How to say “always” in Chinese
always, all along (habit)
“Always” in Chinese is 一向, yí xiàng: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
一向 is read yí xiàng: 2 syllables. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.
How to write it
Before a measure word its tone changes: yí before a fourth tone, yì before the others. In numbers and dates it stays yī.
Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “一向”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 一向. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 我一向不喝咖啡wǒyíxiàngbùhēkāfēiI don’t drink coffee — never have.
More words from the lesson “As before, and again and again”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “always” in Chinese?
“Always” in Chinese is 一向, pinyin yíxiàng.
What does 一向 mean?
一向 (yíxiàng) means “always, all along (habit)”.
How do you write 一向?
一向 is 2 characters: 一 (yī) — one; 向 (xiàng) — toward; direction. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 一向?
一向 is read yíxiàng. Tones: yí — second tone, xiàng — fourth tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“always” in the lesson “As before, and again and again”
This word is from the topic “Adverbs: exactly how” of HSK 6. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.
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