CREATE TABLE exchange_part_test1 (f1 string) PARTITIONED BY (ds STRING); CREATE TABLE exchange_part_test2 (f1 string) PARTITIONED BY (ds STRING); SHOW PARTITIONS exchange_part_test1; SHOW PARTITIONS exchange_part_test2; ALTER TABLE exchange_part_test1 ADD PARTITION (ds='2013-04-05'); ALTER TABLE exchange_part_test2 ADD PARTITION (ds='2013-04-05'); SHOW PARTITIONS exchange_part_test1; SHOW PARTITIONS exchange_part_test2; -- exchange_part_test1 table partition (ds='2013-04-05') already exists thus this query will fail alter table exchange_part_test1 exchange partition (ds='2013-04-05') with table exchange_part_test2;