つ〜つ (JLPT N1)

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.

新(あたら)しく発売(はつばい)されたゲーム機(き)を買(か)おうか悩(なや)みながら、お店(みせ)の前(まえ)を行(い)きつ戻(もど)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(かわ)で脱(ぬ)げた靴(くつ)が浮(う)きつ沈(しず)みつ流(なが)れていった。
My shoe that came off in the river was bobbing up and down as it floated away.

Additionally, it is also quite common to see the same verb being repeated in both places. When this happens, the (A) verb will be in the standard form, while the (B) verb will be in the passive form. This just translates as 'to do (A) and to have (A) done to oneself'.

僕(ぼく)たちは持(も)ちつ持(も)たれつの関係(かんけい)で、保育園(ほいくえん)の頃(ころ)から今(いま)に至(いた)るまでお互(おたが)い助(たす)け合(あ)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(かいじょう)には大勢(おおぜい)の人(ひと)が集(あつ)まっていて、ゲートが開(ひら)かれても押(お)しつ押(お)されつで全然(ぜんぜん)会場(かいじょう)に入(はい)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(ゆ)きつ戻(もど)りつ - To go back and forth.
浮(う)きつ沈(しず)みつ - To surface and submerge (to bob).
見(み)えつ隠(かく)れつ - To go in and our of sight.
とつおいつ (from 取(と)りつ置(お)きつ) - To waver between.
矯(た)めつ眇(すが)めつ - To take a good look.
組(く)んず解(ほど)れつ - To intertwine and release (to grapple).
抜(ぬ)きつ抜(ぬ)かれつ - To pull away and be pulled away from (to be neck and neck).
持(も)ちつ持(も)たれつ - To have and to be held (to give and take).
押(お)しつ押(お)されつ - To press and be pressed.
追(お)いつ追(お)われつ - To overtake and be overtaken.
差(さ)しつ差(さ)されつ - To pour and be poured (to take turns exchanging drinks).

Examples

彼(かれ)はドアの前(まえ)をしばらく不安(ふあん)げに行(い)きつ戻(もど)りつしていたすえに入(はい)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(も)ちつ持(も)たれつの関係(かんけい)にある。
Ants and aphids have a give-and-take relationship.
老人(ろうじん)は小枝(こえだ)の浮(う)きつ沈(しず)みつを眺(なが)めながら、海(うみ)の匂(にお)いを楽(たの)しんだ。
The old man enjoyed the smell of the sea while watching the sinking and rising (bobbing) twig.
藤原(ふじわら)拓海(たくみ)、須藤(すどう)京一(きょういち)など、多(おお)くの有名(ゆうめい)なドライバーが抜(ぬ)きつ抜(ぬ)かれつのレースを繰(く)り広(ひろ)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(くも)り空(ぞら)で風(かぜ)が強(つよ)かったから月(つき)が雲(くも)に見(み)えつ隠(かく)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

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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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Grammar Info

つ (Conjunctive)

two contrasting actions

Structure

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つ〜つ – Grammar Discussion