Sentence pattern · Band 1
Doubling the verb: give it a quick try
看看 / 看一看
Say a verb twice and it shrinks: a quick look, a little try. 看看 means take a look, not stare; doubled verbs turn orders into invitations, which is why friends and shopkeepers use them all day. The longer form slips 一 into the middle: 看一看 has the same softened feel. English does this with just: just look, just try.
Hear it in a sentence
Mistakes people make
When 了 meets a doubled verb it slips into the middle, giving 看了看 and never 看看了.
Words in this pattern
Quick answers
What does 动词重叠：看看 mean?
Say a verb twice and it shrinks: a quick look, a little try. 看看 means take a look, not stare; doubled verbs turn orders into invitations, which is why friends and shopkeepers use them all day. The longer form slips 一 into the middle: 看一看 has the same softened feel. English does this with just: just look, just try.
How do you build it?
看看 / 看一看
What is the most common mistake?
我看看了那本书。 → 我看了看那本书。
When 了 meets a doubled verb it slips into the middle, giving 看了看 and never 看看了.
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