つ〜つ
- 1Indicates that two contrasting actions (such as floating and sinking) keep alternating with each other.Ex. 1
- 2Describes back-and-forth physical movement that often mirrors hesitation or wavering.Ex. 2
often followed by する (e.g. 浮きつ沈みつする) or used adverbially before a clause (e.g. 行きつ戻りつしながら) (the two verbs are usually opposites, such as 行く/戻る or 浮く/沈む)
This browser can't play pronunciations (needs Safari 18.4 or later, or Chrome / Edge / Firefox).
This is a literary, written pattern that appears mainly in fixed pairs such as 行きつ戻りつ and 浮きつ沈みつ. It is typical of narrative and descriptive prose. Unlike the everyday 〜たり〜たりする, it stresses a continuous rhythmic alternation between two opposite actions rather than simply listing actions.
Note that the verbs take the ます-stem (連用形), not the dictionary form: 行きつ戻りつ, not 行くつ戻るつ.
Do not freely combine any two verbs; the pattern is mostly limited to established pairs of opposite actions.
Learners sometimes confuse this doubled つ with single つつ, which means 'while' or 'although' rather than alternation.
- 〜たり〜たりするN3「〜たり〜たりする」can also express alternating repetition, but it attaches to the た-form, lets you combine verbs freely, can even take adjectives and nouns, and can be used for giving examples, all in a neutral register. 「つ〜つ」is limited to fixed pairings and has a strong literary flavor.
- つつN2「つつ」attaches to only one verb and expresses either one subject doing two things at once, or concession ('although... still...'; often as 「つつも」), with no sense of alternation. 「つ〜つ」requires a pair of verbs expressing back-and-forth alternation, so the two cannot be swapped.
- ながら / いながら / ながらもN3「ながら」expresses one subject doing two things at once (with the second action as the main point), or concession ('although... still...'), combining freely in a neutral register. 「つ〜つ」requires a paired structure expressing alternating opposite actions, is mostly fixed in usage, leans literary, and cannot be swapped with it.
- 〜につけ〜につけN2「〜につけ〜につけ」means 'whether A or B, the latter holds' and attaches to nouns, verbs in dictionary form, or い-adjectives. 「つ〜つ」expresses alternating actions and related idiomatic metaphors, attaching to the ます-stem; they look similar but differ in meaning and cannot be swapped.
- であれ〜であれN2「であれ〜であれ」attaches to nouns or the stem of な-adjectives and means 'whether A or B, the latter holds'. 「つ〜つ」attaches to the ます-stem of verbs and describes two actions alternating repeatedly; both are used in pairs and lean literary, but they cannot be swapped.
〜たり〜たりする is a neutral, everyday pattern that lists sample actions, while つ〜つ is literary and describes two opposite actions alternating. つつ and ながら link two actions happening at the same time, or express concession; 〜につけ〜につけ and であれ〜であれ mean 'whether A or B' and do not describe alternating actions.
