意思意思

yìsiyìsi
phrase

Meanings

  1. 1 to give a small token of one's appreciation
  2. 2 to do a little something as a gesture (a small gift, a token treat)

Examples

Zhè diǎn xiǎo lǐwù, yìsiyìsi, qǐng shōuxià.
Just a little gift as a token — please accept it.
Tā qǐng dàjiā chī dùn fàn, yìsiyìsi.
He treated everyone to a meal as a small gesture.

Tips

culture
The famous '意思' joke: '什么意思?' '没什么意思意思意思。' '不够意思。' '小意思小意思。' — five different senses of 意思 in one exchange. 意思意思 here means a small token gesture, often a gift or treat.
register
Colloquial. Can sound subtly like a euphemism for a bribe in business contexts (a 'small token' that opens doors). Read the room.

Stroke Order