Structure
Verb[ます]+ つ + (Antonym) Verb[ます]+ つ
Verb[ます]+ つ + (Antonym) Verb[ます]+ つ + の + Noun
Verb[ます]+ つ + Verb[られる]ーる + つ
Verb[ます]+ つ + Verb[られる]ーる + つ + の + Noun
行きつ戻りつ - going back and forth
浮きつ沈みつ - rising and falling (bobbing)
見えつ隠れつ - coming in and out of sight
とつおいつ (from 取りつ置きつ) - wavering between
矯めつ眇めつ - taking a good look
組んず解れつ - struggling with
抜きつ抜かれつ - neck-and-neck
持ちつ持たれつ - give-and-take
押しつ押されつ - pull and be pulled
追いつ追われつ - lead changing many times
差しつ差されつ - taking turns filling cups
Details
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Standard
使用域
一般
About つ〜つ
つ is a conjunction particle in Japanese that is used in constructions where it will appear twice, highlighting contrasting verbs. This つ~つ structure is often translated as 'to be doing (A) and (B) over and over', where the actions are happening repeatedly one after the other.
つ will connect to the conjunctive form of verbs, with (A) and (B) generally appearing in direct sequence.
行きつ戻りつ - To go back and forth.
浮きつ沈みつ - To surface and submerge (to bob).
見えつ隠れつ - To go in and our of sight.
とつおいつ (from 取りつ置きつ) - To waver between.
矯めつ眇めつ - To take a good look.
組んず解れつ - To intertwine and release (to grapple).
抜きつ抜かれつ - To pull away and be pulled away from (to be neck and neck).
持ちつ持たれつ - To have and to be held (to give and take).
押しつ押されつ - To press and be pressed.
追いつ追われつ - To overtake and be overtaken.
差しつ差されつ - To pour and be poured (to take turns exchanging drinks).
つ will connect to the conjunctive form of verbs, with (A) and (B) generally appearing in direct sequence.
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新しく発売されたゲーム機を買おうか悩みながら、お店の前を行きつ戻りつした。I walked back and forth in front of the store, wondering if I should buy the newly released game console.
- 川で脱げた靴が浮きつ沈みつ流れていった。My shoe that came off in the river was bobbing up and down as it floated away.
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僕たちは持ちつ持たれつの関係で、保育園の頃から今に至るまでお互い助け合ってきた。We have always been in a give and take relationship, helping each other from the time we were in nursery school until now.
- コンサート会場には大勢の人が集まっていて、ゲートが開かれても押しつ押されつで全然会場に入れなかった。There were so many people gathered at the concert venue that even when the gate was opened, I could not enter the venue at all because of the pushing and shoving.
Caution
This grammar pattern is only used with a limited set of words in modern Japanese. Here is a list of some standard combinations.行きつ戻りつ - To go back and forth.
浮きつ沈みつ - To surface and submerge (to bob).
見えつ隠れつ - To go in and our of sight.
とつおいつ (from 取りつ置きつ) - To waver between.
矯めつ眇めつ - To take a good look.
組んず解れつ - To intertwine and release (to grapple).
抜きつ抜かれつ - To pull away and be pulled away from (to be neck and neck).
持ちつ持たれつ - To have and to be held (to give and take).
押しつ押されつ - To press and be pressed.
追いつ追われつ - To overtake and be overtaken.
差しつ差されつ - To pour and be poured (to take turns exchanging drinks).
Examples
彼はドアの前をしばらく不安げに行きつ戻りつしていたすえに入ることにした。
After some time, he finally decided to go inside after nervously going back and forth in front of the door.
アリとアリマキは持ちつ持たれつの関係にある。
Ants and aphids have a give-and-take relationship.
老人は小枝の浮きつ沈みつを眺めながら、海の匂いを楽しんだ。
The old man enjoyed the smell of the sea while watching the sinking and rising (bobbing) twig.
藤原拓海、須藤京一など、多くの有名なドライバーが抜きつ抜かれつのレースを繰り広げた。
Takumi Fujiwara, Kyoichi Sudo, and many other famous drivers put on a neck and neck race.
This means 'to pass then and be passed' and is usually used in racing, running, and other such sports.
曇り空で風が強かったから月が雲に見えつ隠れつしていた。
It was a cloudy night with strong wind, so the moon was moving in and out of the clouds.
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つ〜つ – Grammar Discussion
Most Recent Replies (1 in total)
wrt7MameLZE33wlmpCAV
I noticed that くんずほぐれつ is spelled with ず instead of つ. While the only verb on the list that would fall into this category is 組む, so it’s hard to tell, is it correct to infer that ぬ・む verbs exhibit this as a form of 連濁? I’m not sure whether ぐ verbs would be similarly affected or if they would follow く and take つ.
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