Difference between revisions of "Reduplication of verbs"

m (Text replace - "{{Grammar Box}} " to "{{Grammar Box}} ")
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
* 你 <em>看看</em> 。<span class="trans">(You) Take a little look.</span>
+
* 你 <em>看 看</em> 。<span class="trans">(You) Take a little look.</span>
* 我 <em>试试</em> 。<span class="trans">I'll give it a little try.</span>
+
* 我 <em>试 试</em> 。<span class="trans">I'll give it a little try.</span>
* 你 <em>听听</em> 。<span class="trans">(You) Listen for a bit.</span>
+
* 你 <em>听 听</em> 。<span class="trans">(You) Listen for a bit.</span>
* 你 <em>说说</em> 你的看法。<span class="trans">Talk a little bit about your opinion.</span>
+
* 你 <em>说 说</em> 你 的 想法。<span class="trans">Talk a little bit about your opinion.</span>
* 周末 的 时候 跟 朋友 <em>吃吃</em> 饭,很 好。<span class="trans">During the weekend, eat a little bit with friends, it's awesome.</span>
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* 周末 的 时候 跟 朋友 <em>吃 吃</em> 饭,很 好。<span class="trans">During the weekend, eat a little bit with friends, it's awesome.</span>
* 没事 的 时候 我 喜欢 <em>写写</em> 东西。<span class="trans">When I have nothing to do, I like to write a little bit.</span>
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* 没事 的 时候 我 喜欢 <em>写 写</em> 东西。<span class="trans">When I have nothing to do, I like to write a little bit.</span>
* <em>洗洗</em> 你 的 臭 袜子 吧!<span class="trans">Wash your stinky socks a bit!</span>
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* <em>洗 洗</em> 你 的 臭 袜子 吧!<span class="trans">Wash your stinky socks a bit!</span>
* 不要 生气 了,<em>笑笑</em> !<span class="trans">You don't need to get mad, laugh a little!</span>
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* 不要 生气 了,<em>笑 笑</em> !<span class="trans">You don't need to get mad, laugh a little!</span>
* 快点 去 <em>问问</em> 厕所 在 哪 里。<span class="trans">Hurry and go ask a while where the bathroom is.</span>
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* 快点 去 <em>问 问</em> 厕所 在 哪 里。<span class="trans">Hurry and go ask a while where the bathroom is.</span>
* 我 想 出去 <em>走走</em> 。<span class="trans">I want to go out and walk for a bit.</span>
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* 我 想 出去 <em>走 走</em>。<span class="trans">I want to go out and walk for a bit.</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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=== Books ===
 
=== Books ===
  
* [[New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2)]] (pp. 18) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561911297/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=7561911297 →buy]
+
* [[New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2)]] (p. 18) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561911297/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=7561911297 →buy]
* [[Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed)]] (pp. 85) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276709/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276709 →buy]
+
* [[Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed)]] (p. 85) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276709/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276709 →buy]
 
* [[Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2]] (pp. 227-8) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276881/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0887276881 →buy]
 
* [[Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2]] (pp. 227-8) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276881/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0887276881 →buy]
* [[Contemporary Chinese 1 (当代中文1)]] (pp. 125) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7800528804/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=7800528804 →buy]
+
* [[Contemporary Chinese 1 (当代中文1)]] (p. 125) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7800528804/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=7800528804 →buy]
 
* [[Practicing HSK Grammar (语法精讲精炼)]] (pp. 152-160) [http://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001N6R7DI&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001N6R7DI →buy]
 
* [[Practicing HSK Grammar (语法精讲精炼)]] (pp. 152-160) [http://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001N6R7DI&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001N6R7DI →buy]
 
* [[New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4)]] (p. 121-2) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561913192/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=7561913192 →buy]
 
* [[New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4)]] (p. 121-2) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561913192/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=7561913192 →buy]
  
 
[[Category:A2 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:A2 grammar points]]
{{Basic Grammar|none|A2|V + V|你 <em>看</em> <em></em>。我 <em>考虑</em> <em>考虑</em>。|grammar point|ASGYC77J}}
+
{{Basic Grammar|none|A2|V + V|你 <em>看 看</em>。|grammar point|ASGYC77J}}
 
{{Similar|Verb reduplication with yi}}
 
{{Similar|Verb reduplication with yi}}
 
{{Similar|Softening speech with "ba"}}
 
{{Similar|Softening speech with "ba"}}

Revision as of 07:34, 21 February 2014

One of the fun things about Chinese is that you can repeat certain things to express "a little bit", similar to how in some Latin languages you can add a bit to the end of a word to make it "cute".

Structure

In Chinese, verbs can be reduplicated to indicate that they happen briefly or "a little bit".

Subject + Verb + Verb

Examples

  • 看 看(You) Take a little look.
  • 试 试I'll give it a little try.
  • 听 听(You) Listen for a bit.
  • 说 说 你 的 想法。Talk a little bit about your opinion.
  • 周末 的 时候 跟 朋友 吃 吃 饭,很 好。During the weekend, eat a little bit with friends, it's awesome.
  • 没事 的 时候 我 喜欢 写 写 东西。When I have nothing to do, I like to write a little bit.
  • 洗 洗 你 的 臭 袜子 吧!Wash your stinky socks a bit!
  • 不要 生气 了,笑 笑You don't need to get mad, laugh a little!
  • 快点 去 问 问 厕所 在 哪 里。Hurry and go ask a while where the bathroom is.
  • 我 想 出去 走 走I want to go out and walk for a bit.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books