Thread: и те и те, и то и то, и то и другое,оба...

и те и те both (for 2 groups of things/people, colloquial)
и то и то both (for 2 things, colloquial)
и тот и тот both (for 2 people, colloquial)
и то и другое same as all above?

оба both (for 2 things/people, same as и тот и тот but formal/written, not colloquial)

Is this right?

Originally Posted by grafrich

и тот и тот both (for 2 people, colloquial)

и тот и тот — for 2 men
и та и та — for 2 women

и тот и та / и та и тот for a man and a woman are possible but rare and clumsy. It’s better to use оба in this case.

Originally Posted by grafrich

и то и другое same as all above?

The same number-gender distinction works here:
и те и другие both (for 2 groups of things/people, colloquial)
и то и другое both (for 2 things, colloquial)
и тот и другой both (for 2 men, colloquial)
и та и другая both (for 2 women, colloquial)

Originally Posted by grafrich

оба both (for 2 things/people, same as и тот и тот but formal/written, not colloquial)

оба — for 2 men or for a men and a woman
обе — for two women
оба / обе is not limited to formal speech. It is used in colloquial speech too.

So оба is always going to be easier to use; just doesn't apply to 2 collections/groups of things/people, which is where и те и те could be used?