Using "zhe" when "verbing away"

A repeated verb followed by the particle 着 (zhe) is used to show that an action has been repeated for a period of time, and as a result a new situation has arisen which the speaker wishes to comment on.

Structure

Verb + 着 + Verb + 着 + 就 + Comment + 了

Examples

• 说着 说着 我 就 发现 自己 也 糊涂 了。Shuōzhe shuōzhe wǒ jiù fāxiàn zìjǐ yě hútu le.I was talking and talking, and then I confused myself.
• 我 今天 一直 都 在 看 《论语》， 看着 看着，就 睡着 了。Wǒ jīntiān yīzhí dōu zài kàn Lúnyǔ, kànzhe kànzhe, jiù shuìzháo le.Today, I was reading the Confucian Analects all day. As I was reading, I fell asleep.
• 我 在 北京 的 胡同 里 走 着 走 着 就 走丢 了。Wǒ zài Běijīng de hútòng lǐ zǒuzhe zǒuzhe jiù zǒu diū le.As I was walking in one of Beijing's back roads, I got lost.
• 我 玩 着 玩 着 游戏，就 把 时间 忘了。Wǒ wánzhe wánzhe yóuxì, jiù bǎ shíjiān wàngle.I played and played and played, and I forgot the time.
• 我 听 着 听 着 歌，就 唱 起来 了。Wǒ tīngzhe tīngzhe gē, jiù chàng qǐlái le.I listened and sang, and I began to sing.
• 两 个 人 吃 着 吃 着 饭，就 吵 起来 了。Liǎng gèrén chīzhe chīzhe fàn, jiù chǎo qǐlái le.We ate and ate, and then we quarreled.
• 写 着 写 着 ，就 发现 办公室 大家 都 走 了。Xiězhe xiězhe, jiù fāxiàn bàngōngshì dàjiā dōu zǒu le.As we wrote, we realized that everyone in the office had left.
• 今天 在 家 录 视频， 录 着 录 着 ，天 都 已经 黑 了。Jīntiān zài jiā lù shìpín, lùzhe lùzhe, tiān dōu yǐjīng hēile.Today, I recorded a video at home, and as I did so, it was already dark.
• 喝 着 喝 着 ，从 酒 里面 喝 出来 一 根 头发。Hēzhe hēzhe, cóng jiǔ lǐmiàn hē chūlái yī gēn tóufǎ.I drank and drank and drank and drank, and a hair came out of the wine.
• 我 上 着 上 着 课，就 听到 外面 有 人 叫 我。Wǒ shàngzhe shàngzhe kè, jiù tīng dào wàimiàn yǒurén jiào wǒ.As I was going to class, I heard someone calling me outside.

See also

• "Verbing around" with "lai" and "qu"

Sources and further reading

Books

• HSK Standard Course 4下 (pp. 131) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (pp. 193-4) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• 40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课下册） (pp. 385) [ →buy]

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