Reduplication of Verbs in Chinese

 动词叠用　use of reduplicated verbs

Several common usages of reduplication by young native speakers are in fact incorrect.

情况　conditions under what conditions can we use reduplicated verbs?

1, 勇士非常断
a completed verb action which has occurred in a very brief space of time.
学校离我家很近，我走走过去就行．
你听听看，这首歌怎么样？

２． 尝试做某事
repeatedly trying to do a given action (in a brief space of time)

3. 客气，请求帮忙　
to be polite, and request a favor
请帮帮我，我找不到我的眼镜

听　看　笑　休息　
these are verbs in which we can reinforce the action by repetition to completion and thus reduplication is appropriate.

来　死　丢　结婚　
these are verbs we cannot reinforce by repetition to completion and thus reduplication is inappropriate.


We can reduplicate verbs where the verb is one over which we have control
想　选　跑　商量
Where the verb is one over which we have no control we cannot reduplicate it
忘　病　掉　晕倒

单音节动词
Simple reduplication: patterns

看　听　想　

看看
看一看
看了看

Conditions for these are:
１．　Event has not happened yet. Use 一yi, but may also omit 一yi

2. If the event has already occurred then you must use 了　to so indicate

Complex reduplication: 2 syllable verb is reduplicate in its 2 syllable form
商量商量
考虑考虑
观察观察
You cannot insert 一 or 了 between reduplicated 2 syllable verbs.

Seperable verbs 离合词
Seperable verbs take the pattern of Verb+Verb+Completion particle (AAB)
游游泳
泡泡不
打打球

You cannot reduplicate the verb if it includes zai在　or zhengzai正在