Adjective + は + Adjective


I think I have heard this kind of sentence before, and searching on google I
found a couple instances. When you repeat an adjective (and perhaps verbs as
well) to show that you've done / feel a certain way but not to the point that
the listener might expecting. Or maybe to soften your negative opinion.

> 美味しいは美味しいけど。。。 It is good but... / it is not that it isn't good
> but...(reminds me of 美味しくなくはないけど)

> 好きは好きだけど。。。I do like it but... / it is not that I don't like it but...

couple instances I found online:

[おいしいはおいしいけどね](https://tabelog.com/kanagawa/A1407/A140701/14072858/dtlrvwlst/B415411094/)

[好きは好きだけど、どの好きかわからない](https://komachi.yomiuri.co.jp/t/2016/0314/754845.htm?p=0)

So my questions are:

1 - How grammatical is this? Is it more like something you'd only use
conversationally?

2 - Can it only be used with adjectives, or maybe with verbs as well? (eg.
観るは観るけど、興味があんまりない。)




  1. It's perfectly grammatical. In my opinion, it's an ordinary grammar pattern that can be used anywhere. It's not particularly formal, nor casual, nor literary, nor slangy.

  2. It can be used with any type of predicate (noun, na-adjective, verb and i-adjective), but people often use に as well when the repeated word is a verb. See [my previous answer](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/72283/5010) for examples.




  1. It's perfectly grammatical. In my opinion, it's an ordinary grammar pattern that can be used anywhere. It's not particularly formal, nor casual, nor literary, nor slangy.

  2. It can be used with any type of predicate (noun, na-adjective, verb and i-adjective), but people often use に as well when the repeated word is a verb. See [my previous answer](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/72283/5010) for examples.

