X也X不…，Y也Y不…
cannot V1 however one tries, nor V2
Structure
V1 也 V1 不 结果 ， V2 也 V2 不 结果
What it means
Says every attempt fails both ways: you cannot do A however hard you try, and cannot do B either. It paints someone stuck, often emotionally.
How it is built
Verb1 + 也 + verb1 + 不 + result, verb2 + 也 + verb2 + 不 + result: 吃也吃不下，睡也睡不着 (I can neither eat nor sleep). The results are negative potential complements such as 不下, 不着, 不掉, 不动, 不得.
When to use it
Spoken and emotional, with the two halves parallel. Stronger than plain 吃不下，睡不着: the repeated verb stresses that trying makes no difference. Often followed by a sigh such as 真拿他没办法.
Watch out
Do not drop the second verb: ✗吃也不下 ✓吃也吃不下. Do not use 没 instead of 不: 看也没看 means “did not even look”, a different pattern.
Examples
心里有事，吃也吃不下，睡也睡不着。
With something on my mind I can neither eat nor sleep.
那个人留也留不住，忘也忘不掉。
That person could not be kept and cannot be forgotten.
这孩子打也打不得，骂也骂不得，真拿他没办法。
You can neither smack this child nor scold him; I really do not know what to do with him.
Learn this in Lesson 223 · HSK 9+: 张爱玲：红玫瑰与白玫瑰 (Eileen Chang: red rose, white rose)
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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