Chinese Grammar Bank
REDUPLICATION OF VERBS IN CHINESE
You can repeat a verb to soften your tone or express an attitude in Mandarin.
This usage is called reduplication.
It’s commonly used in everyday conversation or colloquial style writings.
REDUPLICATION OF VERBS WITH THE AA PATTERN
The AA pattern is also known as the reduplication of one-syllable verbs, e.g., 看看(kàn kàn).
PATTERN
Subject + Verb + Verb
Applying this reduplication in your daily speaking or writing can help you express a quick and brief action and sofer the tone.
For instance, these two sentences both mean “I’ll go ask her.”
我去问她 V.S 我去问问她
wǒ qù wèn(wèn) tā
When you say the sentence with double 问, it will sound more friendly, and it’ll also give others an indication that you’ll try to ask her.
That is, it indicates that this action is an attempt.
尝尝我做的菜！
Try my cooking!我可以摸摸你的小狗吗？
Can I pet your puppy?View More Phrases
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 你能帮我找找手机吗？ | nǐ néng bāng wǒ zhǎo zhǎo shǒu jī ma | Can you help me find my phone? |
| 你应该看看这篇文章。 | nǐ yīng gāi kàn kàn zhè piān wén zhāng | You should have a look at this article. |
| 快跟我讲讲怎么回事。 | kuài gēn wǒ jiǎng jiǎng zěnme huí shì | Tell me what’s going on. |
| 周末我们一起去公园走走吧！ | zhōu mò wǒ men yī qǐ qù gōng yuán zǒu zǒu ba | Let’s go for a walk in the park this weekend! |
Because reduplicated verbs can change the tone of the sentence, it frequently appears when asking questions.
It can show people a polite attitude, HOWEVER, note that not all verbs can be repeated.
Only most action verbs and a few psych verbs can be repeated because, these phrases are used colloquially. There is no set rule to which verbs can be reduplicated.
REDUPLICATION OF VERBS WITH 一 (yī)
Another way to reduplicate verbs is to insert “一 (yī).”
Using this kind of structure has a similar function to the AA pattern.
It can lighten the mood and seriousness of the question. It also adds variety to sentence structure.
So trying to use this structure can make your expression more flexible.
PATTERN
Verb + “一” + Verb
我想闻一闻这朵花。
I want to smell this flower.我想看一看窗外的风景。
I want to see the scenery outside the window.View More Phrases
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 你来尝一尝我做的饼干。 | nǐ lái cháng yī cháng wǒ zuò de bǐng gān | Please have a taste of the cookies I made. |
| 我可以看一看你的书吗？ | wǒ kě yǐ kàn yī kàn nǐ de shū ma | May I take a look at your book? |
| 我们找个时间聚一聚吧！ | wǒ men zhǎo gè shí jiān jù yī jù ba | Let’s get together sometime! |
| 你去问一问他们厕所在哪里。 | nǐ qù wèn yī wèn tā men cè suǒ zài nǎ lǐ | Go and ask them where the bathroom is. |
| 我们应该先试一试麦克风是否好用。 | wǒ men yīng gāi xiān shì yī shì mài kè fēng shì fǒu hǎo yòng | We should try first to see if the microphone works. |
REDUPLICATION OF VERBS WITH TWO SYLLABLES VERBS
In the cases before, we doubled the one-syllable verbs, and thus turned into a AA structure.
Occasionally, though, two-syllable verbs get reduplicated as well.
This is called the ABAB pattern.
PATTERN
Subject + ABAB Verbs + Object
我想先休息休息再写作业。
I want to take a break and then do my homework.View More Phrases
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 请让我仔细考虑考虑。 | qǐng ràng wǒ zǎi xì kǎo lǜ kǎo lǜ | Please let me think about it carefully. |
| 我想要打扫打扫房间。 | wǒ xiǎng yào dǎ sǎo dǎ sǎo fáng jiān | I want to clean the room. |
| 改天我们再商量商量这件 事。 | gǎi tiān wǒ men zài shāng liàng shāng liàng zhè jiàn shì | We’ll discuss it another day. |
| 老师让同学们分成小组讨论讨论这个问题 | lǎo shī ràng tóng xué men fèn chéng xiǎo zǔ tǎo lùn tǎo lùn zhè gè wèn tí | The teacher asked the students to break into small groups to discuss this issue. |
| 你去打听打听发生了什么 事。 | nǐ qù dǎ tīng dǎ tīng fā shēng le shí me shì | You go and find out what happened. |
*It’s important to notice that we 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).
SUMMARY
Repeating verbs in the sentence will not change its meaning, but they can truly make the sentence more vivid.
Also, do not forget that repeated verbs are used in colloquial situations.
- With the AA pattern | Subject + Verb + Verb
- With “一” (yī) | Verb + “一” + Verb
- With two syllables verbs | Subject + ABAB verbs + Object
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FAQs
What is the use of the reduplication of verbs in Chinese?
The use of the reduplication of verbs in Chinese is to alter the tone or express an attitude in Mandarin.
You can use it in everyday conversation or colloquial style writings.
What is the use of the AA pattern in Chinese?
The AA pattern used for daily speaking or writing, this can help you express a quick and brief action and softer the tone.
What is the sentence structure of reduplication with 一 (yī)?
So, using this kind of structure has a similar function to the AA pattern.
It can lighten the mood and seriousness of the question.
It also adds variety to sentence structure.
So trying to use this structure can make your expression more flexible.
So, the sentence structure is: Verb + “一” +Verb
Example:
我想闻一闻这朵花。| wǒ xiǎng wén yī wén zhè duǒ huā | I want to smell this flower.
Can all verbs be used for the reduplication in Chinese?
No, not all verbs can be repeated.
Only most action verbs and a few psych verbs can be repeated.
There is no set rule to which verbs can be reduplicated.
With practice and exposure, you will learn which ones are often used.
What is the sentence structure of AA pattern in Chinese?
The sentence structure is: Subject + Verb + Verb
Example:
周末我们一起去公园走走吧! | zhōu mò wǒ men yī qǐ qù gōng yuán zǒu zǒu ba | Let’s go for a walk in the park this weekend!
What is the sentences structure of ABAB pattern in Chinese?
In the cases before, we double the one syllable verbs, and thus turn into a AA structure.
Occasionally, though, two-syllable verbs get reduplicated as well.
This is called the ABAB pattern.
The sentence structure is: Subject + ABAB verbs + Object
Example:
请让我仔细考虑考虑。| qǐng ràng wǒ zǎi xì kǎo lǜ kǎo lǜ | Please let me think about it carefully.