ては～ては

About

～ては can be used as a ① Conditional marker: "Whenever/often", or to express ② repeating, cyclical actions: "X keeps doing Y, then Z". This entry concerns usage ②.

For usage ②, a pair of actions is repeated twice, with the first verb of each set featuring the ては pattern.

Pattern:

「(verb 1)ては(verb 2)、(verb 2)ては(verb 1)」 "X keeps doing Y, then Z"

(「(verb 1)ては(verb 2)、(verb 1)ては(verb 2)」 is also possible)

The order of verbs does not need to be flipped, but this is common practice.

E.g. 週末しゅうまつになると、マイクはずっと食たべては寝ねて、寝ねては食たべている。 "Once it's the weekend, Mike eats, sleeps, and repeats."

E.g. マルへのラブレターを、破やぶっては書かいて、書かいては破やぶって、やっと書かき上あげた。 "After writing it, and then ripping it up several times, they finally finished writing their love letter to Maru."

E.g. あいつは、食くっちゃ寝ねの生活せいかつをしている。 "He's living a life where all he does is eat and sleep."

～ては can become ～ちゃ (or では -> じゃ) in casual contexts.

Summary

• 

  ～ては can be used to express ② repeating, cyclical actions: "X keeps doing Y, then Z"

• 

  For usage ②, a pair of actions is repeated twice, with the first verb of each set featuring the ては pattern