yí xiàng
consistently; all along; always (previously)
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他一向很勤奋。
tā yīxiàng hěn qínfèn.
He has always been very diligent.
她一向很节俭。
tā yīxiàng hěn jiéjiǎn.
She has always been very frugal.
他们一向很友好。
tāmen yīxiàng hěn yǒuhǎo.
They have always been very friendly.
偶尔 (ǒu'ěr)
occasionally
有时 (yǒu shí)
sometimes
The Chinese word 一向 (yīxiàng) is composed of two characters: 一 (yī), meaning "one" or "single", and 向 (xiàng), meaning "direction" or "tendency". Together, these characters form a compound word that literally means "one direction" or "always".The word 一向 has been used in Chinese for centuries, and its meaning has evolved over time. In modern Chinese, 一向 is most commonly used to mean "always" or "consistently". It can also be used to mean "in the past" or "traditionally".For example, the sentence 一向如此 (yīxiàng rúcǐ) means "it has always been like this". The sentence 一向很好 (yīxiàng hěn hǎo) means "it has always been very good".The word 一向 can also be used in a negative sense. For example, the sentence 一向不好 (yīxiàng bù hǎo) means "it has always been bad". The sentence 一向很差 (yīxiàng hěn chà) means "it has always been very bad".一向 is a versatile word that can be used in a variety of contexts. It is an important word for HSK learners to know, as it is used frequently in both spoken and written Chinese.
