Expressing "one by one" with "yi"

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One by One with 名量

注：当这个量词是时间名词"天、年"时，表示的其实是"little by little, gradually"，而非字面意思。

一 + Measure Word （+ 一）+ Measure Word + Noun

请一个房间一个房间检查。Qǐng yī gè fángjiān yī gè fángjiān jiǎnchá.Please inspect room by room.
别着急，一点一点做。Bié zháojí, yī diǎn yī diǎn zuò.Don't worry, do it little by little.
宝宝一天一天在长大。Bǎobao yī tiān yī tiān zài zhǎngdà.The baby is growing up day by day.
爸爸妈妈一年一年在变老。Bàba māma yī nián yī nián zài biàn lǎo.Year by year, mom and dad are becoming old.

数量短语一旦重叠，意义和用法都会改变。如果使用的是动量如"次、遍"，这个短语放在动词前作状语，用于描写动作地方式，或者表示动作已重复了多次。

一 + Measure Word（+ 又）+ 一 + Measure Word

如果说话人想强调动作重复之多，常常加"又"来加强语气。

我一次一次问，他就是什么都不说。Wǒ yī cì 一 cì wèn, tā jiùshì shénme dōu bù shuō.I asked him again and again, but he still wouldn't say anything.
我一遍一遍地跟他解释，他还是不听。Wǒ yī biàn yī biàn de gēn tā jiěshì, tā háishì bù tīng.I explained it to him over and over again, but he still won't listen.
你为什么一遍又一遍地听这首歌？Nǐ wèishénme yī biàn yòu yī biàn de tīng zhè shǒu gē?Why do you listen to this song on repeat?
他们一次又一次犯这种小错误，让经理很头疼。Tāmen yī cì yòu yī cì fàn zhè zhǒng xiǎo cuòwù, ràng jīnglǐ hěn tóuténg.They make this mistake over and over again, giving the manager a headache.

除了有以上的功能，数量短语重叠还可以做定语，重在描写，表示"众数或数量多"，这种情况通常省略第二个"一"。如"一朵朵花、一座座山"等。