Chinese Grammar Bank
DUPLICATED ADJECTIVES IN CHINESE
Duplicated adjectives, also called “Chinese reduplication of adjectives” it is one of the most common peculiarities of Chinese grammar.
Reduplication of particular words can enhance the descriptive feeling of an adjective and soften the tone.
ONE SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES (AA)
It’s very simple to double the one-syllable adjectives because you simply need to repeat the word. Therefore, the basic structure should be:
PATTERN
Adjective + Adjective + 的 (+ Noun)
OR in most Chinese textbooks, this is known as the “AA” pattern. We’ll be using this form more extensively below:
PATTERN
A A + 的 (+ Noun)
In this way, you can accentuate the meaning of the sentence.
TWO SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES (AABB)
When it comes to two-syllable adjectives, you need to repeat each character, also known as the “AABB” pattern.
For instance, instead of saying “漂亮（AB pattern), you can say “漂漂亮亮（AABB pattern)”.
PATTERN
A A B B + 的 (+ Noun)
| CHINESE ADJECTIVE | DUPLICATED ADJECTIVE | PINYIN | DUPLICATED PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 认真 | 认认真真 | rèn zhēn | rèn rèn zhēn zhēn | serious |
| 安静 | 安安静静 | ān jìng | ān ān jìng jìng | quiet |
| 平安 | 平平安安 | píng ān | píng píng ān ān | safe |
Unlike one-syllable adjectives, not all two-syllable adjectives can be duplicated, and there’re no grammar rule behind it.
It’s just a matter of habit in oral Chinese.
Here are some typical examples:
- 潮湿 ➡️ 潮潮湿湿 ❌
- cháo shī ➡️ cháo cháo shī shī
- Damp
- 难过 ➡️ 难难过过 ❌
- nán guò ➡️ nán nán guò guò
- Sad
- 精彩 ➡️ 精精彩彩❌
- jīng cǎi ➡️ jīng jīng cǎi cǎi
- Wonderful
Paying attention to this in your daily conversation will improve your communication skills! If you are unsure, the best way is to simply ask a Chinese native speaker.
TOP TIP | Don’t ever be afraid to make mistakes. If you are unsure just try and slip the AABB method in conversation. If it’s wrong your friends will tell you and it’s a mistake you will likely not make again. To get fluent you have to make mistakes along the way, and laugh about them! Language hiccups often make the best stories years down the line.
DUPLICATED ADJECTIVES USED AS ADVERBS
Although reduplicated adjectives (AABB) mostly remain adjectives, sometimes they are used as adverbs in sentences.
PATTERN
A A B B + 地 + Verb
DUPLICATED ADJECTIVES USED AS PREDICATES (ABAB)
The last case is when duplicated adjectives are used as verbs, which creates the ABAB form. The corresponding structure is:
PATTERN
Subject + ABAB
NOTE – There is no need to add a verb in the sentence since the duplicated adjective is already used as a verb. Also, no “的” is needed after the adjective because “的” should be used to qualify nouns.
Now let’s see more examples:
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 我到外面走走，精神精神。 | wǒ dào wài miàn zǒu zǒu ，jīng shén jīng shén | I went outside to refresh myself. |
| 你可以喝杯可乐，凉快凉快。 | nǐ kě yǐ hē bēi kě lè ，liáng kuài liáng kuài | You can have a Coke and cool off. |
| 放假了，你可以放松放松。 | fàng jiǎ le ，nǐ kě yǐ fàng sōng fàng sōng | You can relax and unwind during the vacation. |
Learn Mandarin with Flexi Classes
Book online classes with the best teachers in the industry.
FAQs
What are some examples of Chinese duplicated adjectives?
Examples with one-syllable adjectives (AA)
小猫的尾巴长长的。
xiǎo māo de wěi bā zhǎng zhǎng de
Kittens have long tails.
公交车行驶得慢慢的。
gōng jiāo chē háng shǐ dé màn màn de
The bus moved slowly.
Examples with two-syllable adjectives (AABB)
高兴➡️高高兴兴
gāo xìng ➡️gāo gāo xìng xìng
happy
简单➡️简简单单
jiǎn dān ➡️jiǎn jiǎn dān dān
simple
Examples with duplicated adjectives used as adverbs (AABB)
她打扮得漂漂亮亮地出门了。
tā dǎ bàn dé piāo piāo liàng liàng dì chū mén le
She went out dressed beautifully.
她高高兴兴地唱着歌。
tā gāo gāo xìng xìng dì chàng zhe gē
She sang happily.
Examples with duplicated adjectives used as predicates (ABAB)
我到外面走走，精神精神。
wǒ dào wài miàn zǒu zǒu ，jīng shén jīng shén
I went outside to refresh myself.
放假了，你可以放松放松。
fàng jiǎ le ，nǐ kě yǐ fàng sōng fàng sōng
You can relax and unwind in the vacation.
How to say “reduplication of adjectives” in Chinese?
There is no exact word to translate “Chinese reduplication of adjectives”, but it can be translated as “重叠词” (chóngdiécí)
What are the duplicated adjective structures?
There are 4 different structures :
The one-syllable adjectives (AA)
Adjective + Adjective + 的 (+ Noun)
It allows to accentuate the meaning of the sentence.
The two-syllable adjectives (AABB)
A A B B + 的 (+ Noun)
Attention: some two-syllable adjectives can’t be duplicated!
The duplicated adjectives used as adverbs (AABB)
A A B B + 地 + Verb
The duplicated adjectives used as predicates (ABAB)
Subject + A B A B
NOTE – There is no need to add a verb in the sentence since the duplicated adjective is already used as a verb.
What HSK level do Chinese duplicated adjectives correspond to?
The Chinese duplicated adjectives are considered an awkward and concept to understand, so you’ll study it at roughly intermediate level.
You usually learn it around the A2-B1/ HSK3 Level.
Where can I review previous Chinese grammar lessons?
You can review several Chinese grammar lessons on our Chinese Grammar Bank page.
How to sign up to a Chinese class with LTL?
If you want to take online individual classes with a professional tutor, you can choose a program and sign up here.
If you’d like a more flexible program where you can choose your study topic and study time yourself, check out Flexi Classes.
We even offer a 7-day free trial.