How does reduplication change the meaning of adjectives?

Question

What is the difference in meaning of:

它的眼睛大大的。 它的眼睛很大。

and

他有大大的眼睛。 他有大眼睛。

And more generally, when might someone use reduplication for adjectives?

Answer 1

Reduplication of adjective put emphasis on it

Same as English: "big" in "He has big big eyes" is more emphasized than the simple "big" in "He has big eyes"

他有大大的眼睛 = he has very big eyes

它的眼睛大大的 = his eyes are very big

Notice, not all adjective can be reduplicated, for example we do not reduplicate 巨 because 巨 is already a higher superlative of 大

Also, we don't reduplicated adjectives that are made up of two same characters, For example, 茫茫 is a compound word, not a reduplication of 茫; 忽忽 is a compound word, not a reduplication of 忽

Answer 2

Both 它的眼睛大大的 and 它的眼睛很大 means the same.

However, 它的眼睛大大的 sounds cutie, animating, or vivid(maybe also girlish). 它的眼睛很大 only addresses the fact and doesn't have that effect.

Answer 3

It's quite common to use repeated adjectives in song lyrics, to sound more rhythmic and make the lyrics "fit" the poetic structure. For example, in the song 雪莲:

蓝蓝的天空下青草荡漾
红红的太阳映红了脸庞

We do this in English too, e.g., Red Red Wine.

Answer 4

A.she has a big eye

B.she has a big big eye

so, what's the different? it's the same

in real life you will say A.

but when you writing a story、a novel …. maybe you will use B. to describe something more detail, or make it more emotional