HSK 6

X来X去,都是/就是⋯⋯

X lái X qù , dōu shì / jiù shì ⋯ ⋯

X来X去,都是/就是⋯⋯

Explanation

X来X去,都是/就是⋯⋯ is a colloquial frame (a sentence pattern used in everyday speech) expressing: repeating an action many times but in the end the result is still the same, usually carrying the sense of no progress, wasted effort.

Structure

X + 来 (lái) + X + 去 (qù) = doing the action X over and over (X is a verb: 争 to argue → 争来争去; 说 to talk → 说来说去; 想 to think → 想来想去); then ,都是 (dōu shì, all are) / 就是 (jiù shì, is precisely/still is) + the inevitable conclusion.

Example

说来说去,就是没有统一的意见 = talking back and forth, in the end there is still no unified opinion.

When to use

when you want to emphasize that despite trying to repeat many times, the outcome does not change, usually with a tone of frustration or helplessness. Very colloquial.

Common mistakes

the X in 来 and 去 must be the SAME verb (争来争去, not 争来说去). Do not confuse 来/去 here with the literal meaning "to come/to go" — they only signal repetition, and are not translated as movement.

Examples

不管我们怎么争来争去,都是没有用的。
guǎnmenzěnmezhēngláizhēngdōushìméiyǒuyòngde

No matter how we argue back and forth, it's all useless anyway.

说来说去,就是没有统一的意见。
shuōláishuōjiùshìméiyǒutǒngdejiàn

Talking back and forth over and over, in the end there's still no unified opinion.

Practice

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Learn “X来X去,都是/就是⋯⋯” effectively

The grammar point “X来X去,都是/就是⋯⋯” (X来X去,都是/就是⋯⋯) 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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