N1 Listing and Enumeration

~つ~つ: meaning, usage and examples

~つ~つ means: ...and... (two opposing actions).

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. 二人ふたりの選手せんしゅは、抜ぬきつ抜ぬかれつ、ゴールまで競きそい合あった。

   The two runners competed to the finish line, overtaking and being overtaken.

2. 両りょうチームは、押おしつ押おされつの接戦せっせんを繰くり広ひろげた。

   The two teams fought a close, back-and-forth battle.

3. 店みせの前まえを行いきつ戻もどりつしながら、入はいるかどうか迷まよった。

   I paced back and forth in front of the shop, unsure whether to go in.

4. 近所きんじょの人ひとたちとは、持もちつ持もたれつの関係かんけいだ。

   My neighbors and I have a give-and-take relationship.

When to use it

Describes two actions that alternate back and forth. The pair is either an active and passive of one verb (抜ぬきつ抜ぬかれつ, overtaking and being overtaken) or two opposite verbs (行いきつ戻もどりつ, going back and forth). Example: 持もちつ持もたれつの関係かんけい (a relationship of give and take). It works as an adverb, or with の before a noun.

Nuance

Written and literary in feel but common in set phrases in news, sports reports and everyday speech. Only a handful of fixed pairs are used; do not invent new ones. 押おしつ押おされつ means an evenly matched contest, not physical pushing.

Compare

～たり～たり lists actions freely: 行いったり来きたりする. ～つ～つ is the literary, fixed-phrase version: 行いきつ戻もどりつする. ～つつ, a single つつ, means "while" or "although": 悪わるいと思おもいつつ食たべた, and has nothing to do with alternation.

Tip: Do not confuse ～つ～つ (two verbs, alternation) with ～つつ (one verb, "while"). Count the verbs.