Expressing "together" with "yiqi"

If you want to express that you are doing something together with someone else, 一起 (yīqǐ) is your word! 一起 (yīqǐ) is used when you are describing an action you did, or are going to do with another person. It is a helpful word and structure to know, everyone loves some company after all, right?

Note: The pinyin for 一起 is written "yīqǐ" but pronounced "yìqǐ" due to a tone change rule.

Structure

一起 (yīqǐ) is the easiest way to express an action being done together with other people.

[Plural subj.] + 一起 + Verb + Obj.

The subject must be plural - a plural noun or two or more nouns linked with a conjunction. You can't do things together on your own, after all.

Examples

• 我们 一起 吃 晚饭 吧。 Wǒmen yīqǐ chī wǎnfàn ba. Let's eat dinner together.
• 我 不想 跟 老板 一起 喝 酒 。 Wǒ bùxiǎng gēn lǎobǎn yīqǐ hē jiǔ. I don't want to drink alcohol together with my boss.
• 你 要 跟 我们 一起 去 酒吧 吗？ Nǐ yào gēn wǒmen yīqǐ qù jiǔbā ma? Do you want to go to the bar together with us?
• 这 两 个 公司 一起 做 这个 产品 。 Zhè liǎng gè gōngsī yīqǐ zuò zhège chǎnpǐn. These two businesses made this product together.
• 你 和 你老公 下班 以后 一起 来 我 家 吧 。 Nǐ hé nǐ lǎogōng yīqǐ lái wǒ jiā ba. You and your husband can come to my home together.
• 下 个 月 我 会 带 妈妈 一起 去 旅行。 Xià ge yuè wǒ huì dài māma yīqǐ qù lǚxíng. Next month I'll take mom together with me on a trip.
• 你们 有没有 一起 玩 过 这 个 游戏？Nǐmen yǒuméiyǒu yīqǐ wán guo zhè ge yóuxì? Have you ever played this game together?
• 他 和 他太太 想 一起 学 中文。 Tā hé tātàitai xiǎng yīqǐ xué Zhōngwén. He and his wife want to study Chinese together.
• 我 不 想 跟 父母 一起 住 。 Wǒ bù xiǎng gēn fùmǔ yīqǐ zhù. I don't want to live together with my parents.
• 他 的 同事 不 喜欢 和 他 一起 工作 。 Tā de tóngshì bù xǐhuan hé tā yīqǐ gōngzuò. His co-worker doesn't like to work together with him.

See also

• Using "gen"

Sources and further reading

Books

• Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (p. 84, p88)→buy
• Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 74-5) →buy
• Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 14-5) →buy