Expressing "both A and B" with "you"

When you're getting descriptive, you may find yourself wanting to use multiple adjectives at a time. The character 又 (yòu) can be used to give two qualities to something. Using the double 又 (yòu) structure is like saying that something is "both… and… " in English.

Structure

The structure in Chinese is:

Subj. + 又 + Adj. 1 + 又 + Adj. 2

The two words shouldn't contrast in feeling. It is important to note they must both be bad or both be good.

Examples

• 她 男朋友 又 高 又 帅。Tā nánpéngyou yòu gāo yòu shuài. Her boyfriend is both tall and handsome.
• 这 个 房子 又 大 又 亮。Zhè ge fángzi yòu dà yòu liàng. This house is both big and bright.
• 妈妈 的 头发 又 黑 又 亮。Māma de tóufa yòu hēi yòu liàng. Mom's hair is both black and shiny.
• 我姐姐 又 聪明 又 漂亮。Wǒ jiějie yòu cōngming yòu piàoliang. My older sister is both smart and beautiful.
• 中国菜 又 便宜 又 好吃。Zhōngguócài yòu piányi yòu hǎochī. Chinese food is both cheap and good-tasting.
• 你们 老板 又 年轻 又 有钱。Nǐmen lǎobǎn yòu niánqīng yòu yǒu qián. Your boss is both young and rich.
• 这里 的 咖啡 又 贵 又 难喝。Zhèlǐ de kāfēi yòu guì yòu nánhē. The coffee here is both expensive and bad-tasting.
• 我家 小狗 又 可爱 又 听话。Wǒ jiā xiǎogǒu yòu kě'ài yòu tīnghuà. My family's dog is both cute and obedient.
• 上海 的 冬天 又 冷 又 湿。 Shànghǎi de dōngtiān yòu lěng yòu shī. Winter here in Shanghai is both cold and humid.
• 她 小时候 又 矮 又 瘦。Tā xiǎoshíhou yòu ǎi yòu shòu. She was both short and thin when she was young.

See also

• Simultaneous tasks with "yibian"
• Expressing "not only… but also"
• "Both… and…" with "ji"

Sources and further reading

Books

• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (p. 122) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (p. 87) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3) (p. 66) →buy