HSK 5 grammar · pattern
A着A着
A着A着 — while doing…, suddenly
Pattern
+ + + +
( ) can be left out · other words may come before, between and after
How it works
动词着动词着 sets up an ongoing action during which something else abruptly happens; it is usually followed by 就 and the new development. Translate as "while (doing) …, … (all of a sudden)."
Examples
她说着说着就哭了起来。
Tā shuōzhe shuōzhe jiù kū le qǐlai.
As she was talking, she suddenly burst into tears.
孩子玩着玩着就睡着了。
Háizi wánzhe wánzhe jiù shuìzháo le.
The child was playing and then fell asleep.
Related
See it in a story
In the app, A着A着 is underlined wherever it appears in the stories you read, and practised with sentences from them. Free.