X 也是 ... 也是 ...
Reach for this when you want to stack two roles, identities, or possible uses onto the same subject — 'X is also ..., and also ...' Doubling 也是 creates a parallel beat: X works as A, and X works as B too. Common in product descriptions ('this is also a gift, also a souvenir'), character introductions ('she's also a teacher, also a mother'), and brainstorms about multi-purpose things.
Structure
[X] 也是 [A], 也是 [B]
... yě shì ..., yě shì ...
How to Think About It
Each 也 means 'also.' Repeating 也是 isn't redundant — it's structural parallelism. The doubling makes both halves feel equal, like two boxes the same size. Native speakers reach for this when neither role should outweigh the other. If you want one role to be primary and the other secondary, use 不只是 ... 也是 ... instead.
Examples
这个礼物也是惊喜, 也是纪念。
Zhège lǐwù yě shì jīngxǐ, yě shì jìniàn.
This gift is both a surprise and a keepsake.
她也是老师, 也是妈妈。
Tā yě shì lǎoshī, yě shì māma.
She's both a teacher and a mom.
拼豆也是手工, 也是放松。
Pīn dòu yě shì shǒugōng, yě shì fàngsōng.
Perler beads are both a craft and a way to relax.
Common Mistake
Learners write 也是 X, 也 Y, dropping 是 from the second clause. But 也是 takes a noun-phrase; if both halves are nouns, both halves need 是. Without the second 是, the structure collapses.
拼豆也是手工, 也好玩。
拼豆也是手工, 也是好玩的东西。
Don't Confuse With
X 既是 ... 也是 ...
Slightly more formal pair — 'both X and Y.' 既是 ... 也是 ... reads more polished; X 也是 ... 也是 ... is more conversational and additive.
X 又 ... 又 ...
Used for stacking adjectives ('又好吃又便宜' — both tasty and cheap). 也是 ... 也是 ... stacks nouns or noun-roles; 又 ... 又 ... stacks descriptions.
X 不只是 ... 也是 ...
Asymmetric — 'not only A but also B.' Implies B is the unexpected or more important half. 也是 ... 也是 ... treats both halves as equal.
Practice
这个地方___是工作室, 也是咖啡店。
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也
他也是医生, 也___作家。
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是
Put in order: [我的家 / 也是 / 办公室 / 也是 / 学校]
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我的家也是办公室, 也是学校。
Translate to Chinese: 'This phone is also a camera and a wallet.'
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这个手机也是相机, 也是钱包。
Describe something or someone with two equal roles using 也是 ... 也是 ...
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Example: 这个 app 也是字典, 也是老师。 (This app is both a dictionary and a teacher.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode: