Verb Reduplication: AA, A一A, ABAB
Verb reduplication repeats a verb to soften a request or to mean doing something briefly. The patterns are AA (看看), A一A (想一想) and ABAB (运动运动).
Three patterns:
| Pattern | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| AA | 看看 (kàn kàn) | take a (quick) look |
| A一A | 看一看 (kàn yi kàn) | have a look |
| ABAB | 学习学习 (xué xi xué xi) | study a bit |
- AA and A一A apply to monosyllabic verbs only.
- ABAB applies to disyllabic verbs (e.g. 学习, 休息).
- Tone on the repeated syllable or 一 is usually neutral/light.
- Cannot reduplicate with negation: ✗ 不看看。
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 你看看这本书。 | Nǐ kàn kàn zhè běn shū. | Take a look at this book. | AA pattern: 看看. Softens the request — just a quick glance. |
| 你听一听这个。 | Nǐ tīng yi tīng zhè ge. | Give this a listen. | A一A pattern: 听一听. 一 carries a neutral tone between the two syllables. |
| 我们休息休息吧。 | Wǒ men xiū xi xiū xi ba. | Let's rest for a bit. | ABAB pattern for disyllabic verb 休息. 吧 adds suggestion softness. |
Word by word
Each word in this pattern on its own: what it does here, the structure, three more examples, and the mistake to avoid.
看看 (kàn kan)
Doubles a short verb to make a casual, light action, such as 'have a look'.
Structure: Verb + Verb
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 你先看看菜单。 | Nǐ xiān kàn kan cài dān. | Take a look at the menu first. |
| 让我看看你的新手机。 | Ràng wǒ kàn kan nǐ de xīn shǒu jī. | Let me have a look at your new phone. |
| 周末我想去朋友家看看。 | Zhōu mò wǒ xiǎng qù péng you jiā kàn kan. | At the weekend I want to drop by my friend's home. |
Not: 我昨天看看了那本书。 For a finished action put 了 between: 看了看.
想一想 (xiǎng yi xiǎng)
Inserts 一 between the two verbs for a short try, just as 看一看.
Structure: Verb + 一 + Verb
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 好，我想一想再告诉你。 | Hǎo, wǒ xiǎng yi xiǎng zài gào su nǐ. | Okay, let me think about it and then tell you. |
| 你想一想，昨天把手机放哪里了？ | Nǐ xiǎng yi xiǎng, zuó tiān bǎ shǒu jī fàng nǎ lǐ le? | Think, where did you put your phone yesterday? |
| 先想一想，然后再回答。 | Xiān xiǎng yi xiǎng, rán hòu zài huí dá. | Think first, then answer. |
Not: 我想想一下。 Either reduplicate or use 一下, not both: 想想 or 想一下.
运动运动 (yùn dòng yùn dong)
Doubles a two-syllable verb as a whole, in the ABAB shape.
Structure: AB + AB
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 老坐着不好，起来运动运动吧。 | Lǎo zuò zhe bù hǎo, qǐ lái yùn dòng yùn dong ba. | Sitting all the time is bad, get up and move around. |
| 吃完饭，出去运动运动吧。 | Chī wán fàn, chū qù yùn dòng yùn dong ba. | After eating, let us go out for some exercise. |
| 每天都应该运动运动。 | Měi tiān dōu yīng gāi yùn dòng yùn dong. | You should exercise a little every day. |
Not: 我们运运动动吧。 A two-syllable verb repeats whole (ABAB), not AABB; AABB is for adjectives.
What this opens up
These patterns list Verb Reduplication among their own prerequisites, so they become readable once this one holds.
Questions about Verb Reduplication
What does 动词重叠 (Verb Reduplication) mean in Chinese?
Verb reduplication repeats a verb to soften a request or to mean doing something briefly. The patterns are AA (看看), A一A (想一想) and ABAB (运动运动). It is an HSK 2 grammar point.
How do you use 动词重叠 (Verb Reduplication) in a sentence?
你看看这本书。 — Nǐ kàn kàn zhè běn shū. — Take a look at this book. AA pattern: 看看. Softens the request — just a quick glance.
Where does 动词重叠 (Verb Reduplication) come in the HSK sequence?
HSK 2, and none of its prerequisites are grammar points — nothing else on this reference has to come first, so you can start here.
What does 动词重叠 (Verb Reduplication) lead to?
Repetition & Serial Verb Patterns (HSK 3), Separable Verb-Object Compounds (HSK 3). Each of them names 动词重叠 (Verb Reduplication) among its own prerequisites.
Does doubling a verb make it softer?
Yes. It makes the action short and relaxed and often sounds like a friendly suggestion. For example 你尝尝这个菜。
Can I double any verb?
No. State verbs such as 是, 有, 喜欢 and 知道 do not double. Only actions you can do briefly, such as 看, 听, 想, 试 and 走, work.
Verb Reduplication is one topic of 829. GraphChinese teaches them in prerequisite order, so this pattern reaches you on the day everything it rests on is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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