仍旧 vs 依旧: what is the difference?
They overlap. 仍旧 stresses continuing despite change or trouble: 仍旧坚持. 依旧 is more literary and often describes scenery or feelings: 风景依旧。
| Word | Pinyin | What it does | Structure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 仍旧 | réng jiù | Says a situation stays the same despite a change or difficulty. | subject + 仍旧 + verb phrase |
| 依旧 | yī jiù | Like 仍旧 but more literary, often used for scenery and feelings that stay as they were. | subject + 依旧 + adjective or verb |
仍旧 (réng jiù)
Says a situation stays the same despite a change or difficulty.
Structure: subject + 仍旧 + verb phrase
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 过了这么多年，她仍旧住在那个小镇上。 | Guò le zhè me duō nián, tā réng jiù zhù zài nà gè xiǎo zhèn shàng. | After all these years, she still lives in that small town. |
| 医生说他的病情仍旧不稳定。 | Yī shēng shuō tā de bìng qíng réng jiù bù wěn dìng. | The doctor says his condition is still unstable. |
| 虽然失败了好几次，他仍旧没有放弃。 | Suī rán shī bài le hǎo jǐ cì, tā réng jiù méi yǒu fàng qì. | Although he failed several times, he still did not give up. |
Not: 他仍旧开始学习汉语。 仍旧 means "still, unchanged", so it cannot mark a new start.
依旧 (yī jiù)
Like 仍旧 but more literary, often used for scenery and feelings that stay as they were.
Structure: subject + 依旧 + adjective or verb
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 十年没回来，老房子依旧是那个样子。 | Shí nián méi huí lái, lǎo fáng zi yī jiù shì nà gè yàng zi. | I have not come back in ten years, and the old house looks just the same. |
| 他的笑容依旧那么温暖。 | Tā de xiào róng yī jiù nà me wēn nuǎn. | His smile is as warm as ever. |
| 河水依旧向东流。 | Hé shuǐ yī jiù xiàng dōng liú. | The river still flows east. |
Not: 他依旧去过那儿。 依旧 says a state stays the same. It does not combine with 过 for experiences.
Where this comes from
The comparison is part of Time Adverbs: 仍旧、时常、依旧、一向 (HSK 5) in the grammar reference, which has the full explanation, more worked examples, and what to learn before and after it.
More pairs: 从而 vs 因此 · 从…来看 vs 在…看来 · 大都 vs 都 · 跟…相比 vs 跟…一样 · 过于 vs 太 · 看不得 vs 看不懂 · 累坏了 vs 累得不得了 · 凭 vs 依据 · 起来 vs 下去 · 为了 vs 为的是 · 有 vs 有着 · 再次 vs 又 · all 81 pairs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between 仍旧 and 依旧?
They overlap. 仍旧 stresses continuing despite change or trouble: 仍旧坚持. 依旧 is more literary and often describes scenery or feelings: 风景依旧。
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