ChineseGrammarWiki/Programmes/B1.old/Grammar-wiki-B1-6.txt

{{Grammar Box}} 

One of the charming features of Chinese is reduplication (repeating, or doubling up) of certain words and characters, including adjectives!  Reduplication makes the descriptive feeling of the adjective stronger.

== One-Syllable Adjectives (AA) ==

If an adjective is only one syllable (one character), then reduplicating it is a no-brainer.   In most Chinese textbooks and grammar books, this is known as the "AA" pattern.

=== Structure ===

<div class="jiegou">

Adj. + Adj. + 的 (+ Noun)

</div>

Another way of putting that (and we'll be using this form more extensively below) is:

<div class="jiegou">

A A + 的 (+ Noun)

</div>

Note that this pattern is also identical to [[reduplication of verbs|single-syllable reduplication of verbs]].

=== Examples ===

<div class="liju">

*你 的 脸 <em>红 红 的</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ de liǎn <em>hóng hóng de</em>.</span><span class="trans">Your face is red.</span>
*宝宝 的 眼睛 <em>大 大 的</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Bǎobao de yǎnjing <em>dà dà de</em>.</span><span class="trans">The baby's eyes are big.</span>
*今晚 的 月亮 <em>圆 圆 的</em> 。<span class="trans">The moon is round tonight.</span>
*她 爸爸 <em>高 高 胖 胖 的</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Tā bàba <em>gāo gāo pàng pàng de</em>.</span><span class="trans">Her father is tall and fat.</span>
*我 妹妹 一直 <em>瘦 瘦 小 小 的</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ mèimei yīzhí <em>shòu shòu xiǎo xiǎo de</em>.</span><span class="trans">My little sister are thin and small all the time.</span>

</div>

== Two-Syllable Adjectives (AABB) ==

If the adjective has more than one character, then you should repeat each character individually (rather than the whole word).  This is known as the "AABB" pattern.

=== Structure ===

In the structure below, the original two-character adjective (such as 高兴, 漂亮) is "AB," where the first character of the adjective is represented by "A," and the second by "B."

<div class="jiegou">

A  A  B  B  + 的 (+ Noun)

</div>

=== Examples ===

Not all two-syllable adjectives are used in AABB form, but here are some common examples of AB adjectives represented in AABB form.

<div class="liju">

* 高兴 → 高高兴兴 <span class="pinyin">gāoxìng ￫ gāo gāo xìng xìng</span><span class="trans">happy</span>
* 开心 → 开开心心 <span class="pinyin">kāixīn ￫ kāi kāi xīn xīn</span><span class="trans">happy</span>
* 热闹 → 热热闹闹 <span class="pinyin">rènao ￫ rè rè nāo nāo</span><span class="trans">exciting</span>
* 干净 → 干干净净 <span class="pinyin">gānjìng ￫ gān gān jìng jìng</span><span class="trans">clean</span>
* 漂亮 → 漂漂亮亮 <span class="pinyin">piàoliang ￫ piào piào liāng liāng</span><span class="trans">pretty</span>
* 舒服 → 舒舒服服 <span class="pinyin">shūfu ￫ shū shū fū fū</span><span class="trans">comfortable</span>
* 安静 → 安安静静 <span class="pinyin">ānjìng ￫ ān ān jìng jìng</span><span class="trans">peaceful</span>
* 健康 → 健健康康 <span class="pinyin">jiànkāng ￫ jiàn jiàn kāng kāng</span><span class="trans">healthy</span>
* 辛苦 → 辛辛苦苦 <span class="pinyin">xīnkǔ ￫ xīn xīn kǔ kǔ</span><span class="trans">hard</span>
* 清楚 → 清清楚楚 <span class="pinyin">qīngchu ￫ qīng qīng chǔ chǔ</span><span class="trans">clear</span>
* 大方 → 大大方方 <span class="pinyin">dàfāng ￫ dà da fāng fāng</span><span class="trans">generous</span>

</div>

Not all adjectives can take AABB form.  Here are some examples of common adjectives that don't work in AABB form.

<div class="liju">

<ul>
<li class="x">便宜 → <strong>便便宜宜</strong> <span class="pinyin">piányi ￫ <strong>piánpiányíyí</strong></span><span class="trans">cheap</span></li>
<li class="x">好吃 → <strong>好好吃吃</strong> <span class="pinyin">hǎochī ￫ <strong>hǎo hǎo chī chī </strong></span><span class="trans">tasty</span></li>
<li class="x">麻烦 → <strong>麻麻烦烦</strong> <span class="pinyin">máfan ￫ <strong>má má fán fán </strong></span><span class="trans">bothersome</span></li>
<li class="x">友好 → <strong>友友好好</strong> <span class="pinyin">yǒuhǎo ￫ <strong>yǒu yǒu hǎo hǎo </strong></span><span class="trans">friendly</span></li>
<li class="x">小气 → <strong>小小气气</strong><span class="pinyin">xiǎoqì ￫ <strong>xiǎo xiǎo qì qì </strong></span><span class="trans">stingy</span></li>
</ul>

</div>

== Using Reduplicated Adjectives as Adverbs (AABB) ==

When adjectives are used as [[adverb]]s to modify verbs, you can reduplicate the adjective using the AABB pattern. 

=== Structure ===

<div class="jiegou">

A A B B + 地 + Verb

</div>

=== Examples ===

<div class="liju">

* 过年 的 时候 ，我们 全 家人 都 聚 在 一起 ，<em>热 热 闹 闹</em> <strong>地</strong> 吃 年夜饭 。<span class="pinyin">Guònián de shíhou, wǒmen quán jiārén dōu jù zài yīqǐ, <em>rè rè nāo nāo</em> <strong>de</strong> chī niányè fàn.</span><span class="trans">At Chinese New Year, our whole family gathers together and joyously shares a New Year's Eve meal.</span>
* 听到 这 个 消息，她 <em>高高兴兴</em> <strong>地</strong> 走 了。<span class="pinyin">Tīngdào zhège xiāoxī, tā <em>gāo gāo xìng xìng</em> <strong>de </strong> zǒu le.</span><span class="trans">Upon hearing the news, she happily left.</span>
* 我 <em>清清楚楚</em> <strong>地</strong> 看到 他 跟 一 个 胖胖的 男人 上 车 了。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>qīng qīng chǔ chǔ</em> <strong>de</strong> kàndào tā gēn yīgè pàng pàng de nánrén shàng chēle.</span><span class="trans">I clearly saw him get in the car with a fat man.</span>
* 我 现在 真 想 <em>舒舒服服</em> <strong>地</strong> 躺 在 沙发 上 看 电视。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ xiànzài zhēn xiǎng <em>shū shū fú fú</em> <strong>de</strong> tǎng zài shāfā shàng kàn diànshì.</span><span class="trans">Right now I'd really like to comfortably lie on the couch and watch TV.</span>
* 我 <em>辛辛苦苦</em> <strong>地</strong> 做 了 两 个 小时 的 饭，你们 都 不 吃？<span class="expl">辛辛苦苦 is difficult to translate into English directly!</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>xīn xīn kǔ kǔ</em> <strong>de</strong> zuòle liǎng gè xiǎoshí de fàn, nǐmen dōu bù chī?</span><span class="trans">I labored over this meal for two hours, and none of you guys are going to eat it?</span>

</div>

== Using Reduplicated Adjectives as Predicates (ABAB) ==

If you use an [[adjective]] as a [[predicate]], then you're basically using the adjective like a verb, and you reduplicate it [[reduplication of verbs|as you would a verb]], which means ABAB form.  Using an adjective in this way is roughly equivalent to using 一下 after the (non-reduplicated) adjective.

=== Structure for ABAB===

To use a reduplicated adjective as a predicate, follow this structure:

<div class="jiegou">

Subj. + A B A B

</div>

In the pattern above there's no verb, because when an adjective serves as the predicate, it does the job of a verb.  Notice also that there's no 的 after the ABAB, because it's not acting as an adjective.

=== Examples ===

<div class="liju">

*妹妹 快 过 生日 了 ，我 打算 给 她 办 一 个 生日 派对 ，<em>热闹 热闹</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Mèimei kuàiguò shēngrìle, wǒ dǎsuàn gěi tā bàn yīgè shēngrì pàiduì, <em>rènao rènao</em>.</span><span class="trans">My little sister's birthday is coming and I'm going to throw her a birthday party and have a blast.</span>
*来 ，喝 点 酒 ，<em>高兴 高兴</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Lái, hē diǎn jiǔ, <em>gāoxìng gāoxìng</em>.</span><span class="trans">Come on, have a little wine and enjoy yourself.</span>
*到 这里 来 <em>凉快 凉快</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Dào zhèlǐ lái <em>liángkuai liángkuai</em>.</span><span class="trans">Come over here and cool off.</span>
*我 想 去 做 个 按摩 ，<em>放松 放松</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ xiǎng qù zuò gè ànmó, <em>fāngsōng fāngsōng</em>.</span><span class="trans">I'm going to go get a massage and unwind.</span>

</div>

=== Structure for AB 一下===

The above structure is essentially equivalent to this one:

<div class="jiegou">

Subj. + A B + 一下

</div>

=== Examples of AB 一下 ===

<div class="liju">

*妹妹 快 过 生日 了 ，我 打算 给 她 办 一 个 生日 派对 ，<em>热闹 一下</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Mèimei kuàiguò shēngrìle, wǒ dǎsuàn gěi tā bàn yīgè shēngrì pàiduì, <em>rènao yīxià</em>.</span><span class="trans">My little sister's birthday is coming and I'm going to throw her a birthday party and have a blast.</span>
* 来，喝 点 酒， <em>高兴 一下</em>。<span class="pinyin">Lái, hē diǎn jiǔ, <em>gāoxìng yīxià</em>.</span><span class="trans">Come on, have a little wine and enjoy yourself.</span>
* 到 这里 来 <em>凉快 一下</em>。<span class="pinyin">Dào zhèlǐ lái <em>liángkuai yīxià</em>.</span><span class="trans">Come over here and cool off.</span>
* 我 想 去 做 个 按摩， <em>轻松 一下</em>。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ xiǎng qù zuò gè ànmó, <em>qīngsōng yīxià</em>.</span><span class="trans">I'm going to go get a massage and unwind.</span>
* 洗 个 澡 吧， <em>舒服 一下</em>。<span class="pinyin">Xǐ gè zǎo ba, <em>shūfu yīxià</em>.</span><span class="trans">Take a shower and get comfortable.</span>

</div>

'''Note:''' The "AABB" pattern for reduplication of two-syllable adjectives contrasts with the [[reduplication of verbs|"ABAB" pattern for reduplication of two-syllable verbs]].

== Sources and further reading ==

=== Books ===

* [[Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed)]] (p. 53) [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. 189-90) [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]
* [[Mandarin Chinese: A Functional Reference Grammar]] (pp. 32-6) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0520066103?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0520066103 →buy] 
* [[New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3)]] (pp. 50) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/756191251X/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=756191251X →buy] 
* [[New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4)]] (pp. 103-4) [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]
*[[40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册）]] (pp. 271-2)[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FTL8D8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001FTL8D8&linkCode=as2&tag=allset-20 →buy] 

[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
[[Category:Adjectives]]

{{Basic Grammar|的|B1|Adj. + Adj.|你 应该 <em>慢慢</em> 地 走。|grammar point|ASGDHE8S}}
{{POS|Adjectives}}
{{Used for|Expressing quality}}
{{Similar|Simple "noun + adjective" sentences}}
{{Similar|Reduplication of verbs}}