一向 (yī xiàng) is generally used to express a habit, attitude, or ‘set way of things' has continued for a long period of time until the present.
Structure
Subj. + 一向 + Habit / Attitude / etc.
Examples
- 他 一向 是 个 好 学生，怎么 可能 会 作弊 呢？He's always been a good student, why would he possibly cheat?
- 中国人 一向 把 红色 视为 吉祥 喜庆 的 颜色。Chinese people have always considered red to be a lucky and joyous color.
- 云南 的 雨季 一向 来 得 很 突然。Yunnan's rainy season always comes suddenly.
- 他 的 态度 一向 很 认真。His attitude has always been very serious.
一向 cannot be used with verbs involving changes or actions. In this case, 一直 should be used:
So we cannot say:
- 中国 的经济 一向都在快速发展.
- 他 一向 都 在 学 汉语.
一向 indicates that a certain state has continued until the present. It cannot be used to express actions in the future. Again, 一直 can be used instead:
See also
Sources and further reading
Books
Websites
Category: B2 grammar points Category: Adverbs