Difference between revisions of "Verb"

Latest revision as of 07:15, 15 June 2017

Also known as: 动词 (dòngcí).

Verbs are the "action" words which make up the predicates of most sentences, but may also simply indicate relationships, changes, or mental activity rather than physical actions. Verbs may take objects, and can also be reduplicated in Chinese. They can be negated, as well as modified by particles.

Characteristics

There are five main characteristics of verbs in Chinese. After we go over them, we will discuss some other aspects of Chinese verbs as well.

The main function of verbs is to be in the predicate of a sentence.
The majority of Chinese verbs are transitive, which means they take an object.
Verbs can be negated by the adverb "不". However, other than the psychological verbs, they cannot be modified by "很."
Most Chinese verbs can be reduplicated, changing their meaning slightly.
Most verbs can be modified with aspect particles 了, 着, 过.

Notes

Negation

Generally, verbs are negated by the adverbs 不 when talking about habitual actions or future actions. However, when referencing the past, 没 is used. Another way of saying this is if you normally don't do something, or if you won't do something, you would use "不," but if you want to say you didn't do something, then you would use "没."

There are always exceptions though, and the exception here is the verb "有". We'll talk more about it below, but the important thing here is that it is always negated by "没" and not by "不."

Reduplication

In Chinese, verb reduplication is a common phenomenon. Reduplication indicates one or more of the following:

A short, quick action
An attempt
Something being light and relaxed

When reduplicating single character verbs such as 看, 一 can optionally be inserted between them e.g. 看一看. On the other hand, when you are reduplicating two character verbs, (e.g. 整理整理), 一 can't be inserted between them. The reduplicated part of the verb is always pronounced with a neutral tone. If the aspect particle 了 is used, it must be inserted between the reduplicated verbs, not afterwards, so it would be "看了看" not "看看了."

Special verb 是

Since "是" is special, it has a few rules that only apply to it. First off, "是" cannot be modified with aspect particles 了, 着, 过, nor can it be reduplicated. This means that it will always just be "是" by itself, unless it is negated. When "是" is negated, it always uses "不" even in the past.

Special verb 有

The verb "有" has many functions, including possession (both of qualities and of objects), expressing existence, comparing things (你有他高 / 没有他高), and listing things. "有" can also take abstract nouns and turn them into adjectives (like it does with "有意思").

With all of these functions, "有" has some special rules as well. Firstly, "有" can only take the aspect particles 了 and 过. It never takes the particle "着." Furthermore, it cannot be reduplicated, so it will always just stay as "有." Finally, "有" is only ever negated with "没," complementary to "是." A common mistake is to say "不有," but we're going to try to avoid that as much as possible!

Special verb 在

Like "是," "在" can not be modified with any aspect particles, nor can it be reduplicated. It will appear on its own. Unlike "是" however, "在" can use both "不" and "没" to be negated.

If "在" takes an object, that object is usually a place. If the object is a personal noun or pronoun, the words 那儿 or 这儿 must be added. (e.g. 在我这儿.)

Objects

Some verbs are transitive, which means they take an object. Others are intransitive, which means they can stand just by themselves. However, there are also some verbs that can take two objects, some like 毕业 which don't take an object, and some like 希望 that take another verb as an object.

Further notes

Unlike many European languages, the form of Chinese verbs does not change; there is no conjugation or agreement.

Questions can be formed by putting the verb and a negative verb side by side e.g. 要不要. These are called affirmative-negative questions because they have both the positive and negative response within them.
Some nouns and adjectives can be turned into verbs with -化 (similar to -ize in English).
Many Chinese verbs can also function as nouns (but not all). 的 can make verbs into attributives, e.g. 丢的东西. 地 can make verbs into adverbs, e.g. 注意地.

Types of verbs

Grammar Patterns for Verbs

A1 Verbs

Grammar Point (English)	Pattern	Examples
Expressing "be going to" with "yao"	Subj. + 要 + Verb (+ 了)	我要去吃饭，你去吗？
Expressing a learned skill with "hui"	会 + Verb	他会说中文。
Expressing ability or possibility with "neng"	能 + Verb	中文这么难，你能学好吗？
Expressing existence in a place with "zai"	在 + Place	老师在上海。
Expressing existence with "you"	Place + 有 + Obj.	我们学校有很多学生。
Expressing permission with "keyi"	可以 + Verb	这里可以吸烟吗?
Expressing possession with "you"	Subj. + 有 + Obj.	我有钱。
How to do something with "zenme"	怎么 + Verb ?	怎么走?
Negation of past actions with "meiyou"	没有 + Verb	我没有去酒吧。
Negative commands with "buyao"	不要 + Verb	不要说英文！
Using the verb "jiao"	叫 + Name	你叫什么名字？
Using the verb "qu"	去 + Place	我去学校。
Using the verb "xing"	姓 + Surname	你姓什么？
Wanting to do something with "yao"	要 + Verb	我要吃饭。

A2 Verbs

Grammar Point (English)	Pattern	Examples
Actions in a row	(Verb Phrase 1) + (Verb Phrase 2)	我们去咖啡店喝咖啡吧。
Auxiliary verb "yao" and its multiple meanings	要 + Noun / 要 + Verb	我要一杯水。
Basic comparisons with "meiyou"	Noun 1 + 没(有) + Noun 2 + Adj.	你没有我胖。
Directional verbs "lai" and "qu"	来 / 去 + Place	我来上海一年了。
Expressing "difficult" with "nan"	难 + Verb	难做。难买。
Expressing "never" with "conglai"	从来 + 不 / 没(有) + Verb	她从来不喝酒。我从来没有去过美国。
Expressing "should" with "yinggai"	应该 / 该 + Verb	你应该工作。
Expressing "together" with "yiqi"	一起 + Verb	我们一起去吧！要不要一起吃饭？
Expressing "will" with "hui"	会 + Verb	明天你会来吗？
Expressing "would like to" with "xiang"	想 + Verb	我想去。
Expressing duration with "le"	Verb + 了 + Duration	他在北京住了两年。
Expressing ongoing duration with double "le"	Verb + 了 + Duration + 了	他在北京住了两年了。
Inability with "mei banfa"	没办法 + Verb	我没办法帮你。
Indicating location with "zai" before verbs	Subj. + 在 + Place + Verb	我在上海工作。
Polite requests with "qing"	请 + Verb	请坐。
Reduplication of verbs	Verb + Verb	你看看。
Special cases of "zai" following verbs	Verb + 在 + Place	我住在北京。放在这里。
Special verbs with "hen"	很 + Verb	我很喜欢他。
Using "dao" to mean "to go to"	到 + Place	我到上海。
Using "hao" to mean "easy"	好 + Verb	好做。好买。
Verbing briefly with "yixia"	Verb + 一下	你看一下。
Verbs that take double objects	Subj. + Verb + Indirect Obj. + Direct Obj.	我问了老师一个问题。

B1 Verbs

Grammar Point (English)	Pattern	Examples
Appearance with "kanqilai"	看起来⋯⋯	这家餐厅看起来不错。
Causative verbs	Subj. + 让 / 叫 / 请 / 使 + Person + Predicate	你为什么不让我去？
Doing something less with "shao"	少 + Verb	请少放点盐。
Doing something more with "duo"	多 + Verb	多吃点。
Expressing "don't need to" with "buyong"	Subj. + 不用 + Verb Phrase	不用担心。
Expressing "it depends" with "kan"	这 / 那 + 要看 / 得看 + Unclear Situation	这得看你的时间。
Expressing "it seems" with "haoxiang"	好像⋯⋯	他好像是英国人。
Expressing "mistakenly think that" with "yiwei"	Subj. + 以为⋯⋯	我以为你不是我的朋友。
Expressing "must" with "dei"	得 + Verb	我们得走了。
Expressing "not often" with "bu zenme"	不怎么 + Verb	我儿子不怎么吃零食。
Expressing "through" with "jingguo"	经过 + Event / Time ，⋯⋯	经过自己的努力，她考上了北京大学。
Expressing "through" with "tongguo"	通过 + Agent / Method ，⋯⋯	我们是通过他的朋友找到他的。
Expressing "to come from" with "laizi"	Subj. + 来自 + Place	我来自美国。
Expressing "until" with "dao"	Verb + 到 + Time / Event	我昨天晚上工作到十二点半。
Expressing actions in progress (full form)	正在 + Verb + 着 + 呢	我正在吃饭呢。
Making judgments with "suan"	Subj. + 算 + Adj. + 的	在我们公司，我算年轻的。
Measure words for verbs	Verb + Number + Measure Word	做三次。读两遍。
Separable verb	Verb-Obj.	我们见过面。
Using "lai" as a dummy verb	(让 +) Subj. + 来	让我来吧。
Verbs followed by "gei"	Subj. + Verb + 给 + Recipient + Obj.	他送给我一束花。
Verbs preceded by "gei"	Subj. + 给 + Target + Verb + Obj.	现在不要给他打电话。

B2 Verbs

Grammar Point (English)	Pattern	Examples
Challenging a verb with "shenme"	Verb + 什么 + Obj.	没有钱看什么电影。
Combining verbs with "bing"	Verb Phrase 1 + 并 / 并且 + Verb Phrase 2	我同意并且支持你的决定。
Comparing specifically with "xiang"	Noun 1 + 不像 + Noun 2 + 这么 / 那么 + Adj. / Verb	你怎么像我妈一样啰嗦！
Comparisons with "biqi"	比起 + B (+ 来) ，A ~	比起上海，我老家的物价便宜多了。
Comparisons with "buru"	不如⋯⋯	我的汉语不如他的。
Emphasizing the doer of an action with "you"	由 + Person + Verb	这个项目由小李来完成。
Expressing "hard to avoid" with "nanmian"	(Subj. +) 难免 + Verb Phrase	第一次尝试，难免失败。
Expressing "moreover" with "bingqie"	Verb Phrase 1 + 并 / 并且 + Verb Phrase 2	我同意并且支持你的决定。
Expressing "to be worth" doing with "zhide"	值得 + Verb	这个想法不错，值得考虑。
Expressing future with "jiang"	Subj. + 将 / 将要 / 将会 + Verb Phrase	比赛结果将在月底公布。
Indicating negative impact with "haide"	害得 + Verb Phrase	老师给的作业太难了，害得我浪费了一个下午学习。
Making "-ize" and "-ify" verbs with "hua"	Noun / Adj. + 化	KFC 的中国本土化经营做得非常成功。
Passive verbs with "shou"	受 + Verb	他为人善良，很受尊重。
Using "nanguai" as a verb	难怪 + Specific Person / People ……	难怪他，他还是个孩子呢，什么都不懂。
Using "zhe" when "verbing away"	Verb + 着 + Verb + 着 + 就 + Comment + 了	走着走着，他们到家了。

C1 Verbs

Grammar Point (English)	Pattern	Examples
Expressing "I bet" using "liang"	谅 + Subject + Verb phrase	谅他也不敢！
Expressing "lies in" with "zaiyu"	⋯⋯ 在于 ⋯⋯	我们服务的特色在于个性化。
Expressing something is "not worth doing" with "buxie"	Subject + 不屑(于) + Verb	我的同事是一位很诚实的人，他不屑说谎。
Facilitating an outcome with "yibian"	以便 + Verb	用普通话说，以便我能听懂。

Sources and further reading

Books

Websites

Wikipedia: Chinese verbs

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{AKA|动词 (dòngcí)}}
-Verbs are the "action" words which make up the predicates of most sentences. Verbs may take objects, and can also be reduplicated in Chinese. They can be negated, as well as modified by particles.
+Verbs are the "action" words which make up the predicates of most sentences, but may also simply indicate relationships, changes, or mental activity rather than physical actions. Verbs may take objects, and can also be reduplicated in Chinese. They can be negated, as well as modified by particles.
 == Characteristics ==