HSK 6
一时⋯⋯一时⋯⋯
yì shí ⋯ ⋯ yì shí ⋯ ⋯
The structure 'one moment... one moment...' (一时⋯⋯一时⋯⋯)
Explanation
This is a coordinate compound sentence (a sentence with two parallel, equal clauses) of the form 一时⋯⋯一时⋯⋯ (yì shí... yì shí...), meaning "sometimes... sometimes...", describing an alternating, unstable state that keeps changing.
一时 (yì shí) + state A + 一时 (yì shí) + state B, in which A and B are usually a pair of antonyms (好/坏 hǎo/huài good/bad, 上升/下降 shàng shēng/xià jiàng rise/fall, 高兴/悲伤 gāo xìng/bēi shāng happy/sad).
一时好一时坏 = sometimes good, sometimes bad.
Used when you want to emphasize the fluctuation and inconstancy of a thing or emotion, now this way, now that.
一时...一时... emphasizes back-and-forth change between TWO opposite states; this differs from 一会儿...一会儿... (yí huìr), which also means "now... now..." but leans toward colloquial speech and can list several consecutive actions.
using two states that are not opposite/not corresponding (sounds unnatural); or understanding 一时 here as "momentarily, temporarily" (its original meaning) — in this construction 一时...一时... means "sometimes... sometimes...", describing alternation.
Examples
He is very old now; his health is sometimes good, sometimes bad.
This company's output sometimes rises, sometimes falls.
His mood fluctuates: sometimes happy, sometimes sad.
Practice
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Learn “一时⋯⋯一时⋯⋯” effectively
The grammar point “一时⋯⋯一时⋯⋯” (The structure 'one moment... one moment...' (一时⋯⋯一时⋯⋯)) is one of the key structures at HSK 6. To use it fluently, you need to understand the contexts where it's used and practice regularly.
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