一直 (yīzhí) literally means "straight." Used as an
[adverb](adverb "wikilink"), 一直 (yīzhí) can also be used to express
that you have been 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.

<div class="jiegou">
Subj. + 一直 + Predicate

</div>
Also note that although 一直 (yīzhí) means "continuously," it is
frequently more natural to use the word "[always](always "wikilink")" in
the English translation.

Examples
--------

<div class="liju">
-   我 <em>一直</em> 在 学习 中文 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ
    <em>yīzhí</em> zài xuéxí Zhōngwén.</span><span class="trans">I've
    been studying Chinese all along.</span>
-   昨天 晚上 我 <em>一直</em> 在 做作业。 <span class="pinyin">Zuótiān
    wǎnshang wǒ <em>yīzhí</em> zài zuò
    zuòyè.</span><span class="trans">Yesterday evening I was
    continuously doing homework. </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>
-   我 <em>一直</em> 很 喜欢 你。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>yīzhí</em>
    hěn xǐhuan nǐ.</span><span class="trans">I've always liked you a
    lot.</span>
-   爸爸 <em>一直</em> 都 不 抽烟。 <span class="pinyin">Bàba
    <em>yīzhí</em> dōu bù chōuyān.</span><span class="trans">Dad has
    never smoked cigarettes.</span>
-   我 男朋友 <em>一直</em>在 中国 教 英文。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ
    nánpéngyou <em>yīzhí</em> zài Zhōngguó jiāo
    Yīngwén.</span><span class="trans">My boyfriend has always been
    teaching English in China.</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>
-   你 <em>一直</em> 在 这 家 公司 工作 吗？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ
    <em>yīzhí</em> zài zhè jiā gōngsī gōngzuò ma?
    </span><span class="trans">Have you always worked in this company?
    </span>
-   你们 <em>一直</em> 住 在 一起 吗？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐmen
    <em>yīzhí</em> zhù zài yīqǐ ma? </span><span class="trans">Have you
    always been living together? </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>

</div>
See also
--------

-   ["Always" with "zongshi"]("Always"_with_"zongshi" "wikilink")
-   ["Since the beginning" with
    "yixiang"]("Since_the_beginning"_with_"yixiang" "wikilink")
-   [Comparing "yizhi" and
    "yixiang"](Comparing_"yizhi"_and_"yixiang" "wikilink")

Sources and further reading
---------------------------

### Books

-   [现代汉语八百词（增订本）](现代汉语八百词（增订本） "wikilink") (p.
    610)
    [→buy](http://www.amazon.cn/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%85%AB%E7%99%BE%E8%AF%8D/dp/B001198GSW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345693275&sr=8-1)
-   [Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part
    1](Integrated_Chinese:_Level_2,_Part_1 "wikilink") (pp. 308-9)
    [→buy](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276792/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276792)
-   [Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and
    Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 -
    初中级)](Chinese_Grammar_-_Broken_down_into_100_items_-_Basic_and_Intermediate_Levels_(汉语语法百项讲练_-_初中级) "wikilink") (p.
    123)
    [→buy](http://www.amazon.cn/gp/product/B004WA6JSQ/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B004WA6JSQ)

### Dictionaries

-   [现代汉语词典（第5版）](现代汉语词典（第5版） "wikilink") (p. 1601)
    [→buy](http://www.amazon.cn/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E8%AF%8D%E5%85%B8/dp/B001B1RZCI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345693609&sr=8-1)

[Category:A2 grammar points](Category:A2_grammar_points "wikilink")