In Mandarin some words can be doubled to enhance their effect. “A (small) (small) amount¹” means “a teeny tiny bit” or “two weeks from now” can be “(next) (next) week²”.

My wife held my baby girl, legs kicking and arms swinging toward me. Hai-YAH! she stage-screamed as she guided the baby’s fist into my shoulder.

In Chinese I said, "Did you hit me?³" My wife smiled at my simple grammar and horrible tones. My baby smiled at the attention.

Baby attacked again. Yiah-TOH!

I sold the hit like Sami Zayn, grabbing my arm and looking betrayed.

In Chinese I said, "Did you (again) hit me?⁴"

My wife laughed but didn't correct my grammar, it must have been okay-ish.

Baby hit a third time accompanied by my wife’s FU-Yuoh!

I recoiled back onto the bed saying, "Did you (again) (again) hit me?⁵"

Wife burst into laughter - gasping, red-faced, and unbalanced, barely able to stand. I took the baby from her shaking grip and attempted to explain my use of the double-adjective over her laughs and coughing.

She assured me she knew what I meant, but what I actually said was, "Did your (grandpa) hit me?⁶"

I have a (lot) (lot) to learn.

footnotes

1. Shǎo shǎo de 少少的
2. Xià xià zhōu 下下週
3. Nǐ dǎ wǒ ma 你打我嗎
4. Nǐ yě dǎ wǒ ma 你也打我嗎
5. Nǐ yě yě dǎ wǒ ma 你也也打我嗎
6. Nǐ yéyé dǎ wǒ ma 你爺爺打我嗎