<p>The examples you gave are not verb reduplication</p>
<p>phrases like 笑笑，看看，走走 or 吃吃 are verb reduplication, it serves to indicate the verb is in a slight degree or a casual manner</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>I sneezed a big sneeze</em></p>
<p><em>She sleeps a long sleep</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>These are just a same word as verb, and then as noun (object) in a same sentence</p>
<ul>
<li><p>the first sneeze is a verb; the second sneeze is a noun</p>
</li>
<li><p>the first sleep is a verb; the second sleep is a noun</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>了 is not a verb, it is a 'verb particle' that indicate 'completion of the action' or 'change of situation.</p>
<p>In your 西游记 examples</p>
<ul>
<li><p>指 = point</p>
</li>
<li><p>指了= pointed (the pointing action is completed)</p>
</li>
<li><p>笑了笑 - the first 笑 is a verb; the second 笑 is a 'verb classifier' for counting how many times the subject smiled (since there is only one smile, the action is in a slight degree or casual manner)</p>
</li>
<li><p>晃了晃 - the first 晃 is a verb; the second 晃 is a 'verb classifier' for counting how many times 金箍棒 was swung (since there is only one swing, the action is in a slight degree or casual manner)</p>
</li>
<li><p>转了转 - the first 转 is a verb; the second 转 is a 'verb classifier' for counting how many times 眼珠子 was turned (since there is only one turn, the action is in a slight degree or casual manner)</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p><em>Since the second 笑, 晃 and 转 are verb classifiers, they work with counting words: 笑了(一)笑, 晃了(三)晃, 转了(八)转</em></p>
<blockquote>
<p>抢了我的东西 (seized my stuffs) - '抢了' is a completed action; 我的东西 is the object</p>
<p>抢我的东西 - (seize my stuffs) - '抢' is a verb; 我的东西 is the object (no indication of either the action is completed or not)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>~</p>
<blockquote>
<p>'做了坏事' (have done bad thing) - '做了' is a completed action; '坏事' is the object</p>
<p>'做坏事' (do bad thing) - '做' is a verb ; '坏事' is the object (no indication of either the action is completed or not)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>~</p>
<blockquote>
<p>'得到了满意的答案' (have got a satisfied answer) - 得到了 is a completed action; 满意的答案 is the object</p>
<p>'得到满意的答案' (get a satisfied answer) - 得到 is verb; 满意的答案 is the object (no indication of either the action is completed or not)</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-18T00:28:24.290Z
If you can count something, it is a noun, wouldn't you agree?
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-18T00:42:42.527Z
That's why it is called "verb classifier". it is for counting 'times' of an action happened. e.g. in "劈一劈"  the first '劈' is the verb itself, 一 is the counting word (once) the second 劈 is the 'verb classifier' that indicates how many time the subject 'hacked'. You can say 'verb classifier' treating a verb like a noun
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-17T11:37:53.407Z
2018-08-17T18:29:56.210Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Tang Ho
<p>In my understanding (I'm not a native Chinese) it's just a regular verb duplication. But, when it's duplicated in the past, the 了 particle is put in between the verbs.</p>

<p>我看看 = 我看一看 = 我看一下 = I'll take a look.<br>
我看了看 = 我看了一看 = 我看了一下 = I took a look.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-19T18:15:48.163Z
2018-09-19T18:15:48.163Z
Enrico Brasil
<p>In English, we can say:</p>

<p>I sneezed a big sneeze.<br>
She sleeps a long sleep.<br>
"Waiting for a king to apologize, one can wait rather a long wait." (from the film The Kings Speech)</p>

<p>and many more such examples.</p>

<p>Just one chapter of  西游记 has these five reduplications with  了 between.</p>

<p>Do you think the word after 了 is a noun or a verb? What is the purpose of the reduplication?</p>

<p>猪八戒抬手指了指天，<br>
孙悟空看了看猪八戒的大肚子，无奈地笑了笑说，<br>
拿着金箍棒晃了晃，对准马屁股作势要打。<br>
，强盗头目眼珠子转了转，<br>
一边说还一边向着猪八戒挥了挥手里的金箍棒。  </p>

<p>For comparison， 了 followed by a noun:</p>

<p>你要真的抢了我的东西，<br>
，如果这辈子做了坏事<br>
强盗头目得到了满意的答案，  </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-17T11:00:32.843Z
search site with "verb reduplication"  get 14 hits, it （动词的重叠）is a basic grammar topic covered in any web grammar e.g. https://iris.unive.it/retrieve/handle/10278/39972/85072/carnGram22.23-53.pdf http://tcfl.tingroom.com/2014/11/5480.html etc, etc.
user6065
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-21T10:01:54.013Z
It simply means the action repeated. 指, 挥, 晃, 笑, 转 are all actions that repeated.
sfy
<meaning>
What is the purpose of verb reduplication?
# What is the purpose of verb reduplication?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-08-17)

In English, we can say:

I sneezed a big sneeze.  
She sleeps a long sleep.  
"Waiting for a king to apologize, one can wait rather a long wait." (from the film The Kings Speech)

and many more such examples.

Just one chapter of 西游记 has these five reduplications with 了 between.

Do you think the word after 了 is a noun or a verb? What is the purpose of the reduplication?

猪八戒抬手指了指天，  
孙悟空看了看猪八戒的大肚子，无奈地笑了笑说，  
拿着金箍棒晃了晃，对准马屁股作势要打。  
，强盗头目眼珠子转了转，  
一边说还一边向着猪八戒挥了挥手里的金箍棒。

For comparison， 了 followed by a noun:

你要真的抢了我的东西，  
，如果这辈子做了坏事  
强盗头目得到了满意的答案，

**Tags:** meaning

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: search site with "verb reduplication"  get 14 hits, it （动词的重叠）is a basic grammar topic covered in any web grammar e.g. https://iris.unive.it/retrieve/handle/10278/39972/85072/carnGram22.23-53.pdf http://tcfl.tingroom.com/2014/11/5480.html etc, etc.  
> **username_2**: It simply means the action repeated. 指, 挥, 晃, 笑, 转 are all actions that repeated.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2018-08-17. Score: 2

The examples you gave are not verb reduplication

phrases like 笑笑，看看，走走 or 吃吃 are verb reduplication, it serves to indicate the verb is in a slight degree or a casual manner

> *I sneezed a big sneeze*
>
> *She sleeps a long sleep*

These are just a same word as verb, and then as noun (object) in a same sentence

* the first sneeze is a verb; the second sneeze is a noun
* the first sleep is a verb; the second sleep is a noun

了 is not a verb, it is a 'verb particle' that indicate 'completion of the action' or 'change of situation.

In your 西游记 examples

* 指 = point
* 指了= pointed (the pointing action is completed)
* 笑了笑 - the first 笑 is a verb; the second 笑 is a 'verb classifier' for counting how many times the subject smiled (since there is only one smile, the action is in a slight degree or casual manner)
* 晃了晃 - the first 晃 is a verb; the second 晃 is a 'verb classifier' for counting how many times 金箍棒 was swung (since there is only one swing, the action is in a slight degree or casual manner)
* 转了转 - the first 转 is a verb; the second 转 is a 'verb classifier' for counting how many times 眼珠子 was turned (since there is only one turn, the action is in a slight degree or casual manner)

*Since the second 笑, 晃 and 转 are verb classifiers, they work with counting words: 笑了(一)笑, 晃了(三)晃, 转了(八)转*

> 抢了我的东西 (seized my stuffs) - '抢了' is a completed action; 我的东西 is the object
>
> 抢我的东西 - (seize my stuffs) - '抢' is a verb; 我的东西 is the object (no indication of either the action is completed or not)

~

> '做了坏事' (have done bad thing) - '做了' is a completed action; '坏事' is the object
>
> '做坏事' (do bad thing) - '做' is a verb ; '坏事' is the object (no indication of either the action is completed or not)

~

> '得到了满意的答案' (have got a satisfied answer) - 得到了 is a completed action; 满意的答案 is the object
>
> '得到满意的答案' (get a satisfied answer) - 得到 is verb; 满意的答案 is the object (no indication of either the action is completed or not)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: If you can count something, it is a noun, wouldn't you agree?  
> **username_3**: That's why it is called "verb classifier". it is for counting 'times' of an action happened. e.g. in "劈一劈"  the first '劈' is the verb itself, 一 is the counting word (once) the second 劈 is the 'verb classifier' that indicates how many time the subject 'hacked'. You can say 'verb classifier' treating a verb like a noun  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2018-09-19. Score: 1

In my understanding (I'm not a native Chinese) it's just a regular verb duplication. But, when it's duplicated in the past, the 了 particle is put in between the verbs.

我看看 = 我看一看 = 我看一下 = I'll take a look.  
我看了看 = 我看了一看 = 我看了一下 = I took a look.


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