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:

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) is for linking nouns. Just use one verb phrase after another and the sequence of events is clear.

Examples

我要回家吃饭。
Wǒ yào huíjiā chīfàn.
I want to go home and eat.
你要去超市买东西吗？
Nǐ yào qù chāoshì mǎi dōngxi ma?
Are you going 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.
你打电话告诉他了吗？
Nǐ dǎ diànhuà gàosu tā le ma?
Did you call and tell him?
我们要坐飞机去美国。
Wǒmen yào zuò fēijī qù Měiguó.
We are going to take an airplane to go to the USA.
你们可以上网买机票吗？
Nǐmen kěyǐ shàng wǎng mǎi jīpiào ma?
Can you use the Internet to buy airplane tickets?
老板下周去北京开会。
Lǎobǎn xià zhōu qù Běijīng kāi huì.
Next week the boss will go to Beijing to have a meeting.
中国人都要回家过年。
Zhōngguó rén dōu yào huíjiā guònián.
Chinese people all go back home for Chinese New Year.
周末我喜欢自己买菜做饭。
Zhōumò wǒ xǐhuan zìjǐ mǎi cài zuòfàn.
I like to buy food to cook for myself on the weekend.
早上我先刷牙洗脸，再吃早饭。
Zǎoshang wǒ xiān shuā yá xǐ liǎn, zài chī zǎofàn.
In the morning, I first brush my teeth and wash my face, and then I eat breakfast.

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

Actions in a row

Structure

Examples

See also

Sources and further reading

Books