Doubling adjectives (AA / AABB)
Say it twice, make it warmer
- Want a description to sound vivid and friendly, not just factual?
- Chinese often doubles an adjective to do exactly that.
- It's everywhere in warm, natural speech.
One syllable → AA + (of / 's)的
- A one-syllable adjective doubles as AA, usually with (of / 's)的 before the noun.
- Pattern: A + A + (of / 's)的 (+ Noun)
the baby宝宝的eyes眼睛big and round大大的。
- 大大的eye眼睛 = "big, round eyes" — softer and more vivid than plain see 大夫大.
Double 大 to describe round eyes: ____ 的眼睛 (write the doubled form).
One-syllable adjectives double as AA: 大 → 大大(的).
Two syllables → AABB
- A two-syllable adjective doubles as AABB — repeat each character: happy高兴 → cheerful and optimistic高高兴兴, clean干净 → 干干净净.
- As an adverb the AABB form takes (adverb -ly)地 before the verb:
I我want to想comfortably舒舒服服地lie躺on在the sofa沙发上。
Correct or broken?
Two-syllable adjectives double as AABB, and a doubled adjective refuses 很.
Reduplicate the two-syllable adjective 高兴 (happy):
Two-syllable adjectives reduplicate AABB: 高兴 → 高高兴兴.
Match each doubled form to what it modifies.
- 的 paints a noun (大大的眼睛); + 地 colours a verb (舒舒服服地躺).
Watch out
Not every adjective doubles — to be fond of eating好吃, cheap便宜, trouble麻烦 are never good好to be fond of eating好吃variant of 吃吃 / used in 便宜便cheap便宜proper宜. And a doubled adjective is already emphatic, so never put very很 in front (very很slowly慢慢 ✗).
You can say 很高高兴兴 (very + doubled adjective).
A doubled adjective is already emphatic — never add 很.
Recap
- One syllable → AA + (of / 's)的 (大大的eye眼睛)
- Two syllables → AABB (cheerful and optimistic高高兴兴); + (adverb -ly)地 before a verb
- No very很 in front of a doubled adjective
Read the full reference: HSK 3 grammar — Reduplication of adjectives.