How to use 互相
互相 + Verb Phrase
互相 before a verb phrase shows that participants direct an action toward one another. The subject therefore identifies, or context supplies, at least two relevant participants. Each is involved in the reciprocal relationship rather than simply performing the same activity independently. Everyday interactions as well as more formal descriptions use this pattern.
Many common combinations involve two-syllable verbs. A short verb can take added information that makes the full action phrase natural and clear. Some verbs already strongly imply mutual participation, so 互相 may be unnecessary unless the speaker wants to emphasize reciprocity. Do not treat every group activity as reciprocal: acting together and acting on one another express related but different relationships between the participants.
Examples with pinyin and English
互相帮助
Help each other
互相了解
Know each other
互相伤害
Hurt each other
互相尊重
Respect each other
What to remember
- Put 互相 before the reciprocal action.
- Make the participants identifiable.
- Joint activity alone does not imply reciprocity.
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Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
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