Grammar Info

N2 Lesson 4: 17/18

～ては〜てはRepeating action, If, Since

Structure

Verb［て］(A) + は + Verb［て］(B) + は
Verb［て］(A) + は + Verb［て］(A) + は

Details

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About ては〜ては

Another structure making use of the combined て and は particles is ては～ては. This grammar pattern highlights that the actions of (A) and (B) are continuously being repeated and can be interpreted as 'doing (A) and (B) repeatedly'. The (A) and (B) actions will often be things that contrast each other in some respect, such as starting and stopping, walking and running, going forwards and then backwards, etc.

ては～ては will be used with verbs in the て-form, so will occasionally appear as では.

The abbreviated versions of ちゃ and じゃ may also be seen with the grammar point, but it may be considered unnatural if the same abbreviation is not used both times. This is mainly due to the level of formality being required to stay the same within sentences.

Caution

ては may sometimes appear only once, without any change to the meaning of repetition. This is usually when there is some indication in the rest of the sentence that the action is something that is being repeated over and over.

  • ５(ご)キロを休憩(きゅうけい)なしで走(はし)れるようになるには、疲(つか)れるまで１(いち)キロ走(はし)っては休憩(きゅうけい)しての繰(く)り返(かえ)しを１(いっ)ヶ月(かげつ)間(かん)毎日(まいにち)続(つづ)けることが必要(ひつよう)です。
    To be able to run 5 kilometers without taking a break, you need to run for a kilometer, then take a break, and repeat that process everyday for a month.

Examples

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    田舎者(いなかもの)：「働(はたら)いては寝(ね)て、働(はたら)いては寝(ね)てばかりだ。このような人生(じんせい)はダメだ。」

    Countryman: 'I only work and sleep, work and sleep (repeatedly)… This is not the good life.'

    あくびをしてはフリスクを食(た)べ、あくびをしてはフリスクを食(た)べ、何(なん)とか起(お)きていられた。

    By yawning and eating a mint, yawning and eating a mint, I was somehow able to wake up.

    曖昧(あいまい)なことを言(い)ってははぐらかし、嘘(うそ)をついては逃(に)げようとし、あの人(ひと)はどうしようもない。

    That person is a lost cause, saying ambiguous things and lying and trying to run.

    酒(さけ)を飲(の)んでは暴(あば)れ、暴(あば)れては物(もの)を壊(こわ)す。彼(かれ)は酒(さけ)癖(ぐせ)が悪(わる)い。

    Drinking alcohol and acting violently, raging and breaking things. He is a bad drunk.

    受(う)け取(と)っては誰(だれ)かに渡(わた)し、渡(わた)されては受(う)け取(と)るというだけの仕事(しごと)です。

    The job is just taking stuff and handing it off to others, taking and handing off.

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