兼 (doubling as / concurrently)
IntroducedOne person holds two roles
- A school biography describes a teacher who is also a writer.
- she / her她is是teacher老师and also兼writer作家。 — One person holds both roles at the same time.
Locate the pattern in real examples
- and also兼 (doubling as / concurrently): he他is是teacher老师and also兼teacher in charge of a class班主任。; she / her她is是singer歌手and also兼actor or actress演员。
- Read the whole clause before choosing a translation. The examples show the pattern in use; the context below determines what the speaker claims.
A school biography describes a teacher who is also a writer. What does 她是老师兼作家。 communicate?
One person holds both roles at the same time. Place 兼 between the roles in A兼B. This differs from 她以前是老师，现在是作家, which describes a change of role rather than concurrent roles.
Follow the speaker
he他is是teacher老师and also兼writer作家。
- In the opening situation: she / her她is是teacher老师and also兼writer作家。
- One person holds both roles at the same time.
Using the pattern named in this lesson: He's a teacher and also a writer: 他是老师 ____ 作家。
A 兼 B = doubling as / concurrently: 老师兼作家.
兼 joins two roles held at the same time.
Yes — 老师兼作家 (teacher and writer).
Check the limit of the explanation
- Place and also兼 between the roles in Aand also兼B.
- This differs from she / her她before以前is是teacher老师，now现在is是writer作家, which describes a change of role rather than concurrent roles.
The sentence says that she stopped teaching before becoming a writer.
Place 兼 between the roles in A兼B. This differs from 她以前是老师，现在是作家, which describes a change of role rather than concurrent roles. One person holds both roles at the same time.
Repair the form before interpreting it
- The form she / her她is是and also兼teacher老师writer作家 needs repair here. Write she / her她is是teacher老师and also兼writer作家 instead; keep the word or frame in its demonstrated order.
- Form and meaning are separate checks. After the repair, explain the sentence in its situation rather than treating a familiar translation as a universal rule.
Rewrite the demonstrated repair exactly: 她是兼老师作家
The demonstrated form is 她是老师兼作家. One person holds both roles at the same time.
Keep the distinction
- One person holds both roles at the same time. Check the relevant speaker, time or group in the surrounding context.
- Place and also兼 between the roles in Aand also兼B. This differs from she / her她before以前is是teacher老师，now现在is是writer作家, which describes a change of role rather than concurrent roles.
Read the full reference: HSK 6 grammar — Sentence patterns.
身兼数职 means…
兼 = hold two / more roles together.
A school biography describes a teacher who is also a writer. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.
This is supported productive practice. Compare meaning and structure; your answer need not copy the model. A partner or teacher must hear the spoken response to comment on pronunciation.