How to use 一来…二来
一来 + reason / purpose 1，二来 + reason / purpose 2
一来…二来 organizes an explanation into two contributing reasons or purposes. The speaker may first state a decision and then justify it, or list the grounds before the conclusion. Each part adds a separate consideration, so the pattern is useful when one reason alone would not capture the full motivation. English often uses for one thing and for another.
Place 一来 before the first reason and 二来 before the second, keeping the clauses parallel enough to follow easily. 是 can introduce the explanation, and purpose clauses may use 为了. The numbering organizes the argument rather than ranking one reason as more important. Do not use the pattern merely to narrate two unrelated events in chronological order.
Examples with pinyin and English
我想走路去，一来可以锻炼，二来不用找停车位。
I want to walk: for one thing, I can get exercise; for another, I will not need to find parking.
The two clauses give parallel reasons for the choice.
我们先不买，一来价格太高，二来还没想清楚。
We will hold off buying: first, the price is too high; second, we have not thought it through.
The decision comes before its two grounds.
这次见面，一来是道谢，二来是商量合作。
This meeting has two purposes: to give thanks and to discuss working together.
一来…二来 can organize purposes as well as reasons.
What to remember
- Use both parts for reasons or purposes.
- Keep the explanatory clauses parallel.
- Treat the numbering as organization rather than priority.
Practise the pattern
Use one example as a model. Change the people, objects or situation, keeping the grammar pattern in the same order. Read the explanation again to check how your sentence uses the construction.
Look up the grammar words
Source and editorial notes
Explanation and examples written for Laowai using the grammar curriculum as a topic reference. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
Difficulty labels describe the level of the explanation; they are not official HSK placement. Send a correction with this page’s URL.