V着V着 V zhe V zhe

V着V着（V zhe V zhe）means “"while doing... (something happened)" — an ongoing action leads to a new situation.”. The pattern V着V着 repeats a verb with 着 to show the action goes on for a while, and then something new happens, usually introduced by 就. Formation: V + 着 + V + 着，(就)…

"while doing... (something happened)" — an ongoing action leads to a new situation.

HSK5

Formation

V + 着 + V + 着，(就)…

Explanation

The pattern V着V着 repeats a verb with 着 to show the action goes on for a while, and then something new happens, usually introduced by 就. 走着走着就下雨了 = "as we kept walking, it started to rain". The second clause is an unexpected or natural development during the first action.

Examples

走着走着就下雨了。
zǒuzhe zǒuzhe jiù xià yǔ le.
As we walked on, it started to rain.
说着说着他就哭了。
shuōzhe shuōzhe tā jiù kū le.
As he kept talking, he began to cry.

Note

着 is toneless (zhe); the new event is usually marked with 就 and often 了.

FAQ

V着V着 — what does it mean and how is it used?

"while doing... (something happened)" — an ongoing action leads to a new situation.. The pattern V着V着 repeats a verb with 着 to show the action goes on for a while, and then something new happens, usually introduced by 就. 走着走着就下雨了 = "as we kept walking, it started to rain". The second clause is an unexpected or natural development during the first action.

V着V着 — how do you form it?

V + 着 + V + 着，(就)…

V着V着 — any usage notes?

着 is toneless (zhe); the new event is usually marked with 就 and often 了.

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