Difference between revisions of "Using "lai" and "qu" when "verbing around""

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* 学生们 都 很 紧张,在 考场 外面 <em>走 来 走 去</em>。
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* 学生们 都 很 紧张,在 考场 外面 <em>走 来 走 去</em>。<span class="trans">The students are all nervous, they are all pacing back and forth outside of the exam room.</span>
* 他 <em>说 来 说 去</em> 还是 不 承认 自己 错 了。
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* 他 <em>说 来 说 去</em> 不 承认 自己 错 了。<span class="trans">He's been yakking a lot, but he still hasn't admitted that he's wrong.</span>
* 我 <em>想 来 想 去</em> 都 想 不 明白,他 怎么 能 那样 对 我?
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* 我 <em>想 来 想 去</em> 都 想 不 明白,他 怎么 能 那样 对 我?<span class="trans">I've thought and thought about it, but I can't understand, how could you treat me like that?</span>
* 他 <em>翻 来 翻 去</em>, 终于 找 到 了 那 双 破 袜子。  
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* 他 <em>翻 来 翻 去</em>, 终于 找 到 了 那 双 破 袜子。<span class="trans">He searched everywhere and finally found the pair of worn-out socks.</span>
 
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Revision as of 09:16, 3 July 2013

This structure can be used if want to say you are "verbing without a clear direction". It's sort of like "verbing this way and that." The same verb is repeated before the 来(lái) and 去 (qù). So for example, 走来走去 is a bit like "walking here and there" or "walking this way and that."

Structure

Verb + 来 + Verb + 去

Examples

In a sentence, this structure looks like this:

  • 学生们 都 很 紧张,在 考场 外面 走 来 走 去The students are all nervous, they are all pacing back and forth outside of the exam room.
  • 说 来 说 去 还 不 承认 自己 错 了。He's been yakking a lot, but he still hasn't admitted that he's wrong.
  • 想 来 想 去 都 想 不 明白,他 怎么 能 那样 对 我?I've thought and thought about it, but I can't understand, how could you treat me like that?
  • 翻 来 翻 去, 终于 找 到 了 那 双 破 袜子。He searched everywhere and finally found the pair of worn-out socks.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

HSK5