3 · Linking clauses
Two at once: yìbiān … yìbiān
simultaneous actions and combined qualities
Yìbiān … yìbiān puts two actions side by side; yòu … yòu puts two qualities side by side.
一边 before each of two verbs says that one person does both at the same time: 他一边吃饭，一边看手机, “he looks at his phone while he eats”. Both 一边 stand after the subject, right before their verbs. With two short, one-syllable verbs, speech often shortens it to 边 … 边: 我们边走边聊.
又 … 又 does the same for qualities: two adjectives or states that are both true at once. 又便宜又好吃, “cheap and tasty”. The adjectives stand without 很, and the two usually point the same way — both good or both bad. 又 … 又 can join two verbs too, for a lively scene: 大家又唱又跳.
English has one little word for both, “and”, and this is exactly where it fails in Chinese. 和 joins nouns — 我和你 — but not normally adjectives, verbs or clauses. “Cheap and good” is not 便宜和好.
一边 needs actions that the subject is doing, and that can run in parallel. It does not work for weather, for states, or for two different people. For “while something else was happening”, Chinese uses 的时候.
The form
| two actions | 他一边吃饭，一边看手机。 |
| the short form | 我们边走边聊。 |
| two qualities | 这家的菜又便宜又好吃。 |
| two states | 孩子又累又饿。 |
| two actions with 又 | 大家又唱又跳。 |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
一边 stands before each of two verbs: one person does both at the same time.
她一边做饭，一边听音乐。She listens to music while she cooks.
Both 一边 stand after the subject; with two short verbs the spoken form is 边 … 边.
我们边吃边谈吧。Let’s talk while we eat.
又 … 又 links two adjectives or states that are both true; leave 很 out.
这件大衣又轻又暖和。This coat is both light and warm.
The two qualities usually point the same way — both good or both bad.
那条路又窄又黑，晚上别走。That road is narrow and dark — don’t take it at night.
A closer look
Yìbiān or de shíhou?
一边 describes two activities that the same person keeps up together, by choice: walking and talking, cooking and listening. 的时候 sets a time frame for something else: 我吃饭的时候，他来了, “he arrived while I was eating”. English “while” covers both; Chinese needs to know which one is meant.
In writing, 一面 … 一面 is a more formal twin of 一边 … 一边. Note the tones of 一: yì before biān, yí before miàn, as the pinyin shows.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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the two actions belong to different people
一边 does not work; use 的时候 or two plain clauses.
我做饭的时候，他在看电视。While I was cooking, he was watching TV.
一边 describes one subject dividing their attention. With two people there is nothing to divide.
How to spot it
- 一边…一边
- 边…边
- 又…又
Example sentences
爸爸一边喝茶，一边看报纸。Dad reads the paper while drinking his tea.
学生们一边听老师讲，一边做笔记。The students take notes while the teacher speaks.
这个房间又大又亮。This room is big and bright.
我今天又累又困，想早点儿睡。I’m tired and sleepy today and want to go to bed early.
他们边走边唱，非常开心。They sang as they walked, very happy.
她的女儿又聪明又可爱。Her daughter is clever and adorable.
7 more example sentences
他总是一边开车一边打电话，太危险了。He is always on the phone while he drives — it’s far too dangerous.
妈妈一边笑一边说：“没关系。”Mum laughed as she said, “Never mind.”
这种水果又甜又多汁。This kind of fruit is sweet and juicy.
外面又刮风又下雨，我们在家吧。It’s windy and raining outside — let’s stay in.
我喜欢边洗澡边唱歌。I like singing in the shower.
那家旅馆又贵又不干净。That hotel is expensive, and not even clean.
孩子们一边跑一边喊，高兴极了。The children ran about shouting, as happy as could be.
Worth knowing (1)
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Mixed feelings with yòu … yòu
Feelings are the one place where the two halves often pull against each other: “glad and nervous”, “angry and sad”. 又 … 又 is exactly the way to say that both are there at once.
第一天上班，我又高兴又紧张。On my first day at work I was both excited and nervous.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
English “and” joins anything with anything. 和 joins nouns; it does not link two adjectives that describe something. Use 又 … 又, or 很便宜，也很好吃.
Yìbiān … yìbiān for two things you do at once; yòu … yòu for two things that are true at once.
Your turn
8 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.