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LEARN + CHINESE / 28 of 300 HSK 2

A Little, for a While 试一试

Repeat a verb and the action often sounds brief, light, or tentative. With a one-syllable verb, you can repeat it directly (看看), put 一 between the two parts (看一看), or place 了 after the first part (看了看). Two-syllable verbs commonly repeat as ABAB (讨论讨论). Adjectives use a different pattern: AABB can make a description more vivid.

A Short Try

你先试一试这个办法。
Nǐ xiān shì yi shì zhège bànfǎ.
Try this method first.
我想了想，还是决定去。
Wǒ xiǎng le xiǎng, háishi juédìng qù.
I thought it over and still decided to go.
我们应该讨论讨论这个问题。
Wǒmen yīnggāi tǎolùn tǎolùn zhège wèntí.
We should discuss this question for a bit.

A一A often makes a suggestion feel easy to accept: 试一试 is “give it a try.” A了A presents a short action as completed: 想了想 means someone thought it over briefly.

Hint · 힌트
Reduplication itself does not mark past tense. In 想了想, 了 sits inside the repeated verb to frame a brief completed action. In 我想一想, the same verb is an intention: “Let me think for a moment.”

Describing a State

她高高兴兴地回家了。
Tā gāogāoxìngxìng de huí jiā le.
She went home happily.
房间收拾得干干净净。
Fángjiān shōushi de gāngānjìngjìng.
The room was tidied up until it was spotless.
你慢慢说，我听着呢。
Nǐ mànmàn shuō, wǒ tīngzhe ne.
Take your time; I’m listening.

The adjective pattern paints a fuller picture than a plain adjective. 高高兴兴 describes someone as cheerful throughout the action; 干干净净 emphasizes how thoroughly clean the room is. 慢慢 is the common AA form of 慢, “slow,” used here to describe how someone speaks.

In Real Life
看看 and 听听 often soften an invitation or suggestion: 你看看这个 (“Have a look at this”) feels lighter than a direct command to look. English does something similar with “take a look” and “have a listen.”

Vocabulary

ChineseEnglish
kàn
to look; to read
xiǎng
to think; to want
shì
to try
wèn
to ask
tīng
to listen
zǒu
to walk; to leave
děng
to wait
xiūxi
to rest
shāngliang
to discuss; to consult
tǎolùn
to discuss
xuéxí
to study; to learn
shuō
to speak; to say
màn
slow
gāoxìng
happy; glad
qīngchu
clear; distinct
piàoliang
beautiful; pretty
gānjìng
clean
rènzhēn
serious; attentive
rènao
lively; bustling
shūfu
comfortable

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