HSKReadyGet the appHSK 5 Fixed Phrase: X来X去，都是/就是……
X来X去 presents an action repeated back and forth. With 都是 or 就是, the speaker then summarizes a common feature or highlights a conclusion. The result may be frustrating, neutral or positive; repetition does not automatically mean the effort was wasted.
他们开了三个小时的会，说来说去，都是那些老问题。
Uses 说来说去 with 都是 to show that a long discussion never moved beyond a familiar set of problems.
Read the full explanation and examples
Core Meaning and Communicative Function
In the HSK 5 syllabus outline, X来X去，都是/就是…… is listed as a fixed phrase (固定短语) under fixed patterns (固定格式). Note that this level tag reflects the supplied syllabus outline rather than a guarantee of what appears on any specific test administration.
X来X去 repeats a verb around 来 and 去 to present repeated action, discussion or consideration. 都是 can group the shared content of what is reviewed; 就是 can focus a conclusion or emphasize a continuing difficulty. A favorable conclusion is possible too: 想来想去，就是这个办法最好.
他们开了三个小时的会，说来说去，都是那些老问题。
Uses 说来说去 with 都是 to show that a long discussion never moved beyond a familiar set of problems.
这件事我想来想去，就是觉得哪里不对劲。
这件事 is placed first as the topic, followed by the repeated thinking and the persistent feeling that something is wrong.
Sentence Structures and Verb Selection
Think of the pattern in two parts: the first presents the repeated action, and the second uses 都是 or 就是 to group the content or focus a conclusion. The pause helps organize the message; the conclusion need not be a failed or unchanging outcome.
Short verbs produce familiar four-character forms such as 说来说去、想来想去 and 看来看去. Longer repeated verbs also occur naturally, including 商量来商量去、讨论来讨论去 and 研究来研究去. Neither a two-syllable verb nor a fully stressed second syllable automatically makes the construction wrong.
- Speech and thought verbs: 说 (talk), 想 (think), 问 (ask), 算 (calculate/figure).
- Selection and comparison verbs: 看 (look/examine), 选 (choose), 挑 (pick), 比 (compare), 换 (change/swap).
- Physical search or movement verbs: 找 (look for), 翻 (rummage/flip through), 走 (walk), 跑 (run).
Choosing Between 都是 and 就是
都是 and 就是 have different scopes. 都 can gather all the items or content being compared; 就是 can focus the main conclusion. Neither expression by itself says that the repeated action achieved nothing.
Use 都是 when the statement applies to all the relevant content or items. In the menu example, the available choices reduce to the same few dishes; in the advertising example, all the plans share a focus on price. The scope of 都 comes from the context, not necessarily from counting each attempt.
这家店的菜单看起来很厚，其实选来选去，都是那几道家常菜。
Shows 选来选去，都是…… summarizing a seemingly large selection that turns out to be repetitive.
这几份广告方案看来看去，都是在强调产品价格。
都 applies to the several advertising plans: all share the same focus. It need not mean that every attempted revision failed.
Use 就是 when the repetition narrows down to one specific point, or when the second clause expresses a stubborn failure or persistent feeling (often followed by a negated verb phrase like 找不到, 想不通, or 记不起来). In this second use, 就是 acts as an emphatic adverbial meaning simply or stubbornly, even though it matches the surface string in the syllabus pattern.
他在房间里找来找去，就是找不到那把车钥匙。
Here 就是 precedes a negated verb phrase (找不到) to express a stubbornly unsuccessful outcome after repeated searching.
- X来X去，都是 + [Noun Phrase / Evaluative Clause]: Emphasizes that all attempts yield the exact same items or conclusion.
- X来X去，就是 + [Noun Phrase]: Emphasizes that the scope boils down to nothing more than this single thing (often interchangeable with 都是 when pointing to a small set like 那几样).
- X来X去，就是 + [Negated Verb / Mental State]: Emphasizes that despite repeated effort, a desired result stubbornly fails to happen.
Usage Limits and Common Learner Mistakes
The verb must allow a repeated-action interpretation in the intended context. Start with clear choices such as 说、想、看、找 or 商量. A purely static reading will not naturally express that process, but do not reject every longer verb or every creative repeated-event description from a fixed blacklist.
The next pair expresses the same discussion with different wording. 讨论来讨论去 and 说来说去 are both possible. The latter is shorter; that stylistic difference does not make the first sentence ungrammatical.
我们今天下午讨论来讨论去，就是定不下出发的日期。
讨论 is a two-syllable verb that works in this repeated-action frame. The sentence describes an unresolved discussion, not a grammar error.
我们今天下午说来说去，就是定不下出发的日期。
说来说去 is a shorter conversational alternative with the same unresolved date-setting meaning.
Frequently asked questions
Does X来X去 always require physical movement from one place to another?
No. While verbs like 走来走去 or 跑来跑去 describe literal back-and-forth movement, in the pattern X来X去，都是/就是…… the repetition is very often mental or verbal, such as 说来说去 (talking back and forth) or 想来想去 (thinking over and over).
Where does the object of the verb go when using X来X去?
Introducing the object first as the topic is a clear default: 这件事我想来想去……. A suitable 把 construction is another option, as in 把那本书翻来翻去. Keep the repeated verb frame together and make its relationship to the following conclusion clear.
Is X来X去，都是/就是…… formal or conversational?
It often sounds lively and conversational and also occurs in narrative or explanatory writing. A more formal passage may prefer a concise alternative such as 反复考虑, but the genre alone does not make X来X去 incorrect.
