eric
/
ChineseGrammarWiki


			
				
					
						
						
							123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778
							<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE html>

<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<head>
  <meta name="generator" content="HTML Tidy for HTML5 for Linux version 5.2.0"/>
  <title>Actions in a row</title>
  <link href="../Styles/main.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"/>
</head>

<body>
  <h1>Actions in a row</h1>

  <p>Linking actions together in a sentence is very straightforward and to the point. Because of this, there is no new word or phrase needed!</p>

  <h2 id="structure">Structure</h2>

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

  <div class="deux">
    <p>Subj. + [Verb Phrase 1] + [Verb Phrase 2]</p>
  </div>

  <p>No connecting word is needed. A common mistake in the early stages of learning Chinese is to try and link verbs with <span class="hanzi">和</span> (<span class="pinyin">hé</span>): this is incorrect; <span class="hanzi">和</span> (<span class="pinyin">hé</span>) is for linking nouns. Just use one verb phrase after another and the sequence of events is clear.</p>

  <h2 id="examples">Examples</h2>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">我 要 回家 吃饭。</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">Wǒ yào huíjiā chīfàn.</span> <br/> I want to go home and eat.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">你 要 去 超市 买 东西 吗？</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">Nǐ yào qù chāoshì mǎi dōngxi ma?</span> <br/> Are you going to the supermarket to buy things?</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">他 不 想 去 图书馆 看 书。</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin"> Tā bù xiǎng qù túshūguǎn kàn shū.</span> <br/> He doesn't want to go to the library and read.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">你 打 电话 告诉 他 了 吗？</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">Nǐ dǎ diànhuà gàosu tā le ma?</span> <br/> Did you call and tell him?</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">我们 要 坐 飞机 去 美国。</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin"> Wǒmen yào zuò fēijī qù Měiguó.</span> <br/> We are going to take an airplane to go to the USA.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">你们 可以 上 网 买 机票 吗？</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">Nǐmen kěyǐ shàng wǎng mǎi jīpiào ma?</span> <br/> Can you use the Internet to buy airplane tickets?</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">老板 下周 去 北京 开 会。</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn xià zhōu qù Běijīng kāi huì.</span> <br/> Next week the boss will go to Beijing to have a meeting.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">中国人 都 要 回家 过 年。</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">Zhōngguó rén dōu yào huíjiā guònián.</span> <br/> Chinese people all go back home for Chinese New Year.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">周末 我 喜欢 自己 买 菜 做饭。</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">Zhōumò wǒ xǐhuan zìjǐ mǎi cài zuòfàn.</span> <br/> I like to buy food to cook for myself on the weekend.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">早上 我 先 刷 牙 洗 脸，再 吃 早饭。</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">Zǎoshang wǒ xiān shuā yá xǐ liǎn, zài chī zǎofàn.</span> <br/> In the morning, I first brush my teeth and wash my face, and then I eat breakfast.</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

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

  <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>

  <ul>
    <li><a href="Expressing_&quot;and&quot;_with_&quot;he&quot;" title="wikilink">Expressing "and" with "he"</a></li>

    <li><a href="Events_in_quick_succession_with_&quot;yi..._jiu&quot;" title="wikilink">Events in quick succession with "yi... jiu"</a></li>

    <li><a href="Sequencing_with_&quot;xian&quot;_and_&quot;zai&quot;" title="wikilink">Sequencing with "xian" and "zai"</a></li>
  </ul>

  <h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and further reading</h2>

  <h3 id="books">Books</h3>

  <ul>
    <li>A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (<span class="hanzi">外国人实用汉语语法</span>) （pp. 477-484)</li>

    <li>Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 207-8)</li>

    <li>40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (<span class="hanzi">基础汉语40课下册</span>） (pp. 384-5)</li>

    <li>40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (<span class="hanzi">基础汉语40课上册</span>） (p. 125)</li>
  </ul>
</body>
</html>