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要X有X,要Y有Y

has every X and Y you could want (with 没: has none at all)

Structure
要 名词1 有/没 名词1 , 要 名词2 有/没 名词2

What it means

Has every X and Y you could want; with 没, has none at all. Each noun is said twice, and the clauses come in pairs, sometimes threes.

How it is built

要 + noun1 + 有/没 + noun1,要 + noun2 + 有/没 + noun2: 这座城市要山有山,要水有水 (This city has mountains and water aplenty).

When to use it

With 有 it boasts of resources or qualities; with 没 it complains or mocks oneself; mixing them makes a contrast (要钱有钱,要时间没时间). Spoken; in writing use 既有…又有… or 既没有…也没有….

Watch out

Don’t drop the repeated noun: ✗要山有,要水有 ✓要山有山,要水有水.

Examples

这座城市要山有山,要水有水,难怪游客这么多。
This city has mountains and water aplenty; no wonder it draws so many tourists.
我要钱没钱,要时间没时间,旅游的事还是算了吧。
I have neither the money nor the time, so let’s forget about the trip.
他要个子有个子,要学历有学历,怎么还找不到对象?
He has the height and he has the degree, so how come he still can’t find a partner?
Learn this in Lesson 217 · HSK 9+: 台词里的中国 (Lines from the screen)
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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