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Level Independent Chinese · HSK 3

看看, 一下, 趟, 左右 and 至少: Brief Actions and Rough Numbers

Chinese softens requests and casual actions by doubling the verb or adding 一下: 我看看 is "let me have a look". This guide also covers counting actions and giving numbers loosely, which you need constantly in real conversation.

Doubling the verb and 一下

One-syllable verbs double as AA (看看) or A一A (看一看). Two-syllable verbs double as ABAB (休息休息). Verb + 一下 does the same job. All of them mean "briefly, a little" and make a request sound relaxed. For a completed action, 了 goes in the middle: 看了看.

  • 我看看。

    Wǒ kànkan.

    Let me have a look.

  • 你试一试。

    Nǐ shì yi shì.

    Give it a try.

  • 我们休息休息吧。

    Wǒmen xiūxi xiūxi ba.

    Let's take a little break.

  • 请等一下。

    Qǐng děng yíxià.

    Wait a moment, please.

  • 他看了看手表。

    Tā kàn le kàn shǒubiǎo.

    He glanced at his watch.

Verb measure words

These count actions and follow the verb: 次 (occasions), 遍 (start to finish), 趟 (a round trip), 顿 (meals, scoldings), 场 (rainfalls, illnesses, matches).

  • 我去了一趟上海。

    Wǒ qù le yí tàng Shànghǎi.

    I made a trip to Shanghai.

  • 他被妈妈骂了一顿。

    Tā bèi māma mà le yí dùn.

    He got a telling-off from his mum.

  • 昨天下了一场大雨。

    Zuótiān xià le yì cháng dà yǔ.

    There was a heavy downpour yesterday.

Rough numbers

左右 (zuǒyòu) goes after a number and measure word: 三十岁左右. 大概 and 大约 go before. 多 after a round number means "over": 十多个. Its position matters: 十多个小时 is "over ten hours" (11, 12...), 十个多小时 is "ten-and-a-bit hours". 将近 is "nearly".

  • 他三十岁左右。

    Tā sānshí suì zuǒyòu.

    He's about thirty.

  • 大概有二十个人。

    Dàgài yǒu èrshí ge rén.

    There are about twenty people.

  • 我等了十多分钟。

    Wǒ děng le shí duō fēnzhōng.

    I waited for over ten minutes.

至少, 最多, 整整

至少 (zhìshǎo) is at least, 最多 at most. 整整 (zhěngzhěng) + amount stresses a full amount: a whole two hours.

  • 至少要三天。

    Zhìshǎo yào sān tiān.

    It'll take at least three days.

  • 他整整等了两个小时。

    Tā zhěngzhěng děng le liǎng ge xiǎoshí.

    He waited a whole two hours.

Common mistakes

  • ✗我看看了。

    ✓我看了看。

    Wǒ kàn le kàn.

    With a doubled verb, 了 goes between the two halves.

  • ✗他二十左右岁。

    ✓他二十岁左右。

    Tā èrshí suì zuǒyòu.

    左右 follows the whole number + measure word.

  • ✗我看一下了。

    ✓我看了一下。

    Wǒ kàn le yíxià.

    了 follows the verb, before 一下.

Questions learners ask

Is there a difference between 看看 and 看一下?

Very little. Both make the action brief and casual. 一下 is a bit more neutral; doubling sounds a bit more relaxed.

Why is 场 read cháng here?

For weather and illnesses (一场雨, 一场病) it's cháng. For performances and matches (一场比赛) it's chǎng.

Practice this in lessons

The Everyday Chinese lessons teach this step by step, with exercises and review built in.

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