说 (shuō) — doing it at once: 说 (shuō)A就 (jiù)A

说 (shuō) + Verb (A) + 就 (jiù) + Verb (A)

HSK 53.0

Pattern diagram

Who / what说Verb就Verb

Rule structure

The pattern 说 (shuō)A就 (jiù)A (shuō A jiù A) means “no sooner said than done”: a decision is made instantly and carried out right away. A is usually a verb, often a single-syllable one: 说走就走 (shuō zǒu jiù zǒu), 说买就买 (shuō mǎi jiù mǎi). It is colloquial and conveys decisiveness or ease.

Examples

他说走就走,一点儿也不犹豫。

Tā shuō zǒu jiù zǒu, yìdiǎnr yě bù yóuyù.

He said he’d go and went right away, without hesitating at all.

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Words from this rule

Frequently asked questions

How do you say “doing it at once: 说A就A” in Chinese with 说?

Use the structure: 说 (shuō) + Verb (A) + 就 (jiù) + Verb (A). For example: 他说走就走,一点儿也不犹豫。 — “He said he’d go and went right away, without hesitating at all”.

What is an example sentence with this grammar rule?

他说走就走,一点儿也不犹豫。 — “He said he’d go and went right away, without hesitating at all”.

Which HSK level includes this grammar rule?

This grammar rule is part of HSK 3.0 Level 5.

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More HSK 3.0 Level 5 grammar rules