How to say “all along” in Chinese

一直

yìzhí

all along; straight

adverb · HSK 3 · topic “Seasons and time”

“All along” in Chinese is 一直, yì zhí: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.

How to pronounce it

一直 is read yì zhí: 2 syllables. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.

yì — 4th tonesharply falling, like “Stop!”

zhí — 2nd tonerising, like a surprised “huh?”

How to write it

一

yī — one

Before a measure word its tone changes: yí before a fourth tone, yì before the others. In numbers and dates it stays yī.

直

zhí — straight; all along

Inside, 目 “eye”.

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 “一直”.

Examples

Sentences from the course lessons with 一直. Tap the sound icon to listen.

他最近一直很忙tāzuìjìnyìzhíhěnmángHe's been busy all the time lately.
沿着这条河一直走，就能看见公园。yánzhezhètiáohéyìzhízǒu,jiùnéngkànjiàngōngyuánKeep walking along the river and you'll see the park.
沿着这条河一直走yánzhezhètiáohéyìzhízǒuKeep walking along the river.
毕业以来，我一直在这家公司工作。bìyèyǐlái,wǒyìzhízàizhèjiāgōngsīgōngzuòSince graduating, I've been working at this company the whole time.
自去年以来他一直在学汉语zìqùniányǐlái,tāyìzhízàixuéHànyǔHe's been studying Chinese since last year.
我们一直保持联系wǒmenyìzhíbǎochíliánxìWe've always stayed in touch.

More words from the lesson “Early or late”

Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.

Frequently asked questions

How do you say “all along” in Chinese?

“All along” in Chinese is 一直, pinyin yìzhí.

What does 一直 mean?

一直 (yìzhí) means “all along; straight”.

How do you write 一直?

一直 is 2 characters: 一 (yī) — one; 直 (zhí) — straight; all along. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.

How do you pronounce 一直?

一直 is read yìzhí. Tones: yì — fourth tone, zhí — second tone. The page has a native speaker recording.

“all along” in the lesson “Early or late”

This word is from the topic “Seasons and time” of HSK 3. 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.

Start for free