又是 A 又是 B
what with A and B; doing all sorts of things
Structure
又是 动作／东西 ， 又是 动作／东西 （，评论）
What it means
What with A and B: lists two, sometimes three, actions or things to paint a scene with a lot going on, such as warm hospitality, a fuss, foul weather or a lavish table.
How it is built
又是 + short verb phrase or noun，又是 + another, then a comment: 妈妈又是买菜又是打扫，忙了一整天 (Mum shopped, cleaned, the lot, and was busy all day). With nouns: 又是鱼又是肉.
When to use it
To stress how much was going on. A comment usually follows: 忙了一天, 热闹得很, 太客气了.
Watch out
For qualities use 又 + adjective + 又 + adjective: ✗又是便宜又是好 ✓又便宜又好. 又是 takes actions and things.
Examples
四十分钟下来，他又是搓，又是捶，最后用热水从头到脚一冲。
Forty minutes of scrubbing and pummelling later, he finished by sluicing me down with hot water from head to toe.
听说儿子要回来，妈妈又是买菜又是打扫，忙了一整天。
When she heard her son was coming home, Mum spent the whole day shopping, cleaning, the lot.
那天又是刮风又是下雪，航班全都取消了。
What with the wind and the snow that day, every flight was cancelled.
Learn this in Lesson 133 · HSK 7–9: 北方的澡堂子 (The northern bathhouse)
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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