# Expressing "since the beginning" with "一向"

<SentenceQuiz>

- 小王 _一向_ 上班 很 早，这次 是 怎么了？
  <!-- - Xiǎo Wáng _yīxiàng_ shàngbān hěn zǎo, zhè cì shì zěnme le? -->
  - Xiao Wang has always started work very early. What happened this time?
- 我 _一向_ 不 喜欢 点 外卖。
  <!-- - Wǒ _yīxiàng_ bù xǐhuan diǎn wàimài. -->
  - I have never liked ordering takeout.
- 妈妈 _一向_ 支持 我 的 决定。
  <!-- - Māma _yīxiàng_ zhīchí wǒ de juédìng. -->
  - Mom has always supported my decisions.
- 他 _一向_ 是 个 好 学生，怎么 可能 会 作弊 呢？
  <!-- - Tā _yīxiàng_ shìgè hǎo xuéshēng, zěnme kěnéng huì zuòbì ne? -->
  - 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。
  <!-- - Zhōngguó rén _yīxiàng_ bǎ hóngsè shì wéi jíxiáng xǐqìng de yánsè. -->
  - 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。
  <!-- - Yúnnán de yǔjì _yīxiàng_ láide hěn tūrán. -->
  - Yunnan's rainy season always comes suddenly.
- 他 的 态度 _一向_ 很 认真。
  <!-- - Tā de tàidù _yīxiàng_ hěn rènzhēn. -->
  - His attitude has always been very serious.
- 我 _一向_ 都 是 这样 做，没 问题 的。
  <!-- - Wǒ _yīxiàng_ dōu shì zhèyàng zuò, méi wèntí de. -->
  - I always do it like this. It's no problem.
- 中国 的 经济 _一直_ 都 在 快速 发展 。
  <!-- - Zhōngguó de jīngjì _yīzhí_ dōu zài kuàisù fāzhǎn. -->
  - China's economy has been continuously developing rapidly.
- 他 _一直_ 都 在 学 汉语.
  <!-- - Tā _yīzhí_ dōu zài xué Hànyǔ. -->
  - He's been studying Mandarin all this time.
- 你 打算 _一直_ 在 上海 工作 吗 ？
  <!-- - Nǐ dǎsuàn _yīzhí_ zài Shànghǎi gōngzuò ma? -->
  - Do you plan to work in Shanghai indefinitely?

</SentenceQuiz>

<TOC>

- Level: [B2](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/B2_grammar_points) / [HSK6](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/HSK6_grammar_points)
- Similar to
  - [Expressing "all along" with "一直"](../A2/一直.md) (A2)
  - [Comparing "一直" and "一向"](../C1/一直&一向.md) (C1)
- Used for: [Referring to habitual actions](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Referring_to_habitual_actions), [Referring to the past](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Referring_to_the_past), [Expressing frequency](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_frequency), [Expressing time and date](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_time_and_date)
- Keywords: [一向](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%B8%80%E5%90%91)

</TOC>

一向 (yīxiàng) means "[always](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Always)," but is generally used to express a habit, attitude, or convention which has continued for a long period of time until the present. When you use 一向, you're conveying a sense that "it's always been this way."

## Structure

Subj. + 一向 + Habit / Attitude / etc.

## Examples

- 小王 _一向_ 上班 很 早，这次 是 怎么了？
  <!-- - Xiǎo Wáng _yīxiàng_ shàngbān hěn zǎo, zhè cì shì zěnme le? -->
  - Xiao Wang has always started work very early. What happened this time?
- 我 _一向_ 不 喜欢 点 外卖。
  <!-- - Wǒ _yīxiàng_ bù xǐhuan diǎn wàimài. -->
  - I have never liked ordering takeout.
- 妈妈 _一向_ 支持 我 的 决定。
  <!-- - Māma _yīxiàng_ zhīchí wǒ de juédìng. -->
  - Mom has always supported my decisions.
- 他 _一向_ 是 个 好 学生，怎么 可能 会 作弊 呢？
  <!-- - Tā _yīxiàng_ shìgè hǎo xuéshēng, zěnme kěnéng huì zuòbì ne? -->
  - 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。
  <!-- - Zhōngguó rén _yīxiàng_ bǎ hóngsè shì wéi jíxiáng xǐqìng de yánsè. -->
  - 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。
  <!-- - Yúnnán de yǔjì _yīxiàng_ láide hěn tūrán. -->
  - Yunnan's rainy season always comes suddenly.
- 他 的 态度 _一向_ 很 认真。
  <!-- - Tā de tàidù _yīxiàng_ hěn rènzhēn. -->
  - His attitude has always been very serious.
- 我 _一向_ 都 是 这样 做，没 问题 的。
  <!-- - Wǒ _yīxiàng_ dōu shì zhèyàng zuò, méi wèntí de. -->
  - I always do it like this. It's no problem.

## Incorrect Usage

一向 cannot be used with verbs involving changes or actions. In this case, [一直 should be used](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%22All_along%22_with_%22yizhi%22):

<div class="wrong">

- 中国 的 经济 _一向_ 都 在 快速 发展 。
  - It must have started developing at some point.
  <!-- - Zhōngguó de jīngjì _yīxiàng_ dōu zài kuàisù fāzhǎn. -->

</div>

- 中国 的 经济 _一直_ 都 在 快速 发展 。
  <!-- - Zhōngguó de jīngjì _yīzhí_ dōu zài kuàisù fāzhǎn. -->
  - China's economy has been continuously developing rapidly.

<div class="wrong">

- 他 _一向_ 都 在 学 汉语.
  - He must have started, right?
  <!-- - Tā _yīxiàng_ dōu zài xué Hànyǔ. -->

</div>

- 他 _一直_ 都 在 学 汉语.
  <!-- - Tā _yīzhí_ dōu zài xué Hànyǔ. -->
  - He's been studying Mandarin all this time.

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:

<div class="wrong">

- 你 打算 _一向_ 在 上海 工作 吗 ？
  <!-- - Nǐ dǎsuàn _yīxiàng_ zài Shànghǎi gōngzuò ma? -->

</div>

- 你 打算 _一直_ 在 上海 工作 吗 ？
  <!-- - Nǐ dǎsuàn _yīzhí_ zài Shànghǎi gōngzuò ma? -->
  - Do you plan to work in Shanghai indefinitely?

## Sources and further reading

### Books

- [Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Integrated_Chinese:_Level_2,_Part_2) (pp. 224-5) [Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy](https://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001J0ADWA&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001J0ADWA,)

### Websites

- [‘一向’与‘一直’的多角度分析](http://wenku.baidu.com/view/066889f77c1cfad6195fa784.html)
- [‘一直’和‘一向’](http://home.meishichina.com/space-239977-do-blog-id-224383.html)