Expressing "since the beginning" with "yixiang"

一向 (yī xiàng) is generally used to express a habit, attitude, or ‘set way of things' has continued for a long period of time until the present.

Structure

Subj. + 一向 + Habit / Attitude / etc.

Examples

• 他 一向 是 个 好 学生，怎么 可能 会 作弊 呢？Tā yīxiàng shìgè hào xuéshēng, zěnme kěnéng huì zuòbì ne?He's always been a good student, why would he possibly cheat?
• 中国人 一向 把 红色 视为 吉祥 喜庆 的 颜色。Zhōngguó rén yīxiàng bǎ hóngsè shì wéi jíxiáng xǐqìng de yánsè.Chinese people have always considered red to be a lucky and joyous color.
• 云南 的 雨季 一向 来 得 很 突然。Yúnnán de yǔjì yīxiàng láidé hěn túrán.Yunnan's rainy season always comes suddenly.
• 他 的 态度 一向 很 认真。Tā de tàidù yīxiàng hěn rènzhēn.His attitude has always been very serious.

一向 cannot be used with verbs involving changes or actions. In this case, 一直 should be used:

So we cannot say:

• 中国 的经济 一向都在快速发展.Zhōngguó de jīng jǐ yīxiàng dōu zài kuàisù fāzhǎn.
• 他 一向 都 在 学 汉语.Tā yīxiàng dōu zàixué Hànyǔ.

一向 indicates that a certain state has continued until the present. It cannot be used to express actions in the future. Again, 一直 can be used instead:

• 你打算一向在上海工作吗？Nǐ dǎsuàn yīxiàng zài shànghǎi gōngzuò ma?

Sources and further reading

Books

• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (pp. 224-5) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy

Websites

• ‘一向’与‘一直’的多角度分析
• ‘一直’和‘一向’

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