Chinese grammar / 58 topics
Verb phrases in Chinese grammar
Learn Chinese verb phrases through sentence patterns, rewritten explanations, pinyin and English examples. Browse 58 grammar topics.
有 yǒu
Say what you have with 有
Talk about possessions, resources, and things you have available. 有 connects the person who has something to the thing they have.
在 zài
Say where an action happens with 在
Tell someone where you study, eat, work, or wait.
在 zài
Saying Where Someone Is with 在 (Zài)
Use 在 as the verb for being at a place in Chinese, form negatives with 不在, and avoid adding an unnecessary 是.
有 yǒu
There Is and There Are in Chinese with 有 (Yǒu)
Learn how place + 有 introduces people or things in a location, and how it differs from identifying a subject's location with 在.
叫 jiào
Introducing Names in Chinese with 叫 (Jiào)
Learn how 叫 introduces a person's name or what something is called, including the word order for asking a name with 什么.
去 qù
Going Somewhere with 去 (Qù) in Chinese
Use 去 before a destination or an action, and understand how Chinese expresses going to a place without an extra word for “to.”
姓 xìng
Giving and Asking Surnames with 姓 (Xìng)
Use 姓 to state a Chinese family name, distinguish it from 叫 for names, and understand questions asking another person's surname.
怎么 zěnme
Asking How to Do Something with 怎么 (Zěnme)
Ask about methods with 怎么 before a Chinese verb, including questions about learning, travel, and carrying out an action.
来、去 lái qù
Come vs Go in Chinese: 来 (Lái) and 去 (Qù)
Choose 来 or 去 by the relevant viewpoint in Chinese, and recognize their role in more complex words describing inward, outward, or return movement.
请 qǐng
Polite Requests with 请 (Qǐng) in Chinese
Use 请 before an action to make a polite request, understand longer 请你 phrases, and distinguish this use from inviting or treating someone.
连动 liándòng
Linking Actions in Chinese Without an Extra And
Understand how Chinese combines successive or purpose-related verb phrases, and why 和 usually cannot replace English “and” between actions.
难 nán
Hard to Do and Unpleasant Qualities with 难 (Nán)
Use 难 before verbs for difficulty, and learn why familiar sensory compounds such as 难吃 and 难看 describe unfavorable qualities.
了 le
Expressing How Long with Verb + 了 + Duration
Place duration after a verb and 了 to report an elapsed amount of activity, and understand why context is needed to show that the activity ended.
从来 cónglái
Never in Chinese with 从来不 and 从来没
Distinguish 从来不 for habits or principles from 从来没 for absent experience, including the common pairing of 没 with experiential 过.
了……了 le…le
Ongoing Duration with Two 了 Particles in Chinese
Use verb + 了 + duration + 了 for elapsed activity continuing to now, including the repeated-verb arrangement when an object is involved.
一起 yīqǐ
Doing Things Together with 一起 (Yīqǐ)
Use 一起 before an action for shared activity, with plural subjects or a companion phrase introduced by 跟 or 和.
没办法 méi bànfǎ
There Is No Way with 没办法 (Méi Bànfǎ)
Use 没办法 alone or before an action to express practical inability, and understand how the situation determines what is impossible.
动词重叠 dòngcí chóngdié
Verb Reduplication in Chinese: AA, A一A and ABAB
Repeat suitable Chinese verbs to suggest a brief or casual action, and distinguish the patterns for one-syllable and two-syllable verbs.
在 zài
When 在 Follows a Verb: 住在、坐在 and Similar Patterns
Recognize location complements with verbs such as 住、坐、站 and 放, and distinguish them from ordinary 在 + place phrases before an action.
很 hěn
Intensifying Feelings and Mental Verbs with 很 (Hěn)
Use 很 with suitable verbs of liking, missing, fear, understanding, or hope, rather than placing it before every Chinese action verb.
到 dào
Arriving and Going to Places with 到 (Dào)
Use 到 for reaching a destination or going there to do something, and distinguish its focus from movement with 去 and departure with 走.
好 hǎo
Easy to Do and Pleasant Qualities with 好 (Hǎo)
Use 好 before verbs for ease, and distinguish conventional compounds such as 好吃、好听 and 好看 that describe pleasant qualities.
一下 yīxià
Brief Actions and Softer Requests with 一下 (Yīxià)
Put 一下 after a verb for a brief action or a lighter request, with the object following when the verb phrase needs one.
双宾语 shuāng bīnyǔ
Chinese Verbs with Two Objects: Person Before Thing
Learn the double-object order used by suitable Chinese verbs, placing the person affected before the thing transferred or discussed.
看起来 kànqilai
看起来 (Kànqilai): Saying Something Looks or Seems
Describe visible impressions with 看起来 + adjective and use 看起来像 when saying what a person or thing looks like.
让、叫、请、使 ràng, jiào, qǐng, shǐ
让, 叫, 请, and 使: Chinese Causative Verb Patterns
Build causative sentences with 让, 叫, 请, and 使 to describe permission, requests, and actions or feelings caused by others.
要看、得看 yào kàn, děi kàn
要看 and 得看: Saying It Depends in Chinese
Explain what a decision depends on with 要看 or 得看, from short answers to full sentences about uncertain outcomes.
好像 hǎoxiàng
好像 (Hǎoxiàng): Expressing Seems and Tentative Impressions
Use 好像 before a description or clause to express an impression, uncertainty, or a conclusion that is not fully confirmed.
以为 yǐwéi
以为 (Yǐwéi): An Assumption That Turns Out to Be Wrong
Express mistaken assumptions with 以为 and understand its use in corrections, surprises, and warnings about what someone believes.
经过 jīngguò
经过 (Jīngguò): Passing Through and Going Through a Process
Use 经过 for passing a place and for the experience, preparation, or period that precedes an outcome in Chinese.
通过 tōngguò
通过 (Tōngguò): Passing, Approval, and Achieving Through a Method
Understand 通过 as a verb meaning pass and as a preposition introducing the channel or method used to achieve a result.
来自 láizì
来自 (Láizì): Stating an Origin or Source in Chinese
Use 来自 to say where people and things originate, and to identify the source of an idea, suggestion, or influence.
算 suàn
算 (Suàn): Counting as Something and Making a Judgment
Use 算 with nouns and descriptions to assess whether something qualifies, and recognize the more qualified tone of 算是.
来 lái
我来 and 你来: Using 来 to Say Who Will Do It
Use 来 as a stand-in for an understood task when offering to act, assigning a turn, or asking someone to try.
少 shǎo
少 (Shǎo) Before Verbs: Do Less or Cut Back
Place 少 before an action to suggest doing less, reducing an amount, or cutting back on a habit in Chinese.
多 duō
多 (Duō) Before Verbs: Do More or More Often
Use 多 before an action to recommend a greater amount or frequency, with common patterns using 点 and 一点.
正在…呢 zhèngzài…ne
Actions in Progress: 在, 正在, 着, and 呢 in Chinese
Understand common ongoing-action patterns with 在, 正在, 着, and sentence-final 呢 without assuming every marker is required.
不怎么、没怎么 bù zěnme, méi zěnme
不怎么 and 没怎么: Not Often or Not Much
Use 不怎么 for infrequent habits and 没怎么 for limited past activity, with the negative phrase before the verb.
到 dào
到 (Dào) After a Verb: Continuing Until a Time or Event
Mark an action’s endpoint with verb + 到, and learn when to repeat a verb that already has an object.
离合词 líhécí
Separable Verbs in Chinese: Verb-Object Phrases and Word Order
Understand separable Chinese verbs, including where aspect markers and counted actions go and how to introduce another participant.
给 gěi
Verb + 给: Placing a Recipient After a Chinese Verb
Learn recipient placement after verbs such as 送 and 递, using verb + 给 + recipient and related object-first patterns.
给 gěi
给 Before Verbs: Naming the Target of an Action
Use 给 + target before verbs for calling, writing, replying, and other actions directed at a person in Chinese.
什么 shénme
Verb + 什么 (Shénme): Challenge an Action in Chinese
Learn how rhetorical 什么 questions challenge someone's action, including the emphatic verb + 什么 + verb pattern.
像；不像 xiàng; bù xiàng
像…一样 and 不像…那么: Compare Specific Qualities
Compare how people or things share a quality with 像…一样, and express a lower degree with 不像…那么.
化 huà
化 (Huà): Form Chinese Words Meaning -ize or -ify
Understand how 化 forms words for transformation and processes, including noun-like uses in formal and technical Chinese.
难怪 nánguài
难怪 (Nánguài) as a Verb: Hard to Blame
Distinguish the verb use of 难怪, meaning someone cannot reasonably be blamed, from its familiar no-wonder use.
并 bìng
并 (Bìng): Connect Related Verb Phrases
Learn how 并 joins related actions in concise written Chinese, and how it differs from 并 used before a negative.
由 yóu
由 (Yóu): Identify Who Handles or Causes an Action
Use 由 to identify the person responsible for an action, decision, or event, often after the matter being discussed.
难免 nánmiǎn
难免 (Nánmiǎn): Say Something Is Hard to Avoid
Describe natural or difficult-to-avoid outcomes with 难免, including its common combinations with 会 and 有点.
并且 bìngqiě
并且 (Bìngqiě): Add And Also or Moreover
Connect related actions with 并且 and strengthen an additional point using 还, 也, or a preceding 不但 clause.
值得 zhídé
值得 (Zhídé): Say Something Is Worth Doing
Use 值得 to evaluate an action or experience, and distinguish it from 值 when stating a monetary value.
受 shòu
受 (Shòu): Express Being Affected or Receiving Treatment
Learn common 受 constructions for receiving respect, influence, or harm, and why 受 cannot replace 被 in every passive.
着 zhe
Verb + 着 + Verb + 着: As an Action Continues
Describe an ongoing activity that leads into a new development with the repeated verb + 着 pattern and a following result.
无…可… wú…kě…
无…可… (Wú…Kě…): Nothing or No One Available To
Understand formal expressions such as 无话可说, where the absence of a noun leaves an action impossible or unavailable.
谅 liàng
谅 (Liàng): I Expect or I Bet in a Firm Assertion
Use 谅 to express a confident assumption about what someone will dare or be able to do, often with a challenging tone.
在于 zàiyú
在于 (Zàiyú): Lie In or Depend On
Identify the essential factor, meaning, or basis of a situation with 在于, including contrasts between what matters and what does not.
不屑；不屑于 bùxiè; bùxiè yú
不屑 and 不屑于 (Bùxiè): Disdain Doing Something
Express looking down on an action with 不屑 or 不屑于, and distinguish this attitude from a neutral judgment that it is not worthwhile.
以便 yǐbiàn
以便 (Yǐbiàn): So That or In Order To
State the intended benefit of an earlier action with 以便, a formal purpose connector that does not guarantee the outcome occurs.