Exploring the charm of Chinese reduplications, from '红红火火' to '马马虎虎'.

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• Chinese Short Dialogue | Website
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• Chinese Short Dialogue | Google Play

Available in 8 languages on the app:

Chinese Listening | 중국어 리스닝 | 中国語リスニング | Аудирование по китайскому языку | Nghe tiếng Trung | Mendengarkan bahasa Mandarin | Escucha en chino | การฟังภาษาจีน | Chinesisches Hören | Écoute du chinois | Ascolto cinese | Audição em chinês | चीनी सुनना | الاستماع إلى اللغة الصينية

《English Translation》

小潘: Teacher Liu, I noticed that Chinese people often repeat words when speaking, like '红红火火' and '干干净净'. Why is that?
刘娜: That's Chinese reduplication! It makes expressions more vivid and emotional. For example, '红火' already means prosperous, but repeating it as '红红火火' emphasizes the lively and prosperous feeling even more.
小潘: I see! So is '马马虎虎' the same? Why does it use horse and tiger?
刘娜: Haha, '马马虎虎' is special! It has nothing to do with animals. It describes doing things carelessly. If someone asks, 'How’s your Chinese?', you can modestly reply '马马虎虎', meaning 'so-so, not too good'.
小潘: Interesting! I also heard my roommate say '干干净净'. Compared to just '干净', it feels stronger.
刘娜: Your observation is very accurate! Reduplication really strengthens the tone, making expressions more vivid and emotional.
小潘: Great! I think if I learn to use reduplications, my Chinese will sound more authentic!
刘娜: Exactly! Reduplication is a major feature of Chinese. If you use it well, your expressions will be more lively and natural. With practice, you’ll discover the beauty of Chinese.