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Coordinate Structure: “一会儿……,一会儿……”

In Chinese the pattern “一会儿……,一会儿……” (yíhuìr..., yíhuìr...) shows actions following one another in quick succession, or two states alternating.

Basic Structure

一会儿 + state / action 1,一会儿 + state / action 2

In English:

One moment …, the next …

or

Now …, now …

Examples

()()会儿(huìr)(zài)()(jiǎo)(biān)(shuì)(jiào)()会儿(huìr)(zài)()(shēn)(shang)()
One moment it's asleep by your feet, the next it's climbing all over you.

Structure

一会儿在你脚边睡觉 + 一会儿在你身上爬 sleeping by your feet + climbing over you 它 — it 一会儿在你脚边睡觉 — one moment it's asleep by your feet 一会儿在你身上爬 — the next it's climbing on you

Here two different actions alternate.

()()会儿(huìr)(jìn)(lái)()会儿(huìr)(chū)()(máng)(de)(hěn)
He keeps coming in and going out — he's very busy.

Structure

一会儿进来 + 一会儿出去 comes in + goes out 他 — he 一会儿进来 — one moment he comes in 一会儿出去 — the next he goes out 忙得很 — is very busy

In this sentence 进来 and 出去 follow one another in quick succession.

(Zuì)(jìn)(tiān)()(biàn)(huà)(hěn)(kuài)()会儿(huìr)(lěng)()会儿(huìr)()
The weather has been changing fast lately — cold one moment, hot the next.

Structure

一会儿冷 + 一会儿热 cold one moment + hot the next 最近 — lately 天气变化很快 — the weather changes fast 一会儿冷 — cold one moment 一会儿热 — hot the next

Here two states — cold and hot — alternate.

Quick Rule

一会儿 + A,一会儿 + B

Meaning: two actions or states alternate within a short space of time.

Examples:

()会儿(huìr)(jìn)(lái)()会儿(huìr)(chū)()
in one moment, out the next
()会儿(huìr)(lěng)()会儿(huìr)()
cold one moment, hot the next