Library · Introduction to Chinese grammar

Chapter

7 Verbs that go with verbs

What you'll learn How to say what someone can, wants to or may do, ask someone to do something, and put two verbs in a row.

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7.1 Can: 会huì會huì and 能néng

English has one can, and Chinese two. 会huì會huì before a verb says someone has learned how to do it: speak a language, sing, drive.

大卫Dà wèi会huì说shuō汉语Hàn yǔ。大衛Dà wèi會huì說shuō漢語Hàn yǔ。

David can speak Chinese.

李月Lǐ Yuè会huì唱chàng中国Zhōng guó歌gē。李月Lǐ Yuè會huì唱chàng中國Zhōng guó歌gē。

Li Yue can sing Chinese songs.

我wǒ妈妈mā ma不bù会huì开车kāi chē。我wǒ媽媽mā ma不bù會huì開車kāi chē。

My mum can't drive.

能néng says someone is able to, or that nothing stops them: today, now, here.

你nǐ明天míng tiān能néng来lái吗ma？你nǐ明天míng tiān能néng來lái嗎ma？

Can you come tomorrow?

我wǒ今天jīn tiān很hěn忙máng，不能bù néng去qù看kàn电影diàn yǐng。我wǒ今天jīn tiān很hěn忙máng，不能bù néng去qù看kàn電影diàn yǐng。

I'm busy today, so I can't go to the film.

我wǒ现在xiàn zài不能bù néng说话shuō huà。我wǒ現在xiàn zài不能bù néng說話shuō huà。

I can't talk right now.

To answer, say the word again, or 不bù and the word.

你nǐ会huì做饭zuò fàn吗ma？——不会bù huì。你nǐ會huì做飯zuò fàn嗎ma？——不會bù huì。

Can you cook? No.

3.1 Yes or no: 吗

7.2 Wanting: 想xiǎng and 要yào

想xiǎng before a verb says someone would like to do it.

我wǒ想xiǎng去qù中国Zhōng guó。我wǒ想xiǎng去qù中國Zhōng guó。

I'd like to go to China.

你nǐ想xiǎng吃chī什么shén me？你nǐ想xiǎng吃chī什麼shén me？

What would you like to eat?

李月Lǐ Yuè想xiǎng买mǎi新xīn衣服yī fu。李月Lǐ Yuè想xiǎng買mǎi新xīn衣服yī fu。

Li Yue wants to buy some new clothes.

要yào says it more firmly. Before a thing, it asks for that thing, as in a shop or a restaurant.

我wǒ要yào两liǎng个gè苹果píng guǒ。我wǒ要yào兩liǎng個gè蘋果píng guǒ。

I'd like two apples.

我wǒ要yào这个zhè ge，不要bù yào那个nà ge。我wǒ要yào這個zhè ge，不要bù yào那個nà ge。

I'll have this one, not that one.

你nǐ要yào米饭mǐ fàn吗ma？你nǐ要yào米飯mǐ fàn嗎ma？

Would you like some rice?

Not wanting to is 不想bù xiǎng. 不要bù yào before a verb tells someone else don't.

我wǒ不想bù xiǎng看kàn电视diàn shì。我wǒ不想bù xiǎng看kàn電視diàn shì。

I don't feel like watching TV.

7.6 Please, and don't: 请 and 不要

7.3 May I? 可以kě yǐ

可以kě yǐ before a verb says something is allowed. With 吗ma嗎ma at the end, it asks if one may.

我wǒ可以kě yǐ看kàn一下yī xià吗ma？我wǒ可以kě yǐ看kàn一下yī xià嗎ma？

May I have a look?

妈妈mā ma，我wǒ可以kě yǐ吃chī一个yī ge苹果píng guǒ吗ma？媽媽mā ma，我wǒ可以kě yǐ吃chī一個yī ge蘋果píng guǒ嗎ma？

Mum, can I have an apple?

你nǐ可以kě yǐ在zài我wǒ家jiā住zhù。

You can stay at my place.

To answer yes, say 可以kě yǐ. For no, 不bù可以kě yǐ, or 不能bù néng.

这儿zhè r可以kě yǐ坐zuò吗ma？——可以kě yǐ。這兒zhè r可以kě yǐ坐zuò嗎ma？——可以kě yǐ。

Can I sit here? Yes.

这里zhè lǐ不bù可以kě yǐ说话shuō huà。這裡zhè lǐ不bù可以kě yǐ說話shuō huà。

You can't talk in here.

7.4 Two verbs in a row

Two verbs can follow each other with nothing between them. First 去qù or 来lái來lái and where to, then what to do there.

我wǒ去qù超市chāo shì买mǎi牛奶niú nǎi。我wǒ去qù超市chāo shì買mǎi牛奶niú nǎi。

I'm going to the supermarket to buy milk.

王明Wáng Míng来lái我wǒ家jiā吃饭chī fàn。王明Wáng Míng來lái我wǒ家jiā吃飯chī fàn。

Wang Ming is coming to my place for dinner.

李月Lǐ Yuè明天míng tiān去qù医院yī yuàn看病kàn bìng。李月Lǐ Yuè明天míng tiān去qù醫院yī yuàn看病kàn bìng。

Li Yue is going to see a doctor tomorrow.

English joins them with to or and: go and buy. Chinese puts nothing there, and never 和hé.

✗我wǒ去qù超市chāo shì和hé买mǎi牛奶niú nǎi。我wǒ去qù超市chāo shì和hé買mǎi牛奶niú nǎi。

I'm going to the supermarket to buy milk.

How someone goes comes before 去qù: 坐zuò and the train, the taxi or the plane, or 开车kāi chē開車kāi chē, driving.

我们wǒ men坐zuò火车huǒ chē去qù北京Běi jīng。我們wǒ men坐zuò火車huǒ chē去qù北京Běi jīng。

We're going to Beijing by train.

他tā坐zuò出租车chū zū chē回家huí jiā。他tā坐zuò出租車chū zū chē回家huí jiā。

He's taking a taxi home.

爸爸bà ba开车kāi chē去qù上班shàng bān。爸爸bà ba開車kāi chē去qù上班shàng bān。

Dad drives to work.

7.5 Giving someone something: 给gěi給gěi

给gěi給gěi takes two objects: first who gets something, then what they get. It is give me a book, never give a book to me.

我wǒ给gěi你nǐ两liǎng本běn书shū。我wǒ給gěi你nǐ兩liǎng本běn書shū。

I'll give you two books.

请qǐng给gěi我wǒ一个yī ge苹果píng guǒ。請qǐng給gěi我wǒ一個yī ge蘋果píng guǒ。

An apple, please.

爸爸bà ba给gěi我wǒ十shí块kuài钱qián。爸爸bà ba給gěi我wǒ十shí塊kuài錢qián。

Dad gives me ten yuan.

✗我wǒ给gěi两liǎng本běn书shū你nǐ。我wǒ給gěi兩liǎng本běn書shū你nǐ。

I'll give you two books.

问wèn問wèn, to ask, takes two the same way: who is asked, then what.

我wǒ想xiǎng问wèn你nǐ一个yī ge问题wèn tí。我wǒ想xiǎng問wèn你nǐ一個yī ge問題wèn tí。

I'd like to ask you a question.

7.6 Please, and don't: 请qǐng請qǐng and 不要bù yào

请qǐng請qǐng before a verb asks someone, politely, to do it. 你nǐ may come after it.

请qǐng喝茶hē chá。請qǐng喝茶hē chá。

Please have some tea.

请qǐng你nǐ明天míng tiān再zài来lái。請qǐng你nǐ明天míng tiān再zài來lái。

Please come again tomorrow.

王明Wáng Míng，请qǐng你nǐ来lái一下yī xià。王明Wáng Míng，請qǐng你nǐ來lái一下yī xià。

Wang Ming, could you come here a moment?

不要bù yào before a verb asks someone not to. 请qǐng請qǐng can go before it too.

上课shàng kè了le，不要bù yào说话shuō huà。上課shàng kè了le，不要bù yào說話shuō huà。

Class has started: no talking.

你nǐ不要bù yào买mǎi那个nà ge，太tài贵guì了le。你nǐ不要bù yào買mǎi那個nà ge，太tài貴guì了le。

Don't buy that one: it's too expensive.

请qǐng不要bù yào在zài这儿zhè r打电话dǎ diàn huà。請qǐng不要bù yào在zài這兒zhè r打電話dǎ diàn huà。

Please don't make phone calls here.

7.2 Wanting: 想 and 要

7.7 Verbs with their object built in

Some verbs that are one word in English are two in Chinese: a verb and its object. 睡觉shuì jiào睡覺shuì jiào is, literally, “sleep a sleep”, and 说话shuō huà說話shuō huà “say words”.

我wǒ晚上wǎn shang十shí一点yī diǎn睡觉shuì jiào。我wǒ晚上wǎn shang十shí一點yī diǎn睡覺shuì jiào。

I go to bed at eleven.

你nǐ几点jǐ diǎn睡觉shuì jiào？你nǐ幾點jǐ diǎn睡覺shuì jiào？

What time do you go to bed?

我们wǒ men星期六Xīng qī liù不bù上课shàng kè。我們wǒ men星期六Xīng qī liù不bù上課shàng kè。

We don't have class on Saturdays.

王明Wáng Míng上课shàng kè的de时候shí hou不bù说话shuō huà。王明Wáng Míng上課shàng kè的de時候shí hou不bù說話shuō huà。

Wang Ming doesn't talk in class.

小白Xiǎo Bái在zài睡觉shuì jiào，不要bù yào说话shuō huà。小白Xiǎo Bái在zài睡覺shuì jiào，不要bù yào說話shuō huà。

Xiao Bai is asleep: don't talk.

起床qǐ chuáng, to get up, 上班shàng bān, to go to work, and 下课xià kè下課xià kè, class ends, are made the same way.

Their object is already there, so no other can follow them. Who someone talks to goes before the verb, with 和hé.

大卫Dà wèi喜欢xǐ huan和hé朋友péng you说话shuō huà。大衛Dà wèi喜歡xǐ huan和hé朋友péng you說話shuō huà。

David likes talking with friends.

✗大卫Dà wèi喜欢xǐ huan说话shuō huà朋友péng you。大衛Dà wèi喜歡xǐ huan說話shuō huà朋友péng you。

David likes talking with friends.

6.3 With someone: 和

7.8 For a moment: 一下yī xià

一下yī xià after a verb makes it short: a look, a rest, a question. It makes asking someone to do something softer, too.

我wǒ看kàn一下yī xià。

Let me have a look.

我们wǒ men休息xiū xi一下yī xià吧ba。我們wǒ men休息xiū xi一下yī xià吧ba。

Let's take a break.

我wǒ去qù问wèn一下yī xià张老师Zhāng Lǎo shī。我wǒ去qù問wèn一下yī xià張老師Zhāng Lǎo shī。

I'll go and ask Teacher Zhang.

An object comes after 一下yī xià.

请qǐng你nǐ写xiě一下yī xià你nǐ的de名字míng zi。請qǐng你nǐ寫xiě一下yī xià你nǐ的de名字míng zi。

Please write your name.