Expressing "both… and…" with "ji...you"
既 (jì) can be used in conjunction with either 又 (yòu) or 也 (yě) to express that something is "both A and B":
Contents
Used with 又
Structure
既 + A + 又 + B
A and B can be adjectives, verbs or short phrases. Most of the time A and B will be of the same form. It often sounds better one both A and B are single syllables or both are two syllables.
Examples
- 这个 同事 既 积极 又 努力。This colleague is both proactive and hard-working.
- 这 家 餐厅 既 便宜 又 好吃。This restaurant is both cheap and delicious.
- 他 做 事情 既 快 又 好。He does things both quickly and well.
- 这 家 银行 的 服务 既 热情 又 周到。This bank's service is both enthusiastic and thorough.
- 这个 产品 的 设计 既 时尚 又 人性化。This product's design is both stylish and user-friendly.
Used with 也
Structure
The structure can also be formed with 也, but here it is used primarily for verbs or verb phrases:
既 + [Verb Phrase] ，也 + [Verb Phrase]
Examples
- 这里 既 是 你 的 家乡 ，也 是 我 的 家乡。This is both your hometown and mine.
- 她 既 是 我 妈妈 ，也 是 我 朋友。She is both my mother and my friend.
- 要求 是 你 既 要 会 说 流利 的 中文 ，也 要 会 说 流利 的 英文 。The requirement is that you need to speak both fluent Chinese and English.
- 你 不 要 多 管 闲事 ，因为 这 既 和 你 没 关系 ，也 和 我 没 关系 。Do not meddle in it, for it is neither your business nor mine.
- 爸爸 很 生 我 的 气 ，不过 他 既 没 打 我 ，也 没 骂 我 。Dad was really mad at me, but he neither hit me nor yelled at me.
See also
Sources and further reading
Books
- 卓越汉语－公司实战篇 (pp. 11) 卓越汉语－公司实战篇 →buy
