View source for Expressing simultaneous actions with "yimian"

{{Grammar Box}} 
一面 (yìmiàn)  is a more formal than 一边, but is used in the same way to express two simultaneous actions. It is used in the following way:

== Structure ==
<div class="jiegou">
一面 + Verb +  一面 + Verb
</div>

== Examples ==
<div class="liju">
* 他 喜欢 <em>一面</em> 吃 东西 ， <em>一面</em> 看 电影 。<span class="trans">He likes to eat and watch movies at the same time.</span>
* 我 告诉 你 多少 次 了，别 <em>一面</em> 躺 在 床上 <em>一面</em> 吃 零食！弄得 床上 都 是 碎屑!<span class="trans">I told you so many times, don't eat while laying on the bed. The "clean" bed now has crumbs all over it!</span>
* 他们 一 家人 <em> 一面</em> 赏月<em> 一面</em> 吃 月饼。<span class="trans">They enjoy the moon and eat mooncakes together as a family.</span>
* 你 会 <em>一面</em> 拍头 <em>一面</em> 揉 肚子 吗？<span class="trans">Can you pat your head and rub your belly at the same time?</span>
</div>

一面 cannot be shortened in the way while 一边 can:

<div class="liju">

<ul>
<li class="x"> 我 <em>面</em> 工作 <em>面</em> 学习。</li>
<li class="o"> 我 <em>边</em> 工作 <em>边</em> 学习。<span class="trans">I work and study at the same time.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>

一面 can also be used to express two aspects of a situation, which are not necessarily being enacted simultaneously. This is the same as the structure: [[Expressing various aspects with "yi fangmian"|"一方面...一方面..." or the English "on the one hand...one the other hand"]]
<div class="liju">
* 政府  <em>一面</em> 要 控制 通货膨胀， <em>一面</em> 也 要 保证 一定 的 经济 增长 速度。<span class="trans">On one hand, the government is going to control inflation, but on the other hand, it's definitely going to protect economic growth.</span>
</div>

==See also==
*[[Simultaneous tasks with "yibian"]]
*[["Along with…" using "suizhe"]]
*[[Expressing various aspects with "yi fangmian"]]

== Sources and further reading ==

=== Books ===

* [[Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级) ]] (pp. 323-5) [http://www.amazon.cn/gp/product/B004WA6JSQ/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B004WA6JSQ →buy] 

[[Category: B2 grammar points]]
{{Basic Grammar|一面|B2|一面⋯⋯，一面⋯⋯|他 喜欢 <em>一面</em> 吃 东西 ， <em>一面</em> 看 电影。|grammar point|ASG1QB4K}}
{{Similar|Simultaneous tasks with "yibian"}}
{{Similar|"Along with…" using "suizhe"}}
{{Similar|Expressing various aspects with "yi fangmian"}}
{{Used for|Referring to simultaneous events}}
{{Structure|Sentence Patterns}}