We often use two adjectives or adverbs when describing things, as in "The books is both interesting and informing." In Mandarin Chinese, this kind of sentence is constructed with 又 (yòu).

The sentence format is like this:

    SUBJECT – 又 – STATIVE VERB – 又 –STATIVE VERB

Stative verbs are verbs which describe a relatively unchanging condition, and have a similar function to adjectives and adverbs.

Here is an example:

    高速鐵路又快又舒服。
    高速铁路又快又舒服。
    Gāosù tiělù yòu kuài yòu shūfu.
    The high-speed train is both fast and comfortable.

Neither Nor

The opposite of "both … and" is "neither … nor", which is Mandarin Chinese is expressed 也不 … 也 不 (yě bù … yě bù), in this construction:

    SUBJECT – 也不 – STATIVE VERB – 也不 – STATIVE VERB

Here is an example:

    今天也不太熱也不太冷。
    今天也不太热也不太冷。
    Jīntiān yě bù tài rè yě bù tài lěng.
    Today is neither too hot nor too cold.

Adding A Reservation

Sometimes we need to add a qualifying statement to our two positive points, as in "He is so bright and smart, but he has no job." This is done with 可是 (kě shì) in this construction:

    SUBJECT – 也 – STATIVE VERB – 也 – STATIVE VERB – 可是 – STATEMENT

Here is an example:

    他也有錢也聰明可是沒有女朋友。
    他也有钱也聪明可是没有女朋友。
    Tā yě yǒu qián yě cōngmíng, kěshì méiyǒu nù péngyou.
    He is both rich and intelligent, but he doesn't have a girlfriend.

Not Only

Another common expression is "not only … but" as in "He is not only talented, but rich." In Mandarin, this type of sentence is constructed with 不但 (bú dàn) … 也 (yě):

     SUBJECT – 不但 – STATIVE VERB – 也 – STATIVE VERB

Here is an example:

    他不但有錢也大方。
    他不但有钱也大方。
    Tā bù dàn yǒu qián yě dàfāng.
    He is not only rich, but also generous.