Verb reduplication with "yi"
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Keywords
Reduplication of certain verbs and adding an 一 (yī) can change the degree of something to "a little bit".
Structure
One way to reduplicate verbs is to insert 一 (yī), in the following structure:
Verb + 一 + Verb
As with simple verb reduplication, this creates a sense that the verb is done briefly or "a little bit".
Examples
- 给 我 看 一 看。Give me a little look.
- 你 听 一 听。(You) Listen a bit.
- 去 试 一 试。(You) Go and try it a bit.
See also
Sources and Further Reading
Books
- New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 18) →buy
- Contemporary Chinese 1 (当代中文1) (pp. 125) →buy
- Practicing HSK Grammar (语法精讲精炼) (pp. 152-160) →buy