Expressing "all along" with "yizhi"

Expressing "all along" with 一直 (yīzhí) is not complicated. Character for character, it literally means "one straight," and is similar to saying "constantly."

Structure

This structure expresses the continuation of an action or a circumstance.

Subject + 一直 + Predicate

To break it down, 一直 (yīzhí) means "straight" or "constantly”. You use this word to express that you are doing something continuously, or continuously doing something since a certain time. This means that something occurred (or someone did an action) and it kept occurring, so 一直 (yīzhí) is used to express this continuous action. It’s important to note that this point in time doesn't necessarily have to be in the past, therefore 一直 (yīzhí) can be used to say something “will happen continuously” in the future.

Also note that although 一直 (yīzhí) means "continuously," it's frequently more natural to use the word "always" in the English translation.

Examples

• 我 一直 很 忙 。("Always" is more natural than "continuously.")Wǒ yīzhí hěn máng. I am always very busy.
• 北京 的 空气 一直 很 不 好 。 Běijīng de kōngqì yīzhí hěn bù hǎo. The air in Beijing has been bad for a while.
• 她 一直 很 喜欢 上海 。 Tā yīzhí hěn xǐhuan Shànghǎi. She has always liked Shanghai a lot.
• 我 一直 很 爱 你 ！ Wǒ yīzhí hěn ài nǐ! I've always loved you a lot!
• 你 会 一直 学 中文 吗 ？ Nǐ hùi yīzhí xué Zhōngwén ma? Will you always continue studying Chinese?
• 我 一直 想 在 中国 做 老师 。 Wǒ yīzhí xiǎng zài Zhōnggúo zùo lǎoshī. I've always wanted to be a teacher in China.
• 从 早上 七点 到 晚上 十点 ， 我 一直 在 工作 。 Cóng zǎoshang qīdiǎn dào wǎnshang shídiǎn, wǒ yīzhí zài gōngzùo. From 7:00 in the morning till 10:00 in the evening, I am continuously working.
• 18 岁 以后 ， 他 一直 一个人 住 。 18 sùi yǐhòu, tā yīzhí yīgèrén zhù. Since he was 18, he has always lived alone.
• 我 一直 在 现在 的 公司 里 工作 。 Wǒ yīzhí zài xiànzài de gōngsī lǐ gōngzùo. I've always worked at this company.
• 从 这里 一直 走 ， 你 会 看 到 一 个 大 公园 。 Cóng zhèlǐ yīzhí zǒu, nǐ hùi kān dào yī gè dà gōngyuán. From here keep walking straight, you will see a big park.

See also

• "Always" with "zongshi"
• "Since the beginning" with "yixiang"
• Comparing "yizhi" and "yixiang"

Sources and further reading

Books

• 现代汉语八百词（增订本） (p. 610) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 308-9) →buy
• Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级) (p. 123) →buy

Dictionaries

• 现代汉语词典（第5版） (p. 1601) →buy