<blockquote>
  <ol>
  <li>[verb]+[verb] </li>
  </ol>
</blockquote>

<p>Repeat a same verb once, is called 'redoubling'. A redoubled verb indicates the action happens in a slight degree and a short duration.</p>

<p>Example: </p>

<p>點頭 ( nod head); 點點頭 ( nod head slightly)</p>

<p>試 (try); 試試 (try a little )</p>

<p>看 (look); 看看 (look briefly)</p>

<blockquote>
  <ol start="2">
  <li>[verb]+[counting word]+ [ verb] </li>
  </ol>
</blockquote>

<p>In the cases of a verb following by a counting word and then the same verb again, the repeated verb is actually a [verb classifier] </p>

<p>Example: </p>

<p>點頭 (nod head); 點一點頭 (nod one nod/ nod head once)</p>

<p>試 (try); 試一試 (try one try / try once )</p>

<p>看 (look); 看一看 (look one look / look once )</p>

<blockquote>
  <ol start="3">
  <li>The particle <strong>了</strong>  following a verb indicate 'completion' </li>
  </ol>
</blockquote>

<p>Example:</p>

<p>點了一點頭 (nodded one nod/ nodded head once)</p>

<p>試了一試 (tried one try / tried once )</p>

<p>看了一看 (looked one look / looked once  )</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Now come to your question: what [verb]+了+[verb] indicate?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>It is similar to point (3) with the counting word omitted.</p>

<p>點了點頭 = 點了(一)點頭</p>

<p>試了試 = 試了(一)試</p>

<p>看了看 = 看了(一)看</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-15T21:50:47.547Z
很感谢！“ the repeated verb is actually a [verb classifier]“ I thought the second verb might actually be meant as a noun, but I didn't think it might be a classifier! Can you elaborate please?
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-16T03:05:16.333Z
Let's replace the first verb 'look' to make it easier.... In"take one look."  'take' is a verb, 'one' is a counting verb, and 'look' is not a noun but a verb acting as a classifier. The counting word one is counting how many times the subject looked at something.
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-16T03:10:30.787Z
Another example, in '切一切' (cut one cut)  the first 切 is a verb (to cut) and 一切 (one cut) counting how many times the action 'cut' occur, and the answer is one time. - if it is 切幾切, then it means 'cut a few times'
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-16T21:59:34.873Z
Aha, now I understand, 很感谢！
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-15T00:17:15.560Z
2017-05-15T00:17:15.560Z
Tang Ho
<p>This text is 囊萤照读。 In this short text I found 5 'verb 了 verb' repetitions:</p>

<p>擦了擦汗，晃了晃头，揉了揉脖子，挪了挪屁股，灯在耳边摇了摇</p>

<p>Do these just indicate repeated action? </p>

<p>Or is it 'verb 了 noun':<br>
擦了擦: wipe a wipe<br>
晃了晃: shake a shake<br>
揉了揉: rub a rub<br>
挪了挪: move a move<br>
摇了摇: shake a shake</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-15T02:43:22.730Z
grammar topic, verb reduplication has been discussed repeatedly at this site, e.g. https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/10046/why-does-the-%e8%af%b7-take-two-duplicate-words-on-its-verb-occasionally-e-g-%e8%af%b7%e6%b4%97%e6%b4%97%e4%bd%a0%e7%9a%84%e8%a2%9c/10047#10047 combined with completion aspect: https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/19701/when-%e4%ba%86-has-the-same-verb-before-and-after-it-is-it-reduplication-combined-with
user6065
<meaning>
What does the use of 'verb 了 verb' indicate?
# What does the use of 'verb 了 verb' indicate?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-05-14)

This text is 囊萤照读。 In this short text I found 5 'verb 了 verb' repetitions:

擦了擦汗，晃了晃头，揉了揉脖子，挪了挪屁股，灯在耳边摇了摇

Do these just indicate repeated action?

Or is it 'verb 了 noun':  
擦了擦: wipe a wipe  
晃了晃: shake a shake  
揉了揉: rub a rub  
挪了挪: move a move  
摇了摇: shake a shake

**Tags:** meaning

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: grammar topic, verb reduplication has been discussed repeatedly at this site, e.g. https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/10046/why-does-the-%e8%af%b7-take-two-duplicate-words-on-its-verb-occasionally-e-g-%e8%af%b7%e6%b4%97%e6%b4%97%e4%bd%a0%e7%9a%84%e8%a2%9c/10047#10047 combined with completion aspect: https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/19701/when-%e4%ba%86-has-the-same-verb-before-and-after-it-is-it-reduplication-combined-with  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-05-15. Score: 5

> 1. [verb]+[verb]

Repeat a same verb once, is called 'redoubling'. A redoubled verb indicates the action happens in a slight degree and a short duration.

Example:

點頭 ( nod head); 點點頭 ( nod head slightly)

試 (try); 試試 (try a little )

看 (look); 看看 (look briefly)

> 2. [verb]+[counting word]+ [ verb]

In the cases of a verb following by a counting word and then the same verb again, the repeated verb is actually a [verb classifier]

Example:

點頭 (nod head); 點一點頭 (nod one nod/ nod head once)

試 (try); 試一試 (try one try / try once )

看 (look); 看一看 (look one look / look once )

> 3. The particle **了** following a verb indicate 'completion'

Example:

點了一點頭 (nodded one nod/ nodded head once)

試了一試 (tried one try / tried once )

看了一看 (looked one look / looked once )

> Now come to your question: what [verb]+了+[verb] indicate?

It is similar to point (3) with the counting word omitted.

點了點頭 = 點了(一)點頭

試了試 = 試了(一)試

看了看 = 看了(一)看

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: 很感谢！“ the repeated verb is actually a [verb classifier]“ I thought the second verb might actually be meant as a noun, but I didn't think it might be a classifier! Can you elaborate please?  
> **username_2**: Let's replace the first verb 'look' to make it easier.... In"take one look."  'take' is a verb, 'one' is a counting verb, and 'look' is not a noun but a verb acting as a classifier. The counting word one is counting how many times the subject looked at something.  
> **username_2**: Another example, in '切一切' (cut one cut)  the first 切 is a verb (to cut) and 一切 (one cut) counting how many times the action 'cut' occur, and the answer is one time. - if it is 切幾切, then it means 'cut a few times'  
> **username_0**: Aha, now I understand, 很感谢！  

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