<p>I would say "游游泳" vs "游泳", 游游泳 is more casual. Kinda 游游泳 is more like go swim, while 游泳 is just 'swim'. So, you could deem 'XXY' as 'go XY'. 散散步 kinda like go walk/go for a walk/go walking, something like this. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-28T03:06:47.283Z
2017-08-28T03:06:47.283Z
dan
<p><a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Reduplication_of_verbs" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Reduplication of a verb</a>  </p>

<p>'with AA Pattern' indicates the action occur in a <strong>slight degree</strong>, <strong>brief time period</strong> or <strong>casual manner</strong></p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>看- to look; 看看- to look briefly</p>

<p>走- to walk; 走走- to walk briefly </p>

<p>敲- to knock; 敲敲- to knock slightly</p>

<p>嘗- to taste; 嘗嘗- to slightly taste </p>

<p>Another form of Reduplication 'with A一A Pattern' indicates the action occur <strong>in a single instance</strong>, <strong>slight degree</strong>, <strong>brief time period</strong> or <strong>casual manner</strong></p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>看- to look; 看一看- take a look/ to look briefly</p>

<p>走- to walk; 走一走- take a walk/ to walk briefly </p>

<p>敲- to knock; 敲一敲- knock once/ to knock slightly</p>

<p>嘗- to taste; 嘗一嘗- taste once/ to slightly taste </p>

<p>For verbs that are made up of a two characters like  游泳, 散步, you only need to reduplicate the first character. </p>

<p>游泳- to swim; 游游泳- to swim casually (or briefly)</p>

<p>散步- to take a walk; 散散步- to talk a walk casually (or briefly)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-28T21:14:33.217Z
Isn't it that 一下 is also interchangeable here? 看一下, etc...
Blaszard
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-29T01:00:14.060Z
@Blaszard you bet!
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-03T00:51:05.770Z
看- to look; 看看- to look briefly. Sometime, it's correct. But in "你看看你，把大家都惹得不高兴了. You look at you, you have made everyone unhappy." may not correct.
Zhang
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-03T00:56:05.220Z
@马化腾 "你看看你" = "You, look at yourself for an instance!". It wouldn't be a mistake to translate "看看" in  "你看看你" as  "briefly"
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-28T05:27:21.310Z
2017-08-28T05:38:09.787Z
2017-08-28T05:38:09.787Z
Tang Ho
<p>I am looking through my text book and I came across some words like: <strong>游游泳, 化化妆, 散散步</strong>.</p>

<p>What is the difference between those and their regular counterparts <strong>游泳, 化妆, 散步</strong>?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-28T08:43:18.030Z
verb reduplication has been discussed before (2nd A seems to have been given by the same author before): 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 esp. 1st answer https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/19701/when-%e4%ba%86-has-the-same-verb-before-and-after-it-is-it-reduplication-combined-with  present examples however raise the question whether the second character in each case represents a verb or a noun noting that for 2-syllable
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-28T08:44:08.977Z
verbs AB the reduplicated form is ABAB, e.g. 讨论讨论，研究研究。 
散步 although 步 can function both as a noun and a verb, here it clearly appears to function as noun, cf. 打打球，跑跑步，就不会失眠了 （also at 小马词典 find many examples of VV compounds starting with 散 e.g. 散布)，although 
泳 and 妆 can both be verbs as well as nouns, the fact that reduplicated forms can only be as given, may indicate that 泳 and 妆 also should be considered nouns, objects of preceding 1-character verbs.
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-28T11:20:53.890Z
in fact these 3 appear to be separable verbs (离合词 which confirms given reduplicated form) e.g. (examples taken  from various online dictionaries, esp. jukuu, enter these spaced apart) 游了一天泳. 你多久去游一次泳？  我化一点妆。  我必须化一下妆。 散会儿步好吗？  你何不出去散個步？
user6065
<vocabulary>
Why are there duplicates in the following words 游游泳, 化化妆, 散散步, ..., etc?
# Why are there duplicates in the following words 游游泳, 化化妆, 散散步, ..., etc?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-08-28)

I am looking through my text book and I came across some words like: **游游泳, 化化妆, 散散步**.

What is the difference between those and their regular counterparts **游泳, 化妆, 散步**?

**Tags:** vocabulary
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: verb reduplication has been discussed before (2nd A seems to have been given by the same author before): 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 esp. 1st answer https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/19701/when-%e4%ba%86-has-the-same-verb-before-and-after-it-is-it-reduplication-combined-with  present examples however raise the question whether the second character in each case represents a verb or a noun noting that for 2-syllable  
> **username_1**: verbs AB the reduplicated form is ABAB, e.g. 讨论讨论，研究研究。  散步 although 步 can function both as a noun and a verb, here it clearly appears to function as noun, cf. 打打球，跑跑步，就不会失眠了 （also at 小马词典 find many examples of VV compounds starting with 散 e.g. 散布)，although  泳 and 妆 can both be verbs as well as nouns, the fact that reduplicated forms can only be as given, may indicate that 泳 and 妆 also should be considered nouns, objects of preceding 1-character verbs.  
> **username_1**: in fact these 3 appear to be separable verbs (离合词 which confirms given reduplicated form) e.g. (examples taken  from various online dictionaries, esp. jukuu, enter these spaced apart) 游了一天泳. 你多久去游一次泳？  我化一点妆。  我必须化一下妆。 散会儿步好吗？  你何不出去散個步？  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2017-08-28. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

[Reduplication of a verb](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Reduplication_of_verbs)

'with AA Pattern' indicates the action occur in a **slight degree**, **brief time period** or **casual manner**

Examples:

看- to look; 看看- to look briefly

走- to walk; 走走- to walk briefly

敲- to knock; 敲敲- to knock slightly

嘗- to taste; 嘗嘗- to slightly taste

Another form of Reduplication 'with A一A Pattern' indicates the action occur **in a single instance**, **slight degree**, **brief time period** or **casual manner**

Examples:

看- to look; 看一看- take a look/ to look briefly

走- to walk; 走一走- take a walk/ to walk briefly

敲- to knock; 敲一敲- knock once/ to knock slightly

嘗- to taste; 嘗一嘗- taste once/ to slightly taste

For verbs that are made up of a two characters like 游泳, 散步, you only need to reduplicate the first character.

游泳- to swim; 游游泳- to swim casually (or briefly)

散步- to take a walk; 散散步- to talk a walk casually (or briefly)

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: Isn't it that 一下 is also interchangeable here? 看一下, etc...  
> **username_2**: @Blaszard you bet!  
> **username_5**: 看- to look; 看看- to look briefly. Sometime, it's correct. But in "你看看你，把大家都惹得不高兴了. You look at you, you have made everyone unhappy." may not correct.  
> **username_3**: @马化腾 "你看看你" = "You, look at yourself for an instance!". It wouldn't be a mistake to translate "看看" in  "你看看你" as  "briefly"  

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### Answer by username_2 on 2017-08-28. Score: 2

I would say "游游泳" vs "游泳", 游游泳 is more casual. Kinda 游游泳 is more like go swim, while 游泳 is just 'swim'. So, you could deem 'XXY' as 'go XY'. 散散步 kinda like go walk/go for a walk/go walking, something like this.


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