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Doubling adjectives (AA / AABB)
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Describing a picture in a lively way
- You are describing a child's drawing: big eyes, a round face, a very tidy room.
- she她has有a pair of一双big, big大大的eyes眼睛。 — "She has big, big eyes." Doubling the adjective paints a vivid picture.
One-syllable adjectives: AA
- A one-syllable adjective repeats as AA, usually followed by (modifier / structural particle)的 before a noun: big, big大大的eyes眼睛, 红红的apple苹果.
- The second syllable is often said lightly; the tone of the first stays clear.
she她has有a pair of一双big, big大大的eyes眼睛。
Two-syllable adjectives: AABB
- A two-syllable adjective AB doubles each syllable: clean干净 → spotlessly clean干干净净, happy高兴 → cheerful and optimistic高高兴兴, clear清楚 → 清清楚楚.
- The doubled form can describe a noun or an action: room房间spotlessly clean干干净净(modifier / structural particle)的 / he他cheerful and optimistic高高兴兴(adverb -ly)地to return home回家(completed / change)了。
he他把room房间cleaned打扫得spotlessly clean干干净净的。
Double 清楚 (clear): 老师把问题说得____的。
Độ khó 1/5 · 100 xu + một phần thưởng nhỏ cho lần hoàn thành đầu tiên trong ngày
A two-syllable adjective AB doubles as AABB, so 清楚 becomes 清清楚楚.
Match each adjective to its doubled form.
Độ khó 2/5 · 140 xu + một phần thưởng nhỏ cho lần hoàn thành đầu tiên trong ngày
One syllable gives AA; two syllables give AABB.
What doubling already says
- No degree / adjective linker很 or very非常 in front: big, big大大的eyes眼睛, not degree / adjective linker很big, big大大的eyes眼睛, because doubling already adds the degree.
- The common adjectives taught here use AABB, as in spotlessly clean干干净净. Some other adjectives allow ABAB, so learn each adjective and its accepted reduplicated form.
Which phrase is correct?
Độ khó 1/5 · 100 xu + một phần thưởng nhỏ cho lần hoàn thành đầu tiên trong ngày
AA + 的 + noun. Doubling already adds degree, so 很 is not added, and doubled forms are not negated with 不.
干净 can be doubled as 干净干净 to describe a room.
Độ khó 1/5 · 100 xu + một phần thưởng nhỏ cho lần hoàn thành đầu tiên trong ngày
Adjectives double as AABB (干干净净). The ABAB pattern belongs to verbs such as 研究研究.
Doubled adjectives describe, they do not compare
- Doubled forms describe how something looks or feels; they do not take not不: say not不clean干净, not not不spotlessly clean干干净净.
- Many are fixed habits of speech. Learn common ones as chunks: slowly慢慢(adverb -ly)地to walk走, properly好好(adverb -ly)地rest休息, cheerful and optimistic高高兴兴地玩。
you你properly好好rest休息吧。
Recap
- One syllable: AA((modifier / structural particle)的) — big, big大大的, 红红的. Two syllables: AABB — spotlessly clean干干净净, cheerful and optimistic高高兴兴.
- Doubling adds vividness and degree, so drop degree / adjective linker很 and do not negate it with not不.
Read the full reference: HSK 3 grammar — Reduplication of adjectives.
You are describing a child's drawing: big eyes, a round face, a very tidy room. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.
This is supported productive practice. Compare meaning and structure; your answer need not copy the model. A partner or teacher must hear the spoken response to comment on pronunciation.