X 也 X 不…，Y 也 Y 不…
cannot do X however one tries, and cannot do Y either
Structure
（话题） 动词1 也 动词1 不+补语 ， （话题） 动词2 也 动词2 不+补语
What it means
However hard one tries, X fails, and Y fails too: every way out is blocked. The tone is helpless or exasperated.
How it is built
(Topic) + verb + 也 + verb + 不 + complement, twice: 他睡也睡不着，吃也吃不下 (he couldn't sleep however he tried, and couldn't eat a thing).
When to use it
Speech and lively narrative. The complement is a negative potential one (不开, 不通, 不着, 不下). The thing acted on comes first as the topic: App点也点不开, not ✗ 点也点不开App.
Watch out
Keep the repeated verb: ✗ 点也不开 ✗ 打也不通 ✓ 点也点不开 ✓ 打也打不通. For something nobody even tried, use 没: 问也没问 (didn't even ask).
Examples
接下来几天，App点也点不开，客服电话打也打不通。
Over the next few days the app would not open however often he tapped it, and the customer-service line never got through.
这孩子说也说不听，管也管不住，真让人头疼。
You tell the boy and he won’t listen, you try to keep him in line and you can’t: what a headache.
那天晚上他心里有事，睡也睡不着，吃也吃不下。
That night he had something on his mind: he couldn’t sleep, however hard he tried, and he couldn’t eat a thing.
Learn this in Lesson 188 · HSK 7–9: P2P的兴衰 (The rise and fall of P2P lending)
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.
Open the lesson →