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

Line 18: Line 18:
  
 
* 老板 <em>一直</em> 很 忙 。<span class="expl">("Always" is more natural than "continuously.")</span><span class="pinyin"> Lǎobǎn <em>yīzhí</em> hěn máng.</span> <span class="trans">The boss is always very busy.</span>
 
* 老板 <em>一直</em> 很 忙 。<span class="expl">("Always" is more natural than "continuously.")</span><span class="pinyin"> Lǎobǎn <em>yīzhí</em> hěn máng.</span> <span class="trans">The boss is always very busy.</span>
* 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>
+
* 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="pinyin">Tā <em>yīzhí</em> hěn xǐhuan Shànghǎi.</span> <span class="trans">She has always liked Shanghai a lot.</span>
+
* 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>
 
* 爸爸 <em>一直</em> 很 爱 妈妈。 <span class="pinyin">Bàba <em>yīzhí</em> hěn ài māma.</span> <span class="trans">Dad has always loved mom a lot!</span>
 
* 爸爸 <em>一直</em> 很 爱 妈妈。 <span class="pinyin">Bàba <em>yīzhí</em> hěn ài māma.</span> <span class="trans">Dad has always loved mom a lot!</span>
*你 会 <em>一直</em> 学 中文 吗 ? <span class="pinyin">Nǐ huì <em>yīzhí</em> xué Zhōngwén ma?</span> <span class="trans">Will you always continue studying Chinese?</span>
+
*你 会 <em>一直</em> 学 中文 吗? <span class="pinyin">Nǐ huì <em>yīzhí</em> xué Zhōngwén ma?</span> <span class="trans">Will you always continue studying Chinese?</span>
 
* 我 男朋友 <em>一直</em>在 中国 做 英文 老师 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ nánpéngyou <em>yīzhí</em> zài Zhōngguó zuò Yīngwén lǎoshī.</span> <span class="trans">My boyfriend's always  been a teacher in China.</span>
 
* 我 男朋友 <em>一直</em>在 中国 做 英文 老师 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ nánpéngyou <em>yīzhí</em> zài Zhōngguó zuò Yīngwén lǎoshī.</span> <span class="trans">My boyfriend's always  been 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="pinyin">Cóng zǎoshang qīdiǎn dào wǎnshang shídiǎn, wǒ <em>yīzhí</em> zài gōngzuò.</span> <span class="trans">From 7pm to 10 pm, I am continuously doing homework.</span>
+
*昨天 晚上 从 七点 到 十点 , 我 <em>一直</em> 在 做作业。 <span class="pinyin">Cóng zǎoshang qīdiǎn dào wǎnshang shídiǎn, wǒ <em>yīzhí</em> zài gōngzuò.</span> <span class="trans">From 7pm to 10pm yesterday, I was continuously doing homework.</span>
*18 岁 以后 , 他 <em>一直</em> 一个人 住 。 <span class="pinyin">Shíbā suì yǐhòu, tā <em>yīzhí</em> yīgèrén zhù.</span> <span class="trans">Since he was 18, he has always lived alone.</span>
+
*18 岁 以后 , 他 <em>一直</em> 一个人 住。 <span class="pinyin">Shíbā suì 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="pinyin">Wǒ <em>yīzhí</em> zài xiànzài de gōngsī lǐ gōngzuò.</span> <span class="trans">I've always worked at the company I work at now.</span>
+
* 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 gōngzuò.</span> <span class="trans">I've always worked at the company I work at now.</span>
* 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 huì kàndào yī gè dà gōngyuán.</span> <span class="trans">From here keep walking straight, you will see a big park.</span>
+
* 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 huì kàndào yī gè dà gōngyuán.</span> <span class="trans">From here keep walking straight, you will see a big park.</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>

Revision as of 01:33, 22 September 2015

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.
  • 一直 很 喜欢 上海。 yīzhí hěn xǐhuan Shànghǎi. She has always liked Shanghai a lot.
  • 爸爸 一直 很 爱 妈妈。 Bàba yīzhí hěn ài māma. Dad has always loved mom a lot!
  • 你 会 一直 学 中文 吗? Nǐ huì yīzhí xué Zhōngwén ma? Will you always continue studying Chinese?
  • 我 男朋友 一直在 中国 做 英文 老师 。 Wǒ nánpéngyou yīzhí zài Zhōngguó zuò Yīngwén lǎoshī. My boyfriend's always been a teacher in China.
  • 昨天 晚上 从 七点 到 十点 , 我 一直 在 做作业。 Cóng zǎoshang qīdiǎn dào wǎnshang shídiǎn, wǒ yīzhí zài gōngzuò. From 7pm to 10pm yesterday, 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.
  • 一直 在 现在 的 公司 里 工作。 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 大 公园。 Cóng zhèlǐ yīzhí zǒu, nǐ huì kàndào yī gè dà gōngyuán. From here keep walking straight, you will see a big park.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Dictionaries