Difference between revisions of "Reduplication of verbs"
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| − | One of the fun things about Chinese is that when speaking, you can repeat | + | One of the fun things about Chinese is that when speaking, you can repeat a verb to express "a little bit" or "briefly." This is called [[reduplication]]. It creates a casual tone, and a sense that whatever the action is, it's not going to take long. |
| − | == Reduplication with | + | == Reduplication with the AA Pattern == |
=== Structure === | === Structure === | ||
| − | In Chinese, verbs can be | + | In Chinese, verbs can be [[reduplicate]]d to indicate that they happen briefly or "a little bit." |
<div class="jiegou"> | <div class="jiegou"> | ||
| − | + | Subj. + Verb + Verb | |
</div> | </div> | ||
| + | |||
| + | Chinese grammar books frequently refer to the reduplication of a single-character word as a "AA" pattern. Note that for this pattern, the second verb's tone changes to the neutral tone. | ||
=== Examples === | === Examples === | ||
| Line 19: | Line 21: | ||
<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
| − | * 你 <em> | + | * 你 <em>看看</em>。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>kànkan</em>.</span><span class="trans"> Take a little look.</span> |
| − | * 我 <em>试 试</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em> | + | * 我 <em>试 试</em>。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>shìshi</em>.</span><span class="trans">I'll give it a try.</span> |
| − | * | + | * <em>说 说</em> 你 的 想法。<span class="pinyin"><em>Shuōshuo</em> nǐ de xiǎngfǎ.</span><span class="trans">Talk a little bit about your ideas.</span> |
| − | + | * 出去 <em>玩 玩</em> 吧！<span class="pinyin">Chūqù <em>wánwan</em> ba! </span><span class="trans">Go out and have fun! </span> | |
| − | + | * 我 想 出去 <em>走 走</em>。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ xiǎng chūqù <em>zǒuzou</em>.</span><span class="trans">I want to go out and walk for a bit.</span> | |
| − | |||
| − | * <em> | ||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | * 我 想 出去 <em>走 走</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ xiǎng chūqù <em> | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
| − | == Reduplication with | + | == Reduplication with 一 (yī) == |
=== Structure === | === Structure === | ||
| Line 48: | Line 45: | ||
<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
| − | * | + | * 别 生气 了，<em>笑 一 笑</em>！<span class="pinyin">Bié shēngqì le, <em>xiào yī xiào</em>! </span><span class="trans">Don't be mad, gimme a smile! </span> |
| − | * 你 <em> | + | * 你 去 <em>问 一 问</em> 他们 厕所 在 哪里。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ qù <em>wèn yī wèn</em> tāmen cèsuǒ zài nǎlǐ.</span><span class="trans">Go and ask them where the bathroom is.</span> |
| − | + | * 我 可以 <em>用 一 用</em> 你 的 电脑 吗？<span class="pinyin">Wǒ kěyǐ <em>yòng yī yòng</em> nǐ de diànnǎo ma? </span><span class="trans"> Can I use your computer for a little bit? </span> | |
| − | * | + | * 你 现在 有时间 吗？我们 <em>聊一聊</em> 吧。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ xiànzài yǒu shíjiān ma? Wǒmen <em>liáo yī liáo</em> ba.</span><span class="trans">Do you have a second? Let's chat for a bit.</span> |
| − | + | * 你 想 <em>尝 一 尝</em> 我 做 的 菜 吗？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ xiǎng <em>cháng yī cháng</em> wǒ zuò de cài ma? </span><span class="trans">Do you want to taste the food that I cooked? </span> | |
| − | * | ||
| − | * | ||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
</div> | </div> | ||
| − | Using this kind of structure lightens | + | Using this kind of structure lightens the mood and seriousness of the question. It also adds variety to sentence structure. Because these phrases are used colloquially, there is no set rule to which verbs this can be applied to. There are some verbs that are often reduplicated and some verbs that sound weird when reduplicated. With practice and exposure, you will learn which ones are often used. |
== ABAB Reduplication with Two-Syllable Verbs == | == ABAB Reduplication with Two-Syllable Verbs == | ||
| − | In the examples | + | In the examples above, all verbs are only one syllable. Those verbs get reduplicated a lot, so those examples are quite useful. Occasionally, though, two-syllable verbs get reduplicated as well. When this happens, it's important to use the "ABAB" pattern for verbs (meaning the entire word is repeated), and not the [[Reduplication of adjectives|"AABB" pattern you use for adjectives]] (where each character is repeated individually). |
| − | + | === Examples === | |
<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
| − | * 考虑 考虑 <span class="pinyin">kǎolǜ kǎolǜ</span> <span class="trans">think it over</span> | + | * 考虑 考虑 <span class="pinyin">kǎolǜ kǎolǜ</span><span class="trans">think it over</span> |
| − | * 讨论 讨论 <span class="pinyin">tǎolùn tǎolùn</span> <span class="trans">discuss it</span> | + | * 讨论 讨论 <span class="pinyin">tǎolùn tǎolùn</span><span class="trans">discuss it</span> |
| − | * 商量 商量 <span class="pinyin">shāngliang shāngliang</span> <span class="trans">talk it over</span> | + | * 商量 商量 <span class="pinyin">shāngliang shāngliang</span><span class="trans">talk it over</span> |
| − | * 打听 打听 <span class="pinyin">dǎting dǎting</span> <span class="trans">inquire about it</span> | + | * 打听 打听 <span class="pinyin">dǎting dǎting</span><span class="trans">inquire about it</span> |
</div> | </div> | ||
| Line 87: | Line 78: | ||
=== Books === | === Books === | ||
| − | + | {{Source|HSK Standard Course 2|61}} | |
| − | + | {{Source|HSK Standard Course 3|146}} | |
| − | + | {{Source|New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2)|18}} | |
| − | + | {{Source|Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed)|85}} | |
| − | + | {{Source|Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2|227-8}} | |
| − | + | {{Source|Contemporary Chinese 1 (当代中文1)|125}} | |
| + | {{Source|Practicing HSK Grammar (语法精讲精炼)|152-160}} | ||
| + | {{Source|New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4)|121-2}} | ||
[[Category:A2 grammar points]] | [[Category:A2 grammar points]] | ||
| − | {{Basic Grammar| | + | {{HSK|HSK2}}{{2021-HSK|HSK2}} |
| + | {{HSK|HSK3}} | ||
| + | {{Basic Grammar|一|A2|Verb + Verb|你 <em>看看</em>。|grammar point|ASGYC77J}} | ||
{{Similar|Softening speech with "ba"}} | {{Similar|Softening speech with "ba"}} | ||
{{Similar|Verbing briefly}} | {{Similar|Verbing briefly}} | ||
| Line 101: | Line 96: | ||
{{Used for|Decreasing formality}} | {{Used for|Decreasing formality}} | ||
{{Used for|Expressing duration}} | {{Used for|Expressing duration}} | ||
| + | {{Similar|Reduplication of measure words}} | ||
{{Similar|Reduplication of adjectives}} | {{Similar|Reduplication of adjectives}} | ||
| + | {{Similar|Repeated actions in the past with "you"}} | ||
{{Subprop|Verb phrases}} | {{Subprop|Verb phrases}} | ||
Latest revision as of 08:53, 21 April 2021
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Level
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Similar to
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Used for
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Keywords
One of the fun things about Chinese is that when speaking, you can repeat a verb to express "a little bit" or "briefly." This is called reduplication. It creates a casual tone, and a sense that whatever the action is, it's not going to take long.
Contents
Reduplication with the AA Pattern
Structure
In Chinese, verbs can be reduplicated to indicate that they happen briefly or "a little bit."
Subj. + Verb + Verb
Chinese grammar books frequently refer to the reduplication of a single-character word as a "AA" pattern. Note that for this pattern, the second verb's tone changes to the neutral tone.
Examples
- 你 看看。 Take a little look.
- 我 试 试。I'll give it a try.
- 说 说 你 的 想法。Talk a little bit about your ideas.
- 出去 玩 玩 吧！Go out and have fun!
- 我 想 出去 走 走。I want to go out and walk for a bit.
Reduplication with 一 (yī)
Structure
Another way to reduplicate verbs is to insert 一 (yī), in the following structure:
Verb + 一 + Verb
Examples
- 别 生气 了，笑 一 笑！Don't be mad, gimme a smile!
- 你 去 问 一 问 他们 厕所 在 哪里。Go and ask them where the bathroom is.
- 我 可以 用 一 用 你 的 电脑 吗？ Can I use your computer for a little bit?
- 你 现在 有时间 吗？我们 聊一聊 吧。Do you have a second? Let's chat for a bit.
- 你 想 尝 一 尝 我 做 的 菜 吗？Do you want to taste the food that I cooked?
Using this kind of structure lightens the mood and seriousness of the question. It also adds variety to sentence structure. Because these phrases are used colloquially, there is no set rule to which verbs this can be applied to. There are some verbs that are often reduplicated and some verbs that sound weird when reduplicated. With practice and exposure, you will learn which ones are often used.
ABAB Reduplication with Two-Syllable Verbs
In the examples above, all verbs are only one syllable. Those verbs get reduplicated a lot, so those examples are quite useful. Occasionally, though, two-syllable verbs get reduplicated as well. When this happens, it's important to use the "ABAB" pattern for verbs (meaning the entire word is repeated), and not the "AABB" pattern you use for adjectives (where each character is repeated individually).
Examples
- 考虑 考虑 think it over
- 讨论 讨论 discuss it
- 商量 商量 talk it over
- 打听 打听 inquire about it
See also
Sources and further reading
Books
- HSK Standard Course 2 (pp. 61) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
- HSK Standard Course 3 (pp. 146) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
- New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 18) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
- Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 85) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
- Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (pp. 227-8) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
- Contemporary Chinese 1 (当代中文1) (pp. 125) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
- Practicing HSK Grammar (语法精讲精炼) (pp. 152-160) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
- New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4) (pp. 121-2) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
