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I'm now learning on emphasizing adjectives by the repetition (e.g. 你的脸红红的。).
However, some two-syllable words form ABAB and others AABB to emphasize the adjective. For example,
Now I wonder whether it is possible to tell apart which word belongs to ABAB famility and which to AABB.
Is there any rule regarding this, if not rigorous? Or do I have to bother to memorizing these adjectives one by one?
My take is ABAB expresses dynamically (表示动态感) or extent in degrees, while AABB is for statically (表示静态感).
For example, 舒服舒服 vs 舒舒服服。
舒服舒服 is kinda like 'Wow, I feel great!', it might imply that you feel that way constantly. For instance, someone is giving you a massage， and you feel great and enjoy it so much, and you would probably say 舒服舒服 to indicate that you are comforted by the massage constantly. You could say 舒服舒服 in a cutie way to express funny as well.
Well, 舒舒服服 describes you are actually in the state of being comfortable (舒服). For instance, 我舒舒服服的躺在沙发上.
There are more examples: 高高兴兴 vs 高兴高兴, 干净干净 vs 干干净净, 漂亮漂亮 vs 漂漂亮亮.
However, not all words can be used as AABB, like 好吃. 好好吃吃 sounds wired, because 好好吃吃 doesn't sound a state of being something. Well, 好吃好吃 makes sense.
It's hard to define a rule that could summarize what kind of words can be used in this pattern. Practically, I think those formal or official words usually can not be used like this. For example, 伟大, 光荣, 勇敢. Maybe it's not good to ruin the integrity of those words? That's why you could not use them like that? I am not quite sure about it indeed. Those 'normal' or more colloquial words usually can work either in the form of AABB/ABAB or both.
This is called '叠词' in Chinese.
Here's an explanation with many examples:
https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%8F%A0%E8%AF%8D/2942291?fr=aladdin
There're more than two types actually, like ABB and AAxx etc. I am sorry to say that, as a native speaker, I don't know the rule for separating these annoying types.
As for the examples you listed, we don't usually say '便宜便宜'.
'好吃好吃' is more likely used by a girl. It sounds kind of cute.
And if you say '麻烦麻烦'，that usually means you use it as a verb.
e.p. 这事恐怕要麻烦麻烦你了！
As an adjective? No.
Just to give you another funny(and confusing)example, you can also say '开心开心'. But it is different from '开开心心'. '开开心心' is an adjective, while '开心开心' is a verb.
e.p. 祝你开开心心每一天！
Wish you happy every day!
你有什么不开心的事，说出来让我们开心开心！
Why are you unhappy? Tell us and makes us happy!
lol
AABB: It is used to express the action or status in a more visualized or vivid way.
舒服，漂亮，开心 are things that can be visualized, that's why you always see 舒舒服服，漂漂亮亮 and 开开心心.
For words like 偉大，勇敢，好吃, you can hardly visualize these things, so you will seldom see AABB form of these words.
ABAB: Used to encourage the listener(listener could be the speaker himself) to put interest in it.
Ex: 去开心开心吧。 => Let's go happy! => Encourage the listener to be happy.
ABAB is usually used when AB is used as a verb, it usually involves an action.
for example:
你出去运动运动;
我们来放松放松;
AABB, on the other hand, is used when you want to use AB as an adjective(or whatever decorative purpose)
for example:
打扮得漂漂亮亮的;
祝你们生活红红火火;
There are situations when you simply want to express a strong feeling, usually when making a simple response to a question, in which case you would simply repeat a 2-character adjective, making it look like ABAB. "好吃好吃" will be an example. You wouldn't say the following:
你们的菜好吃好吃
you would rather say
你们的菜很好吃
using "很" to amplify the adjective.
But the following, i.e. when you are making a brief response to a question, is valid, like so
今天的菜好吃吗？
好吃好吃!
Even more commonly used:
让我们出去玩吧！
好啊好啊!
(Note how “好啊” is not even an adjective, you can literally ABAB anything that you want to emphasize when making a simple response. It shows your excitement)
