Expressing "all along" with "yizhi"

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一直 (yīzhí) literally means "straight." Used as an adverb, 一直 (yīzhí) can also be used to express that you are doing something all along, have been continuously doing something since a certain time, or that something will continuously happen in the future.

Structure

This structure expresses the continuous nature 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

  • 一直 在 学习 中文 。 yīzhí zài xuéxí Zhōngwén.I've been studying Chinese all along.
  • 昨天 晚上 我 一直 在 做作业。 Zuótiān wǎnshàng wǒ yīzhí zài zuò zuòyè. Yesterday evening I was continuously doing homework.
  • 老板 一直 很 忙 。"Always" is more natural than "continuously." Lǎobǎn yīzhí hěn máng. The boss is always very busy.
  • 一直 很 喜欢 你。 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 has always been teaching English in China.
  • 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 这 家 公司 工作 吗? yīzhí zài zhè jiā gōngsī gōngzuò ma? Have you always worked in this company?
  • 你们 一直 住 在 一起 吗? Nǐmen yīzhí zhù zài yīqǐ ma? Have you always been living together?
  • 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.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Dictionaries