动词 + 着 + 动词 + 着
while (doing) …, (something happens); as one went on doing …
Structure
动词 着 动词 着 ， （就／突然） 新情况
What it means
While an action goes on for a while, something happens gradually or unexpectedly: “as one went on doing …”.
How it is built
Verb + 着 + verb + 着，(就／突然) + new situation: 她说着说着，突然哭了起来 (she was talking and suddenly burst into tears). Usually one-syllable verbs: 说, 走, 看, 聊, 想.
When to use it
Spoken and narrative. An object goes before the pair (那本书我看着看着就睡着了) or comes with the verb repeated (看书看着看着就睡着了), never inside the pair.
Watch out
The pair stays bare: ✗ 说了说了 ✓ 说着说着. The sentence cannot stop there: the second clause must say what changed.
Examples
她说着说着，突然哭了起来。
She was talking, and all of a sudden she burst into tears.
我看着看着就睡着了。
I fell asleep in the middle of reading.
他们聊着聊着，天就黑了。
They chatted on until it got dark.
Learn this in Lesson 39 · HSK 5–6: 麻将桌上 (Mahjong)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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