Actions in a row

Linking actions together in a sentence is very straightforward and to the point. Because of this, 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:

Subj. + [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 (hé). This is incorrect - 和 (hé) can only link nouns. Just place one verb after another.

Examples

• 我 要 回 家 吃 饭 。 Wǒ yào huí jiā chī fàn. I want to go home and eat.
• 你 要 去 超市 买 东西 吗 ？ Nǐ yào qù chāoshì mǎi dōngxī ma? Do you want to go to the supermarket to buy things?
• 他 不 想 去 图书馆 看 书 。 Tā bù xiǎng qù túshūguǎn kàn shū. He doesn't want to go to the library and read.
• 我 想 跟 男朋友 一起 去 海南 看 海。 Wǒ xiǎng gēn nánpéngyou yīqǐ qù Hǎinán kàn hǎi. I want to go to Hainan and see the sea together with my boyfriend.
• 你 打 电话 告诉 他 了 吗 ？ Nǐ dǎ diànhuà gàosu tā le ma? Did you call him and tell him?
• 我 要 打 电话 订 位子。 Wǒ yào dǎ diànhuà dìng wèizi. I want to call to make the reservation.
• 你们 可以 上网 买 机票。 Nǐmen kěyǐ shàngwǎng mǎi jīpiào ma? Can you use the internet to buy airplane tickets?
• 老板 下周 去 美国 出差。 Lǎobǎn xiàzhōu qù Měiguó chūchāi. Next week the boss will go to the US on a business trip.
• 周末 我 喜欢 买 菜 做 饭。 Zhōumò wǒ xǐhuan mǎi cài zuò fàn. I like to buy food to 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

• Events in quick succession with "yi... jiu"
• Sequencing with "xian" and "zai"

Sources and further reading

Books

• A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法) （pp. 477-484) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 207-8) →buy
• 40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课下册） (pp. 384-5)→buy
• 40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (p. 125)→buy