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向来 (xiàng lái) — always (from past to present), all along, consistently

Definition

向来 means 'always' for a settled habit, trait, or stance held up to now — closer in nuance to 一向 than to 一直 (which stresses unbroken continuity from a starting point).

adverb
always (from past to present)all alongconsistently

Examples

  • 向来。
    Tā xiàng lái fǎn duì zhè zhǒng shuō fǎ.
    He has always opposed this kind of statement.
  • 向来。
    Wǒ xiàng lái bù xǐ huan chī là de.
    I've never liked eating spicy food.
  • 向来。
    Zhè suǒ dà xué xiàng lái zhòng shì yán jiū.
    This university has always placed great importance on research.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

向xiàngfrom the past
来láisince

The all-along sense comes from 向, from the past, and 来, since.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

向 originally drew 宀 (house) with 口 to show an echo in a place; later it was used for direction.

Open 向 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 來; 来 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 來 shows a wheat plant: a central ear, upward leaves, and downward stem and roots. The simplified 来 is a later shorthand.

Open 来 →

Grammar

Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Frequency & Duration

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