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HSK 1 · 14 / 41

14

Serial verb sentences (1): purpose and manner

From the lesson “What's your cell phone number?”

Structure

去 + Place + Verb (purpose) / 坐 + Vehicle + 去 + Place (manner)

连动句的谓语部分由两个或两个以上动词性短语构成。连动句有两种意义:(1)表示动作的目的;(2)表示动作的方式。 Chinese can put two verb phrases one after the other with no word like “to” or “by”. The order shows the meaning: (1) Purpose: go somewhere first, then what you do there: 我去超市买东西 (I go to the supermarket to buy things). (2) Manner: how you go comes first: 我们坐出租车去西安饭店 (We go to Xi'an Restaurant by taxi).

Examples

  • 我想去超市买东西。

    Wǒ xiǎng qù chāoshì mǎi dōngxi.

    I want to go to the supermarket to buy things.

  • 我们去西安饭店吃晚饭。

    Wǒmen qù Xī'ān Fàndiàn chī wǎnfàn.

    We go to Xi'an Restaurant to have dinner.

  • 她坐出租车去超市。

    Tā zuò chūzūchē qù chāoshì.

    She goes to the supermarket by taxi.