jat1 zik6一直

Jyutpingjat1 zik6

Yaleyāt jihk

副詞Very common

Definition

Continuously; all along; always; maintaining a state without change.

colloquialtime

How it's used

Expresses a state or action that has persisted without interruption from a past point until the present. Unlike the Mandarin usage which can imply a future direction, this is almost exclusively used for past to present continuity. It often pairs with the particle 都 to emphasize that the situation has remained constant despite expectations.

Examples

keoi5佢jat1一zik6直dou1都hou2好zung1鍾ji3意sik6食le1呢gaan1間caan1餐teng1廳。

He has always liked eating at this restaurant.

nei5你jat1一zik6直hai2喺dou6度dang2等gan2緊ngo5我aa4呀？

Have you been waiting for me the whole time?

Common phrases

jat1一zik6直ji5以loi4來

all along

jat1一zik6直dou1都

has always been

Common mistake

Learners often use this to mean 'always' in the sense of 'every single time', but it actually refers to a continuous state or duration. For habitual actions that happen repeatedly rather than continuously, use 成日 instead.