Topics
AdvancedReduplication
How words are repeated for emphasis, affection, and distributive meaning in Spanish, English and Chinese.
Compare languages
Chinese uses reduplication extensively for verbs, adjectives, and measure words. Spanish and English use it sparingly, mostly for child-directed speech or intensification.
Overview
Reduplication is the repetition of a word or part of a word for grammatical or expressive purposes.
- Spanish: Minimal reduplication. Occasionally used colloquially for emphasis (muy muy). Diminutives (-ito) function similarly to reduplication in expressing affection or smallness.
- English: Very limited reduplication. Used in child-directed speech (choo-choo, wee-wee), some compounds (tick-tock, zig-zag), and informal intensification (so-so, goody-goody).
- Chinese: Extensive and grammatically productive reduplication system. Verbs, adjectives, measure words, and nouns can all be reduplicated with distinct meanings.
Spanish
No grammatical reduplication
Spanish does not use reduplication as a grammatical device. Repetition is either:
- Accidental (stutter, emphasis)
- Colloquial (very informal)
- Lexicalized (fixed expressions)
Colloquial emphasis
- muy muy (very very — childish or playful)
- mucho mucho (a lot a lot)
- ya ya (yeah yeah — dismissive)
Lexicalized reduplication
A few words exist in reduplicated form:
- boni-boni (very nice — regional, childish)
- pispis (pee-pee — childish)
- pipi (pee-pee — childish)
Diminutives as functional equivalent
Spanish uses diminutives where Chinese might use reduplication:
- un momentito (a little moment = just a sec)
- un poquito (a little bit)
- espera un ratito (wait a little while)
- ven aquí, mi amorcito (come here, my little love = term of affection)
Periphrasis instead of reduplication
Where Chinese reduplicates verbs to soften, Spanish uses periphrastic constructions:
- echar un vistazo (take a look)
- dar un paseo (take a walk)
- tomar un café (have a coffee)
- hacer una llamada (make a call)
English
Very limited reduplication
English reduplication is mostly:
- Child-directed speech
- Onomatopoeia
- Informal emphasis
- Ablaut reduplication (vowel change)
Child-directed speech
| Reduplicated | Meaning |
|---|---|
| choo-choo | train |
| wee-wee | urination |
| poo-poo | defecation |
| night-night | goodnight |
| bye-bye | goodbye |
| yum-yum | delicious |
| teddy bear (from Edward) | stuffed toy |
Ablaut reduplication (vowel change)
| Form | Meaning |
|---|---|
| tick-tock | clock sound |
| zig-zag | back and forth |
| flip-flop | sandals / reversal |
| ticky-tacky | cheap, uniform |
| mish-mash | confused mixture |
| riff-raff | disreputable people |
| tip-top | excellent |
| wishy-washy | indecisive |
| hocus-pocus | magic |
| helter-skelter | disorderly |
Rule: For ablaut reduplication, the vowel order is I-A-O:
- tick-tack
- zig-zag
- crisp-crackle
Informal/full reduplication
| Form | Meaning |
|---|---|
| so-so | mediocre |
| goody-goody | self-righteous |
| go-go | active, energetic |
| rah-rah | enthusiastic |
| no-no | something forbidden |
| ho-ho | Santa’s laugh |
No grammatical verb reduplication
English does not reduplicate verbs grammatically:
- ❌ Look-look at this. → Take a look at this.
- ❌ Try-try it. → Give it a try.
Chinese
Verb reduplication (VV / V-V / V一下)
Reduplicating a verb softens the action, making it tentative or brief:
| Pattern | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| VV | 看看 | have a look |
| VV | 试试 | give it a try |
| VV | 想想 | think about it |
| VV | 说说 | talk a bit |
| VV | 听听 | listen a bit |
| V-V | 看一看 | have a look |
| V一下 | 看一下 | have a look |
Softening effect:
- 看！(Look! — command)
- 看看！(Have a look — soft request)
- 看一下。(Take a look — polite request)
Adjective reduplication
Monosyllabic: AA + 的
Softens or intensifies, often with affection:
- 红红的 (nice and red / reddish)
- 慢慢的 (slow and easy)
- 高高的 (nice and tall)
Disyllabic: AABB
Emphasizes or describes a state vividly:
- 漂漂亮亮 (very pretty)
- 干干净净 (spotlessly clean)
- 高高兴兴 (very happy)
- 马马虎虎 (careless, so-so)
ABAB (for verbs/adjectives)
Turns adjectives into verbs of尝试/assessment:
- 舒服舒服 (see if it’s comfortable)
- 漂亮漂亮 (make it prettier)
Measure word reduplication
Reduplicating a measure word means “each and every”:
- 个个都很好。(Each and every one is good.)
- 天天都下雨。(It rains every single day.)
- 人人都知道。(Everybody knows.)
Noun reduplication (limited)
Some nouns can reduplicate for “every”:
- 家家户户 (every household)
- 年年月月 (every year and month)
Rhetorical reduplication
- 一看一看 (look here — drawing attention)
- 一步一步 (step by step)
Comparison at a glance
| Type | Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verb softening | Periphrasis (echar un vistazo) | Periphrasis (take a look) | Reduplication (看看) |
| Adjective emphasis | muy / -ísimo | very / intensifier | AA + 的 / AABB |
| Distributive | cada / todos | every / each | Measure reduplication (个个) |
| Child-directed speech | Diminutives (-ito) | Reduplication (choo-choo) | Reduplication (吃饭饭) |
| Ablaut reduplication | No | Yes (tick-tock) | No |
| Grammatical function | No | No | Yes (extensive) |
Examples
In Context
| Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|
| Echa un vistazo. | Take a look. | 看看。 / 看一下。 |
| muy feliz / felicísimo | very happy / overjoyed | 高高兴兴。 |
| Todo el mundo lo sabe. / Cada uno lo sabe. | Everyone knows. / Each person knows. | 人人都知道。 |
Common mistakes
-
English speakers learning Chinese: Forgetting reduplication for softening: 看这本书 → 看看这本书 (softer)
-
Chinese speakers learning English: Creating reduplicated verbs: look-look → take a look
-
English speakers learning Chinese: Using AABB for all adjectives: 好好 is not standard → 好好的 or 高高兴兴
-
Spanish speakers learning Chinese: Missing the softening function: confusing bare verbs (commands) with reduplicated verbs (requests)
Related topics
- Adjectives: How adjectives are intensified
- Imperatives: How commands are softened
- Word Order: How reduplicated forms fit into sentences
- Particles: How particles combine with reduplication
Examples
Verb: take a look
echar un vistazo (periphrasis)
Adjective: very red
muy rojo / rojísimo
Adjective: every kind of
todo tipo de / de todo
Measure word: each/every
uno por uno / cada uno
Noun: every + noun
cada + noun / todos los + noun
Softening request
mira... / a ver...
Examples
Verb: take a look
take a look / have a look
Adjective: very red
very red / bright red
Adjective: every kind of
all kinds of / all sorts of
Measure word: each/every
one by one / each
Noun: every + noun
every + noun / all + noun
Softening request
Could you... / Would you mind...
Examples
Verb: take a look
看看 (verb reduplication)
Adjective: very red
红红的 (AA + 的)
Adjective: every kind of
各种各样 (AABB)
Measure word: each/every
个个 (measure reduplication)
Noun: every + noun
人人 / 天天 (noun reduplication)
Softening request
看看 / 试试 (verb reduplication softens)
Comparison at a glance
| Grammar concepts | Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verb: take a look | echar un vistazo (periphrasis) | take a look / have a look | 看看 (verb reduplication) |
| Adjective: very red | muy rojo / rojísimo | very red / bright red | 红红的 (AA + 的) |
| Adjective: every kind of | todo tipo de / de todo | all kinds of / all sorts of | 各种各样 (AABB) |
| Measure word: each/every | uno por uno / cada uno | one by one / each | 个个 (measure reduplication) |
| Noun: every + noun | cada + noun / todos los + noun | every + noun / all + noun | 人人 / 天天 (noun reduplication) |
| Softening request | mira... / a ver... | Could you... / Would you mind... | 看看 / 试试 (verb reduplication softens) |
Select at least one language to view comparisons
Side-by-side comparison
| Grammar concepts | Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verb: take a look | echar un vistazo (periphrasis) | take a look / have a look | 看看 (verb reduplication) |
| Adjective: very red | muy rojo / rojísimo | very red / bright red | 红红的 (AA + 的) |
| Adjective: every kind of | todo tipo de / de todo | all kinds of / all sorts of | 各种各样 (AABB) |
| Measure word: each/every | uno por uno / cada uno | one by one / each | 个个 (measure reduplication) |
| Noun: every + noun | cada + noun / todos los + noun | every + noun / all + noun | 人人 / 天天 (noun reduplication) |
| Softening request | mira... / a ver... | Could you... / Would you mind... | 看看 / 试试 (verb reduplication softens) |
Select at least one language to view comparisons
Examples in context
Verb: take a look
Spanish
echar un vistazo (periphrasis)
English
take a look / have a look
Chinese
看看 (verb reduplication)
Adjective: very red
Spanish
muy rojo / rojísimo
English
very red / bright red
Chinese
红红的 (AA + 的)
Adjective: every kind of
Spanish
todo tipo de / de todo
English
all kinds of / all sorts of
Chinese
各种各样 (AABB)
Measure word: each/every
Spanish
uno por uno / cada uno
English
one by one / each
Chinese
个个 (measure reduplication)
Noun: every + noun
Spanish
cada + noun / todos los + noun
English
every + noun / all + noun
Chinese
人人 / 天天 (noun reduplication)
Softening request
Spanish
mira... / a ver...
English
Could you... / Would you mind...
Chinese
看看 / 试试 (verb reduplication softens)
Select at least one language to view comparisons
Key Takeaways
Spanish: Minimal reduplication. Occasionally used colloquially for emphasis (muy muy). Diminutives (-ito) function similarly to reduplication in expr.
English: Very limited reduplication. Used in child-directed speech (choo-choo, wee-wee), some compounds (tick-tock, zig-zag), and informal intensific.
Chinese: Extensive and grammatically productive reduplication system. Verbs, adjectives, measure words, and nouns can all be reduplicated with distin.
Key concepts compared: Verb: take a look, Adjective: very red, Adjective: every kind of.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is reduplication so productive in Chinese but marginal in English and Spanish?
What is the difference between AABB and ABAB reduplication in Chinese adjectives?
How does English use reduplication in informal registers, and how does it compare to Chinese?
References
- Nueva gramática de la lengua española — Real Academia Española / Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española, 2010
- The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language — Huddleston & Pullum, Cambridge University Press, 2002
- A Comprehensive Grammar of the Modern Chinese Language — Li & Thompson, 1981
Read this first
Last updated: June 4, 2026