Josh2007 Posted November 21, 2007 at 03:54 AM Report Share Posted November 21, 2007 at 03:54 AM I am interested in a whole category of adjectives that are formed with a reduplicated 2nd syllable, giving a three-syllable word. In nearly all cases the 2nd and 3rd syllables are converted to 1st tone whatever the original tone. An example is "bloody": 血淋淋, where 淋 lín becomes līnlīn for the purpose of this word. I think these words are meant to be more expressive and more colloquial than the bare word, and to some extent the ending -乎乎 may be productive, in that many of them have this ending. Also many of them are colours. Look at these: 慢吞吞 màntūntūn irritatingly slow 血淋淋 xuèlīnlīn bloody (note 淋 changes from lín to līn) 黑乎乎 hēihūhū black, dusky 红彤彤 hóngtōngtōng bright-red (note 彤 changes from tóng to tōng) 胖墩墩 pàngdūndūn short and stout 白蒙蒙 báimēngmēng misty, hazy (note 蒙 changes from méng to mēng) 红呼呼 hónghūhū red; reddish 红喷喷 hóngpēnpēn reddish; ruddy 红扑扑 hóngpūpū reddish; flushed 黑沉沉 hēichēnchēn pitch-black (note 沉 changes from chén to chēn) 黑从从 hēicōngcōng murky (note 从 changes from cóng to cōng) 黑嘟嘟 hēidūdū black (of smoke/etc.) 黑溜溜 hēiliūliū black and bright 黑漆漆 hēiqīqī pitch-dark 黑黢黢 hēiqūqū pitch-black; pitch-dark 黑森森 hēisēnsēn fearfully black (at night/etc.) 黑魖魖 hēixūxū dark 黑黝黝 hēiyōuyōu shiny black; dim; dark (note that 黝 changes from yǒu to yōu) 黑油油 hēiyōuyōu jet-black; shiny black 胖鼓鼓 pànggūgū fat; plump; full; bulging (not that 鼓 changes from gǔ to gū) 胖乎乎 pànghūhū chubby; pudgy 热乎乎 rèhūhū warm; very hot (of food) 臭乎乎 chòuhūhū stinking 急乎乎 jíhūhū in a hurry 软乎乎 ruǎnhūhū soft 傻乎乎 shǎhūhū simpleminded; naive 湿乎乎 shīhūhū damp; moist; humid 温乎乎 wēnhūhū warm; lukewarm 油乎乎 yóuhūhū oily; greasy 圆乎乎 yuánhūhū roundish 黄澄澄 huángdēngdēng glistening yellow; golden (澄 changes from chéng to dēng) 绿葱葱 lǜcōngcōng green and luxuriant 绿茸茸 lǜrōngrōng lush dark green (茸 changes from róng to rōng) 毛茸茸 máorōngrōng hairy; downy (茸 changes from róng to rōng) 绿荫荫 lǜyīnyīn verdant green 绿油油 lǜyōuyōu bright/fresh green (油 changes from yóu to yōu) 碧油油 bìyōuyōu bluish green (油 changes from yóu to yōu) 乌油油 wūyōuyōu jet-black (油 changes from yóu to yōu) 蓝晶晶 lánjīngjīng shining blue 蓝汪汪 lánwāngwāng dazzling blue 蓝瓦瓦 lánwāwā dazzling blue (瓦 changes from wǎ to wā) 灰蒙蒙 huīmēngmēng dusky; overcast (蒙 changes from méng to mēng) But these don't fit the pattern in that the later syllables are not first tone: 白皑皑 bái'ái'ái pure white 白茫茫 báimángmáng vast/boundless white (of snow/etc.) 黑簇簇 hēicùcù pitch-dark 黄灿灿 huángcàncàn bright yellow; golden 黄橙橙 huángchéngchéng orange 灰沉沉 huīchénchén gloomy; leaden 灰渌渌 huīlùlù grey (of sky); stealthily Has anyone got any more of these? And does anyone know if the list of ones that don't fit the pattern should really be pronounced with first tones too? ie is it huángcāncānde? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luobot Posted November 21, 2007 at 05:31 AM Report Share Posted November 21, 2007 at 05:31 AM 一点点 a little bit I think that I've heard the second 点 pronounced as either neutral or just a lot softer, but I'm not sure which. I'm pretty sure that neither 点 is pronounced in the first tone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankcupid Posted November 21, 2007 at 02:02 PM Report Share Posted November 21, 2007 at 02:02 PM 慢 is slow 慢吞吞 is very very slow. it can be used to describe both speed and progress of someone or something, so you can say download speed is 慢吞吞 or 慢吞吞的 download speed. two same words suffix makes an adjective more vivid, e.g. 血淋淋 means there is much blood. 一点点 two 点 is pronounced same --/dian3/. just the second sounds a bit softer. 缓冲 is a computer term which means buffer neither fast nor slow 迟缓 is slow but used in written chinese rather than 慢吞吞 with the same meaning in oral Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh2007 Posted November 21, 2007 at 02:09 PM Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2007 at 02:09 PM I found another one: 醉醺醺 zuìxūnxūn sottish; drunk; tipsy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quest Posted November 22, 2007 at 12:16 AM Report Share Posted November 22, 2007 at 12:16 AM it can be used to describe both speed and progress of someone or something, so you can say download speed is 慢吞吞 or 慢吞吞的 download speed. I disagree. 慢吞吞 would sound odd to be used to describe download speed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wannaknowitall Posted November 22, 2007 at 10:51 PM Report Share Posted November 22, 2007 at 10:51 PM my replies don't get posted?... i wanted to say that i think these words are really cool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amego Posted December 3, 2007 at 03:41 PM Report Share Posted December 3, 2007 at 03:41 PM 慢吞吞 would sound odd to be used to describe download speed. Agree. Anyway, 粘糊糊 zhan1hu2hu2 sticky, gooey 水汪汪 shui3wang1wang1 moist（eyes）: 水汪汪的眼睛 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fireball9261 Posted December 3, 2007 at 04:22 PM Report Share Posted December 3, 2007 at 04:22 PM For me, the download speed is always "太慢了!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bomaci Posted December 4, 2007 at 09:43 AM Report Share Posted December 4, 2007 at 09:43 AM 笑眯眯 xiao4mi®1mi®1 = with a smile 凉飕飕 liang2sou1sou1 = chilly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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