talkiNG aBoUt haBitUal aCtioNS
35.3一向 yīxiàng ‘always in the past’他一向很可靠。我们一定可以信任他。
他一向很可靠。我們一定可以信任他。
Tā yīxiàng hěn kěkào. Wǒmen yīdìng kéyǐ xìnrèn tā.
He has always been very reliable. We can certainly trust him.Note 向来/向來 xiànglái and 从来/從來 cónglái are opposites.
- 向来/向來 xiànglái is used to indicate that an action habitually occurred in the past.
- 从来/從來 cónglái indicates that an action does not happen or has not happened.
从来/從來 cónglái always occurs with negation:
从来/從來 cónglái + 不 bù indicates that an action never occurs.
从来/從來 cónglái + 没 méi indicates that an action has never occurred in the past.
他从来不喝酒。
他從來不喝酒。
Tā cónglái bù hē jiǔ.
He never drinks alcohol.我从来没给他打过电话。
我從來没給他打過電話。
Wǒ cónglái méi gěi tā dǎguo diànhuà.
I have never called him on the phone before.
C27.3.1