Chinese Grammar Bank
HOW TO USE 一直
Do you find it challenging to speak Chinese fluently and idiomatically? No worries, we are here to help!
In this article, we’ll explore another commonly used phrase in Chinese:
一直 is pronounced as yī zhí
GENERAL USE OF 一直
一直 is always treated as “continuously; always; all along; all the way” in Chinese.
When you want to express the state of continuation, you can add the phrase “一直” into your sentence.
我一直很喜欢你。
I’ve always liked you.男孩一直向它挥手。
The boy keeps waving to it.View More Phrases
| chinese | pinyin | english |
|---|---|---|
| 这种情形一直持续了七天。 | zhè zhǒng qíng xíng yī zhí chí xù le qī tiān | This situation lasted seven days. |
| 我一直很喜欢踢足球。 | wǒ yī zhí hěn xǐ huān tī zú qiú | I’ve always liked playing football. |
| 他们一直做得很好。 | tā men yī zhí zuò dé hěn hǎo | They have been doing well. |
| 这辆车的样子一直没变。 | zhè liàng chē de yàng zi yī zhí méi biàn | The look of the car hasn’t changed. |
| 女孩一直在哭。 | nǚ hái yī zhí zài kū | The girl is always crying |
Basically, 一直 is an adverb concerning time. We usually put it before the predicate to describe the duration of the action.
PATTERN
Subject + 一直 + Predicate
For instance, in the sentence “女孩一直在哭” (the girl keeps crying), “一直” is set between the predicate “哭” and the subject “女孩”.
| SUBJECT | 一直 | PREDICATE |
|---|---|---|
| 女孩 | 一直 | 在哭 |
| nǚhái | yīzhí | zài kū |
| the girl | continuously | cries |
The structure “subject + 一直 + predicate” is the standard and natural sentence structure.
OTHER MEANINGS OF 一直
If you can understand the basic meaning of 一直, you can handle most cases in daily chat.
However, there is one exception when these characters means something slightly different. In those cases, they are used to describe the direction of “straight; straight along; toward one direction”.
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 沿着这条路一直走。 | yán zhe zhè tiáo lù yī zhí zǒu | Go straight along this road. |
| 你应该一直向南走。 | nǐ yīng gāi yī zhí xiàng nán zǒu | You should keep going toward the south. |
| 一直走下去就能看到海了。 | yī zhí zǒu xià qù jiù néng kàn dào hǎi le | Go straight down and you’ll see the sea. |
| 一直向前走，然后左转。 | yī zhí xiàng qián zǒu ，rán hòu zuǒ zhuǎn | Go straight ahead and turn left. |
In summary, “一直” modifies unchangeable directions in these situations.
So it’ll be pretty valuable to know when you get lost or try to help someone who loses their way!
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FAQs
What is 一直?
一直 is an adverb concerning time.
It basically means continuously; always; all along; all the way.
However, in some circumstances it also means straight; straight along; toward one direction
How is 一直 pronounced?
一直 is pronounced as yī zhí.
How to use 一直?
There is two ways to use 一直:
1) General use. 一直 is usually put before the predicate to describe the duration of the action: Subject + 一直 + Predicate
Example:
我一直很喜欢你。wǒ yī zhí hěn xǐ huān nǐ | I’ve always liked you.
2) 一直 as a direction, meaning straight; straight along; toward one direction.
Example:
沿着这条路一直走。yán zhe zhè tiáo lù yī zhí zǒu | Go straight along this road.
How to give directions in Chinese?
Giving and asking for directions is not much difficult than in English.
Check out the essential vocabulary in this article and download the flashcards to review the words when needed!
For starters:
左边 zuǒ biān | Left
右边 yòu biān | Right
直走 zhí zǒu | Go straight
向后走 xiàng hòu zǒu | Go backwards
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