HSK 7–9 grammar · adverb
白白
白白 — in vain, for nothing
Pattern
+ +
( ) can be left out · other words may come before, between and after
How it works
白白 says effort or resources produced no return: "for nothing, wasted". It carries regret, and the verb usually takes 了 to mark the loss as done.
Examples
这么好的机会白白错过了。
Zhème hǎo de jīhuì báibái cuòguò le.
Such a good chance was wasted for nothing.
我白白等了两个小时。
Wǒ báibái děng le liǎng gè xiǎoshí.
I waited two hours for nothing.
See it in a story
In the app, 白白 is underlined wherever it appears in the stories you read, and practised with sentences from them. Free.