{"id":8225,"date":"2017-01-16T14:47:36","date_gmt":"2017-01-16T14:47:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/?p=8225"},"modified":"2023-07-19T08:13:15","modified_gmt":"2023-07-19T08:13:15","slug":"understanding-sentences-serial-verb-phrases-chinese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.digmandarin.com\/understanding-sentences-serial-verb-phrases-chinese.html","title":{"rendered":"\u8fde\u52a8\u53e5: Enhance Your Mandarin Fluency with Serial Verb Phrases"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Have you ever marveled at the elegant flow of Mandarin speakers effortlessly weaving together words? Their sentences possess a unique charm, conveying not just the meaning but also the essence of their thoughts. Among the many special sentence structures in Mandarin, there is one that captures the attention of language enthusiasts and cultural explorers alike: \u8fde\u52a8\u53e5 (li\u00e1n d\u00f2ng j\u00f9), commonly known as Serial Verb Phrases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what exactly are Serial Verb Phrases? To put it simply, they express reasons, purposes, or ways of doing something. In this article, we\u2019ll break down the various uses of these phrases and provide guidance to help you start employing them in your own daily conversations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sentences with Serial Verb Phrases include two or more verbs or verbal phrases that describe the same subject. The basic form is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each piece of the structure has a distinct purpose, which are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n

1. Means or Manner<\/h2>\n\n\n

In this form, Verb 1 describes how Verb 2 is done. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u6211\u5f00\u8f66\u53bb\u8d85\u5e02\u3002(W\u01d2 k\u0101i ch\u0113 q\u00f9 ch\u0101osh\u00ec.)
I drive to go to the supermarket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u6211\u4eec\u7528\u7b77\u5b50\u5403\u996d\u3002(W\u01d2men y\u00f2n\u0261 ku\u00e0izi ch\u012bf\u00e0n.)
We use chopsticks to eat.<\/p>\n\n\n

2. Purpose<\/h2>\n\n\n

Verb 2 can be used to indicate the purpose of Verb 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u4ed6\u53bb\u516c\u56ed\u73a9\u3002(T\u0101 q\u00f9 \u0261\u014dn\u0261yu\u00e1n w\u00e1n.)
He goes to the park to play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u5976\u5976\u4e0a\u8857\u4e70\u83dc\u3002(N\u01cein\u0251i sh\u00e0n\u0261ji\u0113 m\u01cei c\u00e0i.)
Grandma went to the market to buy food.<\/p>\n\n\n

3. Result<\/h2>\n\n\n

Sometimes, Verb 2 notes the result of Verb 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u6211\u542c\u4e86\u5f88\u9ad8\u5174\u3002(W\u01d2 t\u012bn\u0261 le h\u011bn \u0261\u0101o x\u00ecn\u0261.)
I\u2019m so happy after hearing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u5f1f\u5f1f\u751f\u75c5\u4f4f\u9662\u4e86\u3002(D\u00ecdi sh\u0113n\u0261b\u00ecn\u0261 zh\u00f9yu\u00e0n le.)
Younger brother has been sick in the hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n

4. Succession<\/h2>\n\n\n

Serial Verb Phrases can also be used to describe the chronological order of events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u5927\u5bb6\u6392\u961f\u4e0a\u8f66\uff01(D\u00e0ji\u0101 p\u00e1idu\u00ec sh\u00e0n\u0261ch\u0113.)
Please line up for boarding!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u6211\u8d77\u5e8a\u7a7f\u8863\u670d\u3002(W\u01d2 q\u01d0chu\u00e1n\u0261 chu\u0101n y\u012bfu.)
I get up and put on clothes.<\/p>\n\n\n

5. Using \u6709 or \u6ca1\u6709<\/h2>\n\n\n

You may also come across Serial Verb Phrases containing \u6709(y\u01d2u) or \u2018\u6ca1\u6709\u2019(m\u00e9i y\u01d2u). These usually indicate that you either have or don\u2019t have the object of Verb 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u4ed6\u6709<\/strong>\u4e8b\u627e\u4f60\u3002(T\u0101 y\u01d2u sh\u00ec zh\u01ceo n\u01d0.)
He\u2019s looking for you for something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u6211\u6ca1\u6709\u8bdd\u8bf4\u3002(W\u01d2 m\u00e9iy\u01d2u hu\u00e0 shu\u014d.)
I have nothing to say.<\/p>\n\n\n

6. Affirmative\/Negative<\/h2>\n\n\n

Finally, there are some cases where Verb 1 and Verb 2 indicate the same thing, but the first is affirmative while the second is negative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u4ed6\u5750\u7740\u4e0d\u52a8\u3002(T\u0101 zu\u00f2zhe b\u00fa d\u00f2n\u0261.)
He sat still.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u5f1f\u5f1f\u95ed\u53e3\u4e0d\u8bf4\u8bdd\u3002(D\u00ecdi b\u00eck\u01d2u b\u00f9 shu\u014dhu\u00e0.)
Younger brother closes his mouth and doesn\u2019t talk.<\/p>\n\n\n

Notes<\/h2>\n\n\n

1)<\/strong> The order of elements in sentences with Serial Verb Phrases\u00a0cannot<\/u><\/em>\u00a0be changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2)<\/strong> There is no conjunction or comma between Verb 1 and Verb 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3)<\/strong> In this structure, the verb (specifically Verb 2) can be duplicated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u6211\u53bb\u516c\u56ed\u901b\u901b<\/u>\u3002(W\u01d2 q\u00f9 \u0261\u014dn\u0261yu\u00e1n \u0261u\u00e0n\u0261\u0261uan\u0261.)
I will go to the park for fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u6211\u53bb\u8d85\u5e02\u4e70\u4e70<\/u>\u4e1c\u897f\u3002(W\u01d2 q\u00f9 ch\u0101osh\u00ec m\u01ceimai d\u014dn\u0261xi.)
I will go to the supermarket to buy something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4)<\/strong> For added meaning, we can sometimes add \u53ef (k\u011b) before Verb 2, using the idiomatic phrase ‘\u65e0\u2026\u53ef\u2026'(w\u00fa\u2026 k\u011b)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u5546\u573a\u91cc\u6709\u5f88\u591a\u6253\u6298\u5546\u54c1\u53ef\u4e70\uff0c\u53ef\u4ee5<\/u>\u53bb\u770b\u770b\u3002
(Sh\u0101n\u0261ch\u01cen\u0261 l\u01d0 y\u01d2u h\u011bn du\u014d d\u01cezh\u00e9 sh\u0101n\u0261p\u01d0n k\u011b m\u01cei\uff0ck\u00e9y\u01d0 q\u00f9 k\u00e0nk\u0251n.)
There are so many goods on sale to buy, you can go and have a look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u73b0\u5728\u6211\u65e0<\/u>\u4e8b\u53ef<\/u>\u5e72\u3002(Xi\u00e0nz\u00e0i w\u01d2 w\u00fa sh\u00ec k\u011b \u0261\u00e0n.)
\u00a0Now I have nothing to do.<\/p>\n\n\n

Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n

We have uncovered six different uses of Serial Verb Phrases. They are summarized in the chart below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sentences<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you want more , you can also watch a video summary of this sentence structure and explore additional HSK-related grammar tutorial videos here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you grasp the essence of Serial Verb Phrases, you gain more than just language proficiency\u2014you gain insight into the Chinese way of thinking. As you incorporate these sentences into your own conversations, you’ll soon find yourself weaving words together with newfound elegance. While this is just one of many different sentence structures, it\u2019s a key piece of the language that will help you as you aim to untangle the web of Chinese syntax. For now, keep studying and applying what you\u2019ve learned here today. You\u2019ll be amazed where it can take you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Have you ever marveled at the elegant flow of Mandarin speakers effortlessly weaving together words? Their sentences possess a unique charm, conveying not just the meaning but also the essence of their thoughts. Among the many special sentence structures in Mandarin, there is one that captures the attention of language enthusiasts and cultural explorers alike:…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":111,"featured_media":8229,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,176],"tags":[77,7,92,78,80],"post_series":[],"class_list":["post-8225","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-learn-mandarin-online","category-usage","tag-beginner","tag-grammar","tag-hsk","tag-intermediate","tag-self-study","entry","has-media"],"yoast_head":"\n\u8fde\u52a8\u53e5: Enhance Your Mandarin Fluency with Serial Verb Phrases<\/title>\n <meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=index-476.html \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u8fde\u52a8\u53e5: Enhance Your Mandarin Fluency with Serial Verb Phrases\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Have you ever marveled at the elegant flow of Mandarin speakers effortlessly weaving together words? 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