantic

她从学校走回家。

tā cóng xué xiào zǒu huí jiā 。

she walked home from school.

这条路从城市中心穿过。

zhè tiáo lù cóng chéng shì zhōng xīn chuān guò 。

this road passes through the city center.

Words with 从

遵从

zūn cóng

to comply with

盲从

máng cóng

to follow blindly

自从

zì cóng

since (a time)

从小

cóng xiǎo

from childhood; from a young age

言听计从

yán tīng jì cóng

to see, hear and obey (idiom); to take advice

从轻

cóng qīng

to be lenient (in sentencing)

屈从

qū cóng

to submit; to yield; to bow to sb's will

从业者

cóng yè zhě

people in the (aforementioned) industry; practitioner; industry professional

何去何从

hé qù hé cóng

what course to follow

过从

guò cóng

to have relations with

随从

suí cóng

to accompany

顺从

shùn cóng

obedient

More characters with 人

倝亼仑伞以余