既…又…
both A and B: two qualities at once
Structure
既 A 又／也 B
What it means
“Both A and B”: two qualities or actions at once.
How it is built
既 + A + 又／也 + B: 苏菜既精细又好看 (Jiangsu dishes are both finely made and good-looking). With 是: 她既是我的老师，也是我的朋友.
When to use it
A notch more formal than 又…又…. Use it to praise or describe something with two features at the same time.
Watch out
A and B must be the same kind of thing: two adjectives or two verb phrases. ✗ 他既聪明又学生。 ✓ 他既聪明又努力。
Examples
苏菜既精细又好看。
Jiangsu dishes are both finely made and good-looking.
她既是我的老师，也是我的朋友。
She is both my teacher and my friend.
Learn this in Lesson 5 · HSK 5: 八大菜系 (The eight great cuisines)
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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