HSK 5 grammar · pattern
A来A去
A来A去 — back and forth / over and over
Pattern
+ + +
( ) can be left out · other words may come before, between and after
How it works
Repeating a verb around 来 and 去 describes an action done back and forth or over and over, often to little effect: "keep V-ing this way and that." Common verbs include 走, 想, 说, 飞.
Examples
他在房间里走来走去，非常着急。
Tā zài fángjiān li zǒulái zǒuqù, fēicháng zháojí.
He paced back and forth in the room, very anxious.
想来想去，我还是决定不去了。
Xiǎnglái xiǎngqù, wǒ háishì juédìng bú qù le.
After turning it over and over in my mind, I decided not to go after all.
Related
See it in a story
In the app, A来A去 is underlined wherever it appears in the stories you read, and practised with sentences from them. Free.