Difference between revisions of "Expressing "all along" with "yizhi""

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* 我 <em>一直</em> 很 忙。<span class="expl">("Always" is more natural than "continuously.")</span><span class="trans">I am always very busy.</span>
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* 我 <em>一直</em> 很 忙 。<span class="expl">("Always" is more natural than "continuously.")</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>yīzhí</em> hěn máng.</span> <span class="trans">I am always very busy.</span>
* 北京 的 空气 <em>一直</em> 很 不 好。<span class="trans">The air in Beijing has been bad for a while.</span>
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* 北京 的 空气 <em>一直</em> 很 不 好 。 <span class="pinyin">Běijīng de kōngqì <em>yīzhí</em> hěn bù hǎo.</span> <span class="trans">The air in Beijing has been bad for a while.</span>
* 她 <em>一直</em> 很 喜欢 上海。<span class="trans">She has always liked Shanghai a lot.</span>
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* 她 <em>一直</em> 很 喜欢 上海 。 <span class="pinyin">Tā <em>yīzhí</em> hěn xǐhuan Shànghǎi.</span> <span class="trans">She has always liked Shanghai a lot.</span>
* 我 <em>一直</em> 很 爱 你!<span class="trans">I've always loved you a lot!</span>
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* 我 <em>一直</em> 很 爱 你 ! <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>yīzhí</em> hěn ài nǐ!</span> <span class="trans">I've always loved you a lot!</span>
*你 会 <em>一直</em> 学 中文 吗?<span class="trans">Will you always continue studying Chinese?</span>
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*你 会 <em>一直</em> 学 中文 吗 ? <span class="pinyin">Nǐ hùi <em>yīzhí</em> xué Zhōngwén ma?</span> <span class="trans">Will you always continue studying Chinese?</span>
*我 <em>一直</em> 想 在 中国 做 老师。<span class="trans">I've always wanted to be a teacher in China.</span>
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*我 <em>一直</em> 想 在 中国 做 老师 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>yīzhí</em> xiǎng zài Zhōnggúo zùo lǎoshī.</span> <span class="trans">I've always wanted to be a teacher in China.</span>
*从 早上 七点 到 晚上 十点,我 <em>一直</em> 在 工作。<span class="trans">From 7:00 in the morning till 10:00 in the evening, I am continuously working.</span>
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*从 早上 七点 到 晚上 十点 , 我 <em>一直</em> 在 工作 。 <span class="pinyin">Cóng zǎoshang qīdiǎn dào wǎnshang shídiǎn, wǒ <em>yīzhí</em> zài gōngzùo.</span> <span class="trans">From 7:00 in the morning till 10:00 in the evening, I am continuously working.</span>
*18 岁 以后,他 <em>一直</em> 一个人 住。<span class="trans">Since he was 18, he has always lived alone.</span>
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*18 岁 以后 , 他 <em>一直</em> 一个人 住 。 <span class="pinyin">18 sùi yǐhòu, tā <em>yīzhí</em> yīgèrén zhù.</span> <span class="trans">Since he was 18, he has always lived alone.</span>
* 我 <em>一直</em> 在 现在 的 公司 里 工作。<span class="trans">I've always worked at this company.</span>
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* 我 <em>一直</em> 在 现在 的 公司 里 工作 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>yīzhí</em> zài xiànzài de gōngsī lǐ gōngzùo.</span> <span class="trans">I've always worked at this company.</span>
* 从 这里 <em>一直</em> 走,你 会 看 到 一 个 大 公园。<span class="trans">From here keep walking straight, you will see a big park. </span>
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* 从 这里 <em>一直</em> 走 , 你 会 看 到 一 个 大 公园 。 <span class="pinyin">Cóng zhèlǐ <em>yīzhí</em> zǒu, nǐ hùi kān dào yī gè dà gōngyuán.</span> <span class="trans">From here keep walking straight, you will see a big park.</span>
  
 
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Revision as of 09:51, 17 October 2014

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

  • 一直 很 忙 。("Always" is more natural than "continuously.")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.
  • 一直 很 喜欢 上海 。 yīzhí hěn xǐhuan Shànghǎi. She has always liked Shanghai a lot.
  • 一直 很 爱 你 ! 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?
  • 一直 想 在 中国 做 老师 。 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.
  • 一直 在 现在 的 公司 里 工作 。 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

Sources and further reading

Books

Dictionaries