Difference between revisions of "Reduplication of verbs"

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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".
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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.
  
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== Structure ==
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== Reduplication with the AA Pattern ==
  
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In Chinese, verbs can be reduplicated to indicate that they happen briefly or "a little bit".
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=== Structure ===
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In Chinese, verbs can be [[reduplicate]]d to indicate that they happen briefly or "a little bit."
 +
 
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<div class="jiegou">
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 +
Subj. + Verb + Verb
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 +
</div>
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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.
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 +
=== Examples ===
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<div class="liju">
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 +
* 你 <em>看看</em>。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>kànkan</em>.</span><span class="trans"> Take a little look.</span>
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* 我 <em>试 试</em>。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>shìshi</em>.</span><span class="trans">I'll give it a try.</span>
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* <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>
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* 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>
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* 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>
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</div>
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== Reduplication with 一 (yī) ==
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 +
=== Structure ===
 +
 
 +
Another way to reduplicate verbs is to insert 一 (yī), in the following structure:
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
  
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Subject + Verb + Verb
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Verb + 一 + Verb
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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== Examples ==
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=== Examples ===
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
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* 你 <em>看看</em> 。<span class="trans">(You) Take a little look.</span>
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* 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>
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* 我 <em>试试</em> 。<span class="trans">I'll give it a little try.</span>
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* 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>
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* 你 <em>听听</em> 。<span class="trans">(You) Listen for a bit.</span>
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* 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>
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* 你 <em>说说</em> 你的看法。<span class="trans">Talk a little bit about your opinion.</span>
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* 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>
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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>
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* 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>
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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>
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* <em>洗洗</em> 你 的 臭 袜子 吧！<span class="trans">Wash your stinky socks a bit!</span>
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</div>
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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>
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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>
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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.
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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>
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 +
== 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 [[Reduplication of adjectives|"AABB" pattern you use for adjectives]] (where each character is repeated individually).
 +
 
 +
=== Examples ===
 +
 
 +
<div class="liju">
 +
 
 +
* 考虑 考虑 <span class="pinyin">kǎolǜ kǎolǜ</span><span class="trans">think it over</span>
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* 讨论 讨论 <span class="pinyin">tǎolùn tǎolùn</span><span class="trans">discuss it</span>
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* 商量 商量 <span class="pinyin">shāngliang shāngliang</span><span class="trans">talk it over</span>
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* 打听 打听 <span class="pinyin">dǎting dǎting</span><span class="trans">inquire about it</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
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*[[Verb reduplication with yi]]
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*[[Softening speech with "ba"]]
 
*[[Softening speech with "ba"]]
  
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=== Books ===
 
=== Books ===
  
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* [[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]
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{{Source|HSK Standard Course 2|61}}
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* [[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]
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{{Source|HSK Standard Course 3|146}}
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* [[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]
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{{Source|New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2)|18}}
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* [[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]
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{{Source|Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed)|85}}
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* [[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]
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{{Source|Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2|227-8}}
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* [[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]
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{{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]]
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{{Basic Grammar|none|A2|V + V|你 <em>看</em> <em>看</em>。我 <em>考虑</em> <em>考虑</em>。|grammar point|ASGYC77J}}
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{{HSK|HSK2}}{{2021-HSK|HSK2}}
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{{Similar|Verb reduplication with yi}}
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{{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}}     
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{{Used for|Decreasing formality}}
 
{{Used for|Decreasing formality}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing duration}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing duration}}
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{{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

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 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。Nǐ kànkan. Take a little look.
  • 我 试 试。Wǒ shìshi.I'll give it a try.
  • 说 说 你 的 想法。Shuōshuo nǐ de xiǎngfǎ.Talk a little bit about your ideas.
  • 出去 玩 玩 吧！Chūqù wánwan ba! Go out and have fun!
  • 我 想 出去 走 走。Wǒ xiǎng chūqù zǒuzou.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！Bié shēngqì le, xiào yī xiào! Don't be mad, gimme a smile!
  • 你 去 问 一 问 他们 厕所 在 哪里。Nǐ qù wèn yī wèn tāmen cèsuǒ zài nǎlǐ.Go and ask them where the bathroom is.
  • 我 可以 用 一 用 你 的 电脑 吗？Wǒ kěyǐ yòng yī yòng nǐ de diànnǎo ma? Can I use your computer for a little bit?
  • 你 现在 有时间 吗？我们 聊一聊 吧。Nǐ xiànzài yǒu shíjiān ma? Wǒmen liáo yī liáo ba.Do you have a second? Let's chat for a bit.
  • 你 想 尝 一 尝 我 做 的 菜 吗？Nǐ xiǎng cháng yī cháng wǒ zuò de cài ma? 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 kǎolǜ kǎolǜthink it over
  • 讨论 讨论 tǎolùn tǎolùndiscuss it
  • 商量 商量 shāngliang shāngliangtalk it over
  • 打听 打听 dǎting dǎtinginquire about it

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

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