Chinese Grammar Bank
HOW TO USE 一边
Multitasking a more a more popular term in today’s world (what else are you doing while you read this?). It’s not uncommon for people to be doing multiple things at the same time.
Let’s learn how to use 一边 to express simultaneous actions in Chinese.
BASIC DEFINITION & STRUCTURE OF 一边
Generally speaking, “一边 (verb A) 一边 (verb B)” indicates (verb A) and (verb B) are carried out concurrently.
PATTERN
Subject + 一边 + Verb (，) + 一边 + Verb
Note that this is an informal expression in daily life.
And you will sometimes see 一边 (yī biān) shortened to 边 (biān) as well. Note that this is just for easier expression. The meaning of the sentence does not change.
EXAMPLES WITH 一边
Here are some examples of one thing is done while doing something else:
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 我一边吃饭，一边写作业。 | wǒ yī biān chī fàn，yī biān xiě zuò yè | I eat and do my homework at the same time. |
| 我常常一边洗澡，一边唱歌。 | wǒ cháng cháng yī biān xǐ zǎo，yī biān chàng gē | I often sing while taking a shower. |
| 我们边走边聊吧。 | wǒ men biān zǒu biān liáo ba | Let’s walk while we talk. |
Note that the two actions is sometimes different in the original Chinese and the English translations above.
This is because the “main” action usually comes second in English (after the “while”), but first in Chinese.
For example: “take a shower while singing” sounds strange in English, but “sing while taking a shower” doesn’t.
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FAQs
What does 一边 express?
Generally, 一边 expresses that two actions are happening at the same time. More specifically, you can use this expression when you want to say that you are doing two different things simultaneously.
What is the sentence structure for 一边?
The basic sentence structure for 一边 is:
– Subj. + 一边 + Verb (，) + 一边 + Verb
Is 一边 formal or informal?
一边 is an informal expression! In fact, you will sometimes see 一边 (yī biān) shortened to 边 (biān) as well.
What are some examples of 一边?
– 我一边吃饭，一边写作业。wǒ yī biān chī fàn，yī biān xiě zuò yè. I eat and do my homework at the same time.
– 我常常一边洗澡，一边唱歌。wǒ cháng cháng yī biān xǐ zǎo，yī biān chàng gē. I often sing while taking a shower.
– 一边开车，一边打电话是很危险的。yī biān kāi chē，yī biān dǎ diàn huà shì hěn wēi xiǎn de. It is dangerous to be on the phone while driving.
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