Expressing "all along" with "yizhi"

一直 (yīzhí) literally translates to "one straight." 一直 (yīzhí) can be used to express that you are doing something continuously, have been continuously doing something since a certain time, and something will continuously happen in the future.

Structure

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

Subj. + 一直 + Predicate

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

Examples

• 老板 一直 很 忙 。("Always" is more natural than "continuously.") Lǎobǎn yīzhí hěn máng. The boss is 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.
• 我 一直 很 喜欢 你。 Wǒ yīzhí hěn xǐhuan nǐ. I've always liked you a lot.
• 爸爸 一直 都 不 抽烟。 Bàba yīzhí dōu bù chōuyān. Dad has never smoked cigarettes.
• 我 男朋友 一直在 中国 教 英文。 Wǒ nánpéngyou yīzhí zài Zhōngguó jiāo Yīngwén. My boyfriend's always been teaching Chinese in China.
• 昨天 晚上 从 七点 到 十点 ， 我 一直 在 做作业。 Zuótiān wǎnshang cóng qīdiǎn dào shídiǎn, wǒ yīzhí zài zuò zuòyè. Yesterday evening, from 7 o'clock to 10 o'clock, I was continuously doing homework.
• 18 岁 以后 ， 他 一直 一个人 住。 Shíbā suì 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 gōngzuò. I've always worked at the company I work at now.
• 从 这里 一直 走 ， 你 会 看 到 一 个 公园。 Cóng zhèlǐ yīzhí zǒu, nǐ huì kàndào yī gè gōngyuán. From here keep walking straight, you will see a park.
• 你 会 一直 对 我 这么 好 吗？ Nǐ huì yīzhí duì wǒ zhème hǎo ma? Will you always treat me so well?

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