既……又……
Reach for this when you want to stack two qualities or actions onto the same subject at the same time — 'both X and Y.' It's the literary cousin of 又……又……: same job, but a rung up in formality, so you'll see it in news writing, essays, and polished speech rather than chatty conversation. Most often it pairs two adjectives or two short verb phrases that paint a single, balanced picture of one thing.
Structure
[SUBJECT] 既 [QUALITY1] 又 [QUALITY2]
jì... yòu...
How to Think About It
既……又…… is a balance scale. The subject sits in the middle and you're hanging two weights of the same kind on it — two adjectives or two verbs, never one of each. The pattern only works when the two halves are grammatically parallel and describe the same subject simultaneously; the moment you try to bolt on a separate subject for the second half, the scale collapses.
Examples
这家餐厅既便宜又好吃。
Zhè jiā cāntīng jì piányi yòu hǎochī.
This restaurant is both cheap and delicious.
她既会说英语，又会说法语。
Tā jì huì shuō Yīngyǔ, yòu huì shuō Fǎyǔ.
She can speak both English and French.
这个方案既简单又有效。
Zhège fāng'àn jì jiǎndān yòu yǒuxiào.
This plan is both simple and effective.
他既聪明也努力。
Tā jì cōngmíng yě nǔlì.
He's both smart and hardworking.
这个决定既考虑了利益，也考虑了风险。
Zhège juédìng jì kǎolǜ le lìyì, yě kǎolǜ le fēngxiǎn.
This decision took both the benefits and the risks into account.
学外语既需要时间，也需要耐心。
Xué wàiyǔ jì xūyào shíjiān, yě xūyào nàixīn.
Learning a foreign language requires both time and patience.
Common Mistake
Learners mix word classes — pairing an adjective with a verb phrase — or sneak in a second subject after 又. 既……又…… demands parallel structure on a single subject.
他既高，又喜欢打篮球。
他既高又壮。
Don't Confuse With
又……又……
Same meaning, but colloquial. Use 又……又…… in speech and texts; switch to 既……又…… when the register turns formal or written.
不但……而且……
Pick this when the second item escalates or adds new information. 既……又…… just lists two co-existing traits without ranking them.
一边……一边……
Use 一边……一边…… for two physical actions performed at the same moment (walking and talking). 既……又…… stacks qualities, not concurrent actions.
又...又...
Same 'both A and B' meaning, more colloquial. 又...又... is what you say in chat; 既...也... is what you write in an essay.
不仅...也...
Implies the second item goes beyond the first ('not just X, but also Y'). 既...也... presents A and B as equal peers.
Practice
Fill in the blank: 这件衣服___便宜又好看。
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既
Fill in the blank: 他既聪明___努力。
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又
Arrange: 又 / 既 / 安静 / 这个地方 / 干净
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这个地方既安静又干净。
Translate to Chinese: This phone is both light and fast.
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这部手机既轻又快。
Write a sentence using 既……又…… to describe a city you know.
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北京既古老又现代。
Fill in: 她____会说英语，也会说中文。
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既
Fill in: 这件事既有好的一面，____有不好的一面。
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也
Arrange: 也 / 既 / 他 / 努力 / 聪明
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他既聪明也努力。
Translate to Chinese: This product is both cheap and good quality.
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这个产品既便宜，也质量好。
Use 既...也... to describe two qualities a person you know has.
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我妈妈既严格，也很温柔。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 11 Fluentide episodes. Press play to hear the sentence:
这句听起来既像是某种激进的健身房动员口号，又像是某种前卫行为艺术的指令，实际上却出自字节跳动旗下的人工智能助手——豆包之口。
This statement, which sounds like both a radical gym motivational slogan and an instruction for avant-garde performance art, actually came from Doubao — the AI assistant under ByteDance.
Doubao AI Gives Fashion Advice to Chinese YouthAdvanced
既传统又开放的北京。
both traditional and open.
John Legend's Beijing Hutong Tour Goes ViralAdvanced
既要保护德国的工业，又要继续和中国做生意。
It is necessary to both protect German industry and continue doing business with China.
German Chancellor Merz Visits Beijing
就像她一样，既要学习好，又要滑雪好。
Just like her, needing to study well and also ski well.
Eileen Gu Heads to Milan Olympics
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 既……又…… in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this pattern shows up again and again in real context. The transcript marks it, the audio drills it. Free to start.