一直 (all along, continuously)
One unbroken line
- How do you say something never stopped — you liked it the whole time?
- Chinese draws it as all along一直: literally "one straight (line)" through time.
- Picture a single line with no breaks from then until now.
Subject + all along一直 + …
- Put all along一直 before the verb or adjective it stretches across.
I我all along一直very很like喜欢you你。
- all along一直very很to like喜欢 = "have liked you all along" — non-stop, start to now.
Practice
Complete: 我 ____ 很喜欢你。(I've liked you all along.)
一直 = one unbroken stretch up to now — 一直很喜欢.
Practice
一直 pictures time as …
一直 = literally “one straight (line)” — continuous, no breaks.
Practice
Build: “The boss is always busy.”
Subject + 一直 + Predicate: 老板 + 一直 + 很忙.
all along一直 vs always总是
- all along一直 = one unbroken stretch (the whole time).
- always总是 = a repeating habit (every time, again and again).
- "It rained the whole day" → all along一直; "he's always late" → always总是.
Explore
Correct or broken?
一直 keeps one action running without a break — before the verb, no gaps.
Practice
For a habit that repeats every time (“he's always late”), 一直 is the best choice.
A repeating habit takes 总是; 一直 is one unbroken stretch.
Recap
Key idea
- Subject + all along一直 + Predicate — continuously, all along
- all along一直 = one straight, unbroken line through time
- Habit that repeats? Use always总是 instead
Read the full reference: HSK 3 grammar — Adverbs.