<p>我一边在吃饭，一边在做作业。that's wrong, it should be </p>

<p>我在边吃饭，边做作业, that's right. 在 = doing something, <strong>stressed doing something (2 things at the same time)</strong>.</p>

<p>and 我一边吃饭，一边做作业。 that's right. 一边...一边 = <strong>stressed at the same time</strong>, do 2 things</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-19T09:38:24.877Z
2018-05-19T09:38:24.877Z
jacobren
<p>You can think of "一边...一边" as a split screen. To me, it indicates the concurrence of two actions.</p>

<p>To your question specifically, it seems the second sentence is verbose and do not follow what colloquial description is from a native speaker point of view. </p>

<p>Alternatively, You can say something like, </p>

<pre><code>我一边吃着饭，一边做着作业
</code></pre>

<p>to indicate <strong>the current continuous tense</strong> though.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-16T22:41:09.880Z
2018-05-16T22:41:09.880Z
moiaussi06
<ul>
<li><p>[一边 (verb A) 一边 (verb B)] indicates  (verb A) and (verb B) are carried out  concurrently. Please read <a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/28575/is-the-%e8%be%b9%ef%bd%9e%e8%be%b9-the-synonym-for-%e4%b8%80%e8%be%b9%ef%bd%9e%e4%b8%80%e8%be%b9">Is the 边～边 the synonym for 一边～一边?</a> for reference</p></li>
<li><p>[在 (verb A)] indicates (verb A) is in a progressive tense (<em>in the middle of doing it / in a continuous state of doing it</em>)</p></li>
<li><p>Neither structure indicate tense, because Chinese verbs do not inflect between present and past tense. Please read <a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/22011/how-do-you-specify-past-tense-for-%e6%98%af/22016#22016">How do you specify past tense for 是?</a> for reference</p></li>
</ul>

<blockquote>
  <p>我一边在吃饭，一边在做作业</p>
</blockquote>

<p>It is not technically wrong, but the more efficient structure to express the same meaning is "我在边吃饭，边做作业" </p>

<p><strong>[边]</strong> 吃饭 <strong>[边]</strong> 做作业 indicates "eat dinner" (verb A) and "do homework" (verb B) are carried out concurrently</p>

<p><strong>[在]</strong> [边吃饭，边做作业] indicates both actions are in a progressive tense (<em>in the middle of doing it / in a continuous state of doing it</em>)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-17T17:28:36.307Z
Thanks a lot for your reply. Would like to ask, according to the other replies too, if these are all the same:
1) 我一边吃着饭，一边做着作业
2) 我在一边吃饭，一边做作业
3) 现在我一边吃饭，一边做作业
Don't Care
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-17T17:41:46.420Z
@Don't Care they all mean the same, but #3 included a time reference, therefore we know it is happening in the present
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-17T01:33:47.423Z
2018-05-17T04:18:36.083Z
2018-05-17T04:18:36.083Z
Tang Ho
<blockquote>
  <p>我一边吃饭，一边做作业</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I do homework while eating</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>我一边在吃饭，一边在做作业</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I'm doing homework while eating</p>

<p>Is the second sentence correct? Can I use 在 or does 一边...一边 already imply that the action I'm talking about is happening right now?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-16T19:52:39.637Z
「一邊...一邊」並不一定指正在發生的事。例如：「我看到你今天早上邊走路邊吃東西。」這是過去式。如果要強調正在進行的事，可加「現在」。譬如：「他現在一邊聽著音樂，一邊在看雜誌。」
user3a
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-16T22:22:30.873Z
The first one is preferable. The second one is a bit verbose, but sounds ok.
dan
<translation><grammar><usage><sentence-structure><verbs>
Can I use 在 with 一边... 一边?
# Can I use 在 with 一边... 一边?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-05-16)

> 我一边吃饭，一边做作业

I do homework while eating

> 我一边在吃饭，一边在做作业

I'm doing homework while eating

Is the second sentence correct? Can I use 在 or does 一边...一边 already imply that the action I'm talking about is happening right now?

**Tags:** translation, grammar, usage, sentence-structure, verbs

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 「一邊...一邊」並不一定指正在發生的事。例如：「我看到你今天早上邊走路邊吃東西。」這是過去式。如果要強調正在進行的事，可加「現在」。譬如：「他現在一邊聽著音樂，一邊在看雜誌。」  
> **username_2**: The first one is preferable. The second one is a bit verbose, but sounds ok.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2018-05-17. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

* [一边 (verb A) 一边 (verb B)] indicates (verb A) and (verb B) are carried out concurrently. Please read [Is the 边～边 the synonym for 一边～一边?](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/28575/is-the-%e8%be%b9%ef%bd%9e%e8%be%b9-the-synonym-for-%e4%b8%80%e8%be%b9%ef%bd%9e%e4%b8%80%e8%be%b9) for reference
* [在 (verb A)] indicates (verb A) is in a progressive tense (*in the middle of doing it / in a continuous state of doing it*)
* Neither structure indicate tense, because Chinese verbs do not inflect between present and past tense. Please read [How do you specify past tense for 是?](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/22011/how-do-you-specify-past-tense-for-%e6%98%af/22016#22016) for reference

> 我一边在吃饭，一边在做作业

It is not technically wrong, but the more efficient structure to express the same meaning is "我在边吃饭，边做作业"

**[边]** 吃饭 **[边]** 做作业 indicates "eat dinner" (verb A) and "do homework" (verb B) are carried out concurrently

**[在]** [边吃饭，边做作业] indicates both actions are in a progressive tense (*in the middle of doing it / in a continuous state of doing it*)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks a lot for your reply. Would like to ask, according to the other replies too, if these are all the same: 1) 我一边吃着饭，一边做着作业 2) 我在一边吃饭，一边做作业 3) 现在我一边吃饭，一边做作业  
> **username_5**: @username_0 they all mean the same, but #3 included a time reference, therefore we know it is happening in the present  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2018-05-19. Score: 1

我一边在吃饭，一边在做作业。that's wrong, it should be

我在边吃饭，边做作业, that's right. 在 = doing something, **stressed doing something (2 things at the same time)**.

and 我一边吃饭，一边做作业。 that's right. 一边...一边 = **stressed at the same time**, do 2 things


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2018-05-16. Score: 1

You can think of "一边...一边" as a split screen. To me, it indicates the concurrence of two actions.

To your question specifically, it seems the second sentence is verbose and do not follow what colloquial description is from a native speaker point of view.

Alternatively, You can say something like,

```
我一边吃着饭，一边做着作业

```

to indicate **the current continuous tense** though.


---

