Difference between revisions of "Simultaneous tasks with "yibian""

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* 我 常常 <em>一边</em> 洗澡, <em>一边</em> 唱歌。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ chángcháng <em>yībiān</em>  xǐzǎo, <em>yībiān</em>  chànggē.</span><span class="trans">I often sing while I take the shower.</span>
 
* 我 常常 <em>一边</em> 洗澡, <em>一边</em> 唱歌。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ chángcháng <em>yībiān</em>  xǐzǎo, <em>yībiān</em>  chànggē.</span><span class="trans">I often sing while I take the shower.</span>
 
* 小孩子 喜欢 <em>一边</em> 吃 饭 <em>一边</em> 玩。<span class="pinyin">Xiǎo háizi xǐhuan <em>yībiān</em> chīfàn <em>yībiān</em> wán.</span><span class="trans">Children like to eat while they play.</span>
 
* 小孩子 喜欢 <em>一边</em> 吃 饭 <em>一边</em> 玩。<span class="pinyin">Xiǎo háizi xǐhuan <em>yībiān</em> chīfàn <em>yībiān</em> wán.</span><span class="trans">Children like to eat while they play.</span>
* 你 喜欢 <em>一边</em> 散步 <em>一边</em> 聊天 吗?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ xǐhuan <em>yībiān</em> sànbù <em>yībiān</em> liáotiān ma?</span><span class="trans">Do you like talking while walking? </span>
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* 你 喜欢 <em>一边</em> 听 音乐 <em>一边</em> 做 作业 吗?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ xǐhuan <em>yībiān</em> tīng yīnyuè <em>yībiān</em> zuòzuòyè ma?</span><span class="trans">Do you like talking while walking? </span>
 
* 我们 <em>一边</em> 走 <em>一边</em> 聊 吧。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <em>yībiān</em> zǒu <em>yībiān</em> liáo ba.</span><span class="trans">Let's talk while we walk.</span>
 
* 我们 <em>一边</em> 走 <em>一边</em> 聊 吧。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <em>yībiān</em> zǒu <em>yībiān</em> liáo ba.</span><span class="trans">Let's talk while we walk.</span>
 
* 请 你 <em>一边</em> 读 <em>一边</em> 写。<span class="pinyin">Qǐng nǐ <em>yībiān</em> dú <em>yībiān</em> xiě.</span><span class="trans">Please write while you read.</span>
 
* 请 你 <em>一边</em> 读 <em>一边</em> 写。<span class="pinyin">Qǐng nǐ <em>yībiān</em> dú <em>yībiān</em> xiě.</span><span class="trans">Please write while you read.</span>
* 他们 在 车 里 <em>一边</em> 说 <em>一边</em> 笑。<span class="pinyin"> Tāmen zài chē lǐ  <em>yībiān</em> shuō <em>yībiān</em> xiào.</span><span class="trans">They were laughing while they were talking in the car.</span>
 
 
* 不要 <em>一边</em> 开车 <em>一边</em> 打电话。<span class="pinyin">Bù yào <em>yībiān</em> kāichē <em>yībiān</em> dǎ diànhuà.</span><span class="trans">Don't talk on the phone while you drive.</span>
 
* 不要 <em>一边</em> 开车 <em>一边</em> 打电话。<span class="pinyin">Bù yào <em>yībiān</em> kāichē <em>yībiān</em> dǎ diànhuà.</span><span class="trans">Don't talk on the phone while you drive.</span>
* 老板 不 在 的 时候 我们 可以 <em>一边</em> 吃 东西 <em>一边</em> 工作。<span class="pinyin"> Lǎobǎn bù zài de shíhou wǒmen chī dōngxi <em>yībiān</em> gōngzuò.</span><span class="trans">We can eat while we work when the boss is not here.</span>
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* 老板 喜欢 <em>一边</em> 抽烟 <em>一边</em> 工作。<span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn xǐhuan <em>yībiān</em> chōuyān <em>yībiān</em> gōngzuò.</span><span class="trans">We can eat while we work when the boss is not here.</span>
* 我 觉得 <em>一边</em> 喝 酒 <em>一边</em> 跳舞 很 好玩。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ juédé <em>yībiān</em> hējiǔ <em>yībiān</em> tiàowǔ hěn hǎowán.</span><span class="trans">I think drinking alcohol and dancing at the same time is fun.</span>
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* 很多 人 都 <em>一边</em> 上班 <em>一边</em> 玩 手机。<span class="pinyin">Hěn duō rén dōu <em>yībiān</em> shàngbān <em>yībiān</em> wán shǒujī.</span><span class="trans">I think drinking alcohol and dancing at the same time is fun.</span>
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* 她老公 很忙,她 常常 一个人 <em>一边</em> 做 家务 <em>一边</em> 带 小孩。<span class="pinyin"> Tālǎogōng hěn máng tā chángcháng yī gè rén <em>yībiān</em> zuò jiāwù <em>yībiān</em> dài xiǎohái.</span><span class="trans">They were laughing while they were talking in the car.</span>
  
 
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Revision as of 06:20, 6 November 2015

Multitasking is vital to life in the modern world (most likely you are reading this article on a separate tab among many in your browser!), therefore it would make sense to learn a way to express simultaneous tasks in Chinese! This can be done with 一边 (yībiān).

Structure

To express that one thing is done whilst doing something else, the word 一边 (yībiān) is used.

Subj. + 一边 + Verb, + 一边 + Verb

Note that you sometimes see 一边 (yībiān) shortened to 边 (biān) as well, which has a less formal feel.

Examples

  • 不要 一边 说话,一边 吃 东西。Bù yào yībiān shuōhuà, yībiān chī dōngxi,.Don't talk while I eat something.
  • 我 常常 一边 洗澡, 一边 唱歌。Wǒ chángcháng yībiān xǐzǎo, yībiān chànggē.I often sing while I take the shower.
  • 小孩子 喜欢 一边 吃 饭 一边 玩。Xiǎo háizi xǐhuan yībiān chīfàn yībiān wán.Children like to eat while they play.
  • 你 喜欢 一边 听 音乐 一边 做 作业 吗?Nǐ xǐhuan yībiān tīng yīnyuè yībiān zuòzuòyè ma?Do you like talking while walking?
  • 我们 一边一边 聊 吧。Wǒmen yībiān zǒu yībiān liáo ba.Let's talk while we walk.
  • 请 你 一边一边 写。Qǐng nǐ yībiānyībiān xiě.Please write while you read.
  • 不要 一边 开车 一边 打电话。Bù yào yībiān kāichē yībiān dǎ diànhuà.Don't talk on the phone while you drive.
  • 老板 喜欢 一边 抽烟 一边 工作。Lǎobǎn xǐhuan yībiān chōuyān yībiān gōngzuò.We can eat while we work when the boss is not here.
  • 很多 人 都 一边 上班 一边 玩 手机。Hěn duō rén dōu yībiān shàngbān yībiān wán shǒujī.I think drinking alcohol and dancing at the same time is fun.
  • 她老公 很忙,她 常常 一个人 一边 做 家务 一边 带 小孩。 Tālǎogōng hěn máng tā chángcháng yī gè rén yībiān zuò jiāwù yībiān dài xiǎohái.They were laughing while they were talking in the car.

Note that you must be actively doing both actions. That is, they have to be intentional. If you want to say something happened while another thing was happening, it would be better to use "的时候" (de shíhou).

See also

Sources and further reading

Books