Level 2 Lesson 13.1 – Help Me Find It Really Quick.

GRAMMAR

Grammar 1: Reduplication of Verbs in Chinese · HSK 2

The structure of Reduplication of Verbs in Chinese indicates that

1. the action will cost only a short amount of time and/or
2. the action will be done only for a limited amount of times

In conversations, the Reduplication of Verbs are commonly used to

1. make a request or
2. express one’s own anticipation.

The logic here is that, by indicating that the action will only cost a short amount of time and effort, the request of anticipation would be a relatively easy thing to do. Therefore, it should be easier to accept.

The Verbs are reduplicated in this way:

(1) For one-syllable verbs, V, there are two forms

(2) For two-syllable verbs, Vv, the form is

Reduplication of Verbs are commonly used in Chinese conversations. For example,

• ràng wǒ kànkan ba
  让我看看吧！
  Let me look-look!
  Let me have a look really quick!
  
• nǐ néng tīng yi tīng ma
  你能听一听吗？
  Can you listen-one-listen?
  Can you listen "really quick"?
• nǐ xiǎng bu xiǎng qù yùndòng yùndòng
  你想不想去运动运动？
  (Do) you want (or) not want to exercise-exercise
  (Do) you want to exercise "really quick"?

Grammar 2: Measure Words for Action Verbs · HSK 2

In Chinese, Measure Words for Action Verbs(See also Types of Verbs in Chinese) are usually there to measure how many times an action has been done. There are only a limited amount of them and in today's lesson we'll use three:

1. 次 cì: to measure how many times a general action has been done
2. 顿 dùn: to measure how many times the action of having or making meals has been done
3. 场 chǎng: to measure how many times the action of watching the full length of game(movie, performance, ...) has been done

Just like Measure Words for Nouns and Nouns Phrases [(I), (II) and (III)], Measure Words for action Verbs can be used  following (1) a number, (2) pronouns 这zhè, 那nà, 每měi, or (3) question pronouns 哪nǎ, 几jǐ, 多少duōshao

Verb + Number/(Question) Pronouns + Measure Word (+ Object)

For example,

• míngtiān wǒ xiūxi, wǒmen kěyǐ chūqù chī yí dùn fàn
  明天我休息，我们可以出去吃(一)^①顿饭。
  Tomorrow I (am) off, we can go out to eat meal (for) (one) "dun".
• nǐ yào bu yào hé wǒmen yìqǐ kàn nàchǎng diànyǐng
  你要不要和我们一起看那场电影？
  (Do) you want to watch movie (for) that "chang" with us or not?
• nǐ dǎsuàn kàn nǎchǎng bǐsài
  你打算看哪场比赛？
  For which "chang" (do) you want to watch game?
  
• nǐ yào bāng tā duōshao cì
  你要帮他多少次？
  How many times (do) you need to help him?

NOTE: ① when the number before a Measure Word is 一, it can be omitted.

Grammar 3: Special Measure Words for Action Verbs: 下 (V一下) · HSK 2

下 is to measure how many times a general action has been done as well, but using 下 indicates that the action only costs a short amount of time and/or a little bit of effort. Most of the times, it’s used with number 一 in the structure V一下.

Verb  + 一下

For example,

• qǐngwèn, nǐ néng gàosu wǒ yíxia ma
  请问，你能告诉我一下吗？
  Excuse me, could you tell me "one-xia/really quick"?
• wǒ xiǎng zhǎo yíxia Zhāng Lǎoshī
  我想找一下张老师。
  I want to seek Teacher Zhang "one-xia/really quick".

Also, because it indicates “short amount of time”, 一下 can also be used in the same way that Reduplication of Verb are used, to soften the tone of a request or the expression of one’s own anticipation.

For example the following two sentences have the same meaning

• nǐ néng zhǎo yíxia ma
  你能找一下吗？
  Could you look for (it) "one-xia/really quick"?
• nǐ néng zhǎozhao ma
  你能找找吗？
  Could you look for -look for (it) "really quick"?