Expressing "all along" with "yizhi"

Expressing "all along" with 一直 (yīzhí) is pretty easy. Character for character, it literally means "one straight," and it's sort of like saying "constantly."

Basic Structure

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

Subject + 一直 + Predicate

Examples

• 我 一直 在 现在 的 公司 工作。I've always worked at this company.
• 从 这里 一直 走，十 五 分钟 后 你 会 看 到 一 个 大 公园。If you keep walking from here, 15 minutes later you will see a big park.
• 她 一直 在 说话，烦死了。He is constantly talking, it's such a pain.

Structure

一直 can also be used to indicate a range or scope, such as time or place. It is often used in the 从…一直（+V.）+到… grammar structure.

从 + A + 一直到 + B

Examples

• 从 早上 六点 一直 到 晚上 十二点，他 都 在 工作。From 6 o'clock in the morning all the way until 12 o'clock at night, he is constantly at work.
• 今天 我 从 家 一直 走 到 公司。Today I walked all the way from home to work.

See also

• "Always" with "zongshi"

Sources and further reading

Books

• 现代汉语八百词（增订本） (pp. 610) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 308-9) →buy

Dictionaries

• 现代汉语词典（第5版） (pp. 1601) →buy