Difference between revisions of "Actions in a row"

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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
* 我们 去 咖啡店 <em>喝 咖啡</em> 吧。<span class="trans">Let's go to the cafe and drink coffee.</span>
+
* 我们 <em></em> 咖啡店 <em>喝</em> 咖啡 吧。<span class="trans">Let's go to the cafe and drink coffee.</span>
* 我 要 回家 <em>吃饭</em><span class="trans">I want to go home and eat.</span>
+
* 我 要 <em></em> 家 <em>吃</em> 饭。<span class="trans">I want to go home and eat.</span>
* 他 不 去 图书馆 <em>看书</em><span class="trans">He does not go to the library and read.</span>
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* 他 不 <em></em> 图书馆 <em></em> 书。<span class="trans">He does not go to the library and read.</span>
* 我 想 回 家 <em>睡觉</em>。<span class="trans">I want to go home and sleep.</span>
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* 我 想 <em></em> 家 <em>睡觉</em>。<span class="trans">I want to go home and sleep.</span>
* 你 要 去 超市 <em>买 东西</em> 吗?<span class="trans">Do you want to go to the supermarket to buy things?</span>
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* 你 要 <em></em> 超市 <em>买</em> 东西 吗?<span class="trans">Do you want to go to the supermarket to buy things?</span>
* 你 打电话 <em>告诉 </em> 了 吗?<span class="trans">Did you call him and tell him?</span>
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* 你 <em>打电话</em> <em>告诉</em> 了 吗?<span class="trans">Did you call him and tell him?</span>
* 我 要 打电话 <em>订 位子</em><span class="trans">I want to call to make the reservation.</span>
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* 我 要 <em>打 电话</em> <em>订</em> 位子。<span class="trans">I want to call to make the reservation.</span>
* 我 要 上网 <em>买 机票</em><span class="trans">I use the internet to buy airplane tickets.</span>
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* 我 要 <em>上网</em> <em>买</em> 机票。<span class="trans">I use the internet to buy airplane tickets.</span>
* 我 下周 去 美国 <em>旅行</em>。<span class="trans">Next week I go to U.S. to travel.</span>
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* 我 下周 <em></em> 美国 <em>旅行</em>。<span class="trans">Next week I go to U.S. to travel.</span>
* 周末 我 需要 买 菜 <em>做 </em><span class="trans"> I need to buy food and cook on the weekend.</span>
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* 周末 我 需要 <em></em> 菜 <em>做</em> 饭。<span class="trans"> I need to buy food and cook on the weekend.</span>
  
 
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[[Category:A2 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:A2 grammar points]]
 
{{Used for|Sequencing events in time}}
 
{{Used for|Sequencing events in time}}
{{Basic Grammar|none|A2|(Verb Phrase 1) + (Verb Phrase 2)|我 要 <em>回家 吃饭</em> 。|grammar point|ASGPRGAX}}
+
{{Basic Grammar|none|A2|(Verb Phrase 1) + (Verb Phrase 2)|我 要 <em></em>家 <em>吃</em>饭 。|grammar point|ASGPRGAX}}
 
{{POS|Verbs}}
 
{{POS|Verbs}}
 
{{Similar|Basic sentence order}}
 
{{Similar|Basic sentence order}}
 
{{Similar|Events in quick succession with "yi... jiu"}}
 
{{Similar|Events in quick succession with "yi... jiu"}}
 
{{Subprop|Verb phrases}}
 
{{Subprop|Verb phrases}}

Revision as of 03:23, 25 December 2013

Linking actions together in a sentence is very straightforward. There is no new word or phrase needed!

Structure

In Chinese it's very easy to describe two actions in a row. Simply place one verb phrase after another, in this structure:

Subject + Verb Phrase 1 + Verb Phrase 2

No connecting word is needed. A common mistake in the early stages of learning Chinese is to try and link verbs with 和. This is incorrect - 和 can only link nouns. Just place one verb after another.

Examples

  • 我们 咖啡店 咖啡 吧。Let's go to the cafe and drink coffee.
  • 我 要 饭。I want to go home and eat.
  • 他 不 图书馆 书。He does not go to the library and read.
  • 我 想 睡觉I want to go home and sleep.
  • 你 要 超市 东西 吗?Do you want to go to the supermarket to buy things?
  • 打电话 告诉 他 了 吗?Did you call him and tell him?
  • 我 要 打 电话 位子。I want to call to make the reservation.
  • 我 要 上网 机票。I use the internet to buy airplane tickets.
  • 我 下周 美国 旅行Next week I go to U.S. to travel.
  • 周末 我 需要 饭。 I need to buy food and cook on the weekend.

Note that the English translations of these sentences use the word "and", but there is no equivalent to it in Chinese.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books