Since / ever since (以来)

Structure Starting point (event / date) + 以来，… (effect reaching the present)

以来 (yǐlái) is appended to an event or date to mark a starting point whose effect continues up to the present: 改革开放以来 = "since the reform and opening up (until now)". It is written, formal register, typical of the press and essays. It often pairs with 自 (自…以来) and with 自古 (自古以来 = "since ancient times"). Unlike 从…开始, which only flags the onset, 以来 stresses the continuous span running from that start up to now.

Examples

改gǎi革gé开kāi放fàng以yǐ来lái，中zhōng国guó发fā生shēng了le巨jù大dà的de变biàn化huà。
Since the reform and opening up, China has undergone enormous changes.
自zì古gǔ以yǐ来lái，黄huáng河hé就jiù是shì中zhōng华huá文wén明míng的de摇yáo篮lán。
Since ancient times, the Yellow River has been the cradle of Chinese civilization.
入rù冬dōng以yǐ来lái，这zhè里lǐ几jī乎hū没méi下xià过guo雨yǔ。
Since winter set in, it has hardly rained here.
他tā上shàng任rèn以yǐ来lái，公gōng司sī业yè绩jì稳wěn步bù上shàng升shēng。
Since he took office, the company's results have risen steadily.

Levels are indicative: they follow the standard Chinese Grammar Wiki (AllSet Learning) progression, not an official HSK 3.0 mapping. We never assign levels by eye.

This point and the other 370, with audio on every example, inside Wanyu.