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I found a sentence

> 医者が「大丈夫ですか」と重ねて尋ねた。

with translation

> The doctor repeatedly asked "Is it OK?".

As far as I know

  * The concatenation of て verb represents several actions which are done one after another. For example, 持って行く means "bring" followed by "go".

  * Changing the last い in い adjective to く makes it an adverb. For example, 早く来てくださいね. 

  * Or adding に after な adjective to makes it as an adverb. For example, 簡単に説明してください.

# Questions

How can 重ねて (to repeat) followed by 尋ねた (asked) become "repeatedly asked" ? Is
there any grammar I am missing here?
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2016-06-04T14:45:23.013
34647
2016-06-05T00:42:25.100
11192
question
grammar adverbs
How can verb て become an adverb?
> The concatenation of て verb represents several actions which are done one
> after another. For example, 持って行く means "bring" followed by "go".

No, this is not always true. Te-form can combine two verbs like the English
conjunction "and", but it does not necessarily mean the two actions happen one
after another. For example, te-form can denote a method. 歩いて学校に行く means "go to
school on foot" rather than "walk, and then go to school". Te-form is also
used to express two things happening simultaneously. 立って話をする usually means
"talk while standing" rather than "stand up, and then talk".

持って行く means "to have/hold" and "to go" occurring at the same time, hence the
combined meaning of "to bring". (To be clear, 持つ alone does not mean "bring"!)
In general, [these subsidiary
verbs](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/18952/5010) do not represent two
actions happening one after the other.

Now, the primary meaning of 重ねる is _to pile something up_ , but the verb
itself can mean _to repeat_. Here's デジタル大辞泉's corresponding definition:

> ２ ある物事に、さらにそれと同類の物事を加える。また、同じことを何度も繰り返す。「悪事を―・ねる」「努力を―・ねる」「年月を―・ねる」

The meaning of 重ねて尋ねる can be understood along the lines of 歩いて学校に行く and
立って話をする above. Here, the first verb before て describes how the second verb is
done, in which situation the second verb is done, etc. That's why 重ねて尋ねる means
"ask in a repetitive manner" rather than "repeat, and then ask".
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2016-06-04T16:53:03.647
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2016-06-05T00:42:25.100
2017-04-13T12:43:43.857
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answer