Continuity with 依旧 and 仍旧 in Chinese
依旧/仍旧
依旧 and 仍旧 state that a situation continues unchanged despite elapsed time or circumstances that might have altered it. Both are pre-predicate adverbs and commonly follow a time contrast. They cannot take aspect directly, split a verb-object expression, or serve as adjectives inside a noun phrase without a predicate.
Published July 23, 2026
Reviewed July 23, 2026
01 / PATTERN
See the Structure
MODEL
Subject + 依旧/仍旧 + Predicate
Read the structure
依旧 and 仍旧 state that a situation continues unchanged despite elapsed time or circumstances that might have altered it. Both are pre-predicate adverbs and commonly follow a time contrast. They cannot take aspect directly, split a verb-object expression, or serve as adjectives inside a noun phrase without a predicate. Keep the model Subject + 依旧/仍旧 + Predicate visible while you compare each sentence.
十年过去了，他依旧住在那里。
Ten years later, he still lives there.
Choose the right context
Use 依旧 before a state that remains unchanged. Keep the continuity adverb before any following negation. Use 仍旧 before an ongoing action or negative predicate. Contrast an elapsed-time clause with a continuing condition.
下雨了，比赛仍旧继续。
It rained, but the match still continued.
Respect the boundary
Do not attach perfective 了 to either continuity adverb. Do not place either adverb between a verb and object. Do not use them for a newly begun state with no prior baseline.
他依旧了住在那里。
(He still lives there.)
Repair the pattern
Aspect marker attaches to the continuity adverb: 依旧 is an adverb and cannot take perfective 了. Continuity adverb splits verb and object: 仍旧 scopes over the negative predicate and cannot interrupt 回复邮件.
他依旧住在那里。
Use the repaired structure without changing the intended meaning.
02 / MAP
Read the Sentence
Read from left to right and notice the job performed by each part. The labels describe this example; they are not a rule that every Chinese sentence must copy.
十年过去了，他依旧住在那里。
Ten years later, he still lives there.
十年
Subject
This part occupies the Subject position in the model pattern.
过去
依旧/仍旧
This part occupies the 依旧/仍旧 position in the model pattern.
了
Predicate
This part occupies the Predicate position in the model pattern.
，
Subject
This part occupies the Subject position in the model pattern.
他
依旧/仍旧
This part occupies the 依旧/仍旧 position in the model pattern.
依旧
Predicate
This part occupies the Predicate position in the model pattern.
住在
Subject
This part occupies the Subject position in the model pattern.
那里
依旧/仍旧
This part occupies the 依旧/仍旧 position in the model pattern.
03 / EXAMPLES
Examples You Can Reuse
Keep the structure stable while changing the people, objects, times, or conditions. Pinyin is shown as reading support; use the Chinese sentence and translation to confirm the grammar relationship.
十年过去了，他依旧住在那里。
Ten years later, he still lives there.
下雨了，比赛仍旧继续。
It rained, but the match still continued.
她仍旧没有回复邮件。
She still has not replied to the email.
04 / LIMITS
When to Use It — and When Not To
Use it when
- Use 依旧 before a state that remains unchanged. Keep the continuity adverb before any following negation.
- Use 仍旧 before an ongoing action or negative predicate.
- Contrast an elapsed-time clause with a continuing condition.
Do not use it when
- Do not attach perfective 了 to either continuity adverb.
- Do not place either adverb between a verb and object.
- Do not use them for a newly begun state with no prior baseline.
05 / REPAIR
Compare Right and Wrong
Compare the smallest meaningful change. Each explanation identifies a placement, scope, form, or clause relationship instead of treating the whole sentence as one undifferentiated mistake.
他依旧了住在那里。
他依旧住在那里。
Aspect marker attaches to the continuity adverb
依旧 is an adverb and cannot take perfective 了.
她没有回复仍旧邮件。
她仍旧没有回复邮件。
Continuity adverb splits verb and object
仍旧 scopes over the negative predicate and cannot interrupt 回复邮件.
他依旧了住在那里。
依旧 is an adverb and cannot take perfective 了.
她没有回复仍旧邮件。
仍旧 scopes over the negative predicate and cannot interrupt 回复邮件.
06 / PRACTICE
Practice the Grammar Point
Complete three short tasks in order: judge the pattern, repair a common error, and build the sentence. Feedback is fixed and reviewed, so these activities do not use a checker allowance.
1. Judge the sentence
2. Choose the correction
3. Build the sentence
Build a complete sentence with 依旧/仍旧.
07 / APPLY
Apply It in Your Sentence
Write one original sentence with 依旧/仍旧. Your draft moves to the checker through this browser session, selects this grammar point as the first review focus, and waits for you to submit.
08 / QUESTIONS
Continuity with 依旧 and 仍旧 Questions
Are 依旧 and 仍旧 interchangeable?
They largely overlap; both are common in neutral or written descriptions of continuity.
Can they occur with negation?
Yes. The normal order is 依旧/仍旧 + negative + predicate.
09 / SOURCES
Sources and Review Notes
These references support different parts of the lesson. GF0025-2021 supports level placement only; professional grammar works support the explanation, limits, examples, and cross-checks. Their inclusion does not imply endorsement.
Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education (GF0025-2021)
Ministry of Education and State Language Commission · Ministry of Education of the PRC · 2021
Locator: GF0025-2021 Appendix A, Level 5 item 【五05】 (PDF pp. 222-223)
Provides official Level 5 directory placement and examples only; it does not establish the learner-facing usage explanation.
Official sourceModern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide, 3rd ed.
Ross, Ma, Chen, He and Yeh · Routledge · 2024
Locator: Chapter 15, Adverbs
Supports temporal and continuity adverbs before the predicate; GF item 【五05】 supplies the unchanged-state meanings of 依旧 and 仍旧.
Official source10 / CONTINUE
Continue with a Connected Rule
Compare
刚好/恰好Exact Coincidence with 刚好 and 恰好
Compare the consistent status of 依旧仍旧 and the time point condition of 刚好恰好 to distinguish between continuation and coupling.
Easy to confuse
历来Longstanding Regularity with 历来
依旧 or 仍旧 continues one state after a reference point; 历来 summarizes a long-established pattern.
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