Many everyday Chinese “verbs,” like 睡覺 shuìjiào睡觉 shuìjiào (sleep), 吃飯 chīfàn吃饭 chīfàn (eat) and 看書 kànshū看书 kànshū (read), are really a verb + object stuck together. Because the two parts can be pulled apart, they’re called separable verbs.
一 Why Separable Verbs Matter
Out of the 1,000 most common verbs in Modern Chinese, a whopping 685 are separable. Knowing which ones they are helps you build correct sentences, add details easily, and spot the verb and object when you read.
Don’t panic685 sounds like a lot! But once you learn the pattern, you’ll understand hundreds of verb-object combinations at once, and your vocabulary will grow fast.
二 What Is a Separable Verb?
A separable verb is a verb combined with an object that goes with it naturally.
看+書书=看書书
read + book = read (books)
聽听+音樂音乐=聽听音樂音乐
listen + music = listen to music
喝+咖啡=喝咖啡
drink + coffee = drink coffee
三 Adding Details in the Middle
Verb + Details + Object
Because the two parts are separable, you can put extra details in between without changing the basic meaning.
Details 1: Aspect markers like 了 le, 過 guò过 guò, 著 zhe着 zhe
唱+了+歌=唱了歌
sing + (completed) + song = sang (songs)
看+著着+書书=看著着書书
read + (ongoing) + book = reading
Details 2: Amount or duration
喝+一杯+咖啡=喝一杯咖啡
drink + one cup + coffee = drink a cup of coffee
聽听+一下+音樂音乐=聽听一下音樂音乐
listen + a little while + music = listen to some music for a bit
Some VO verbs look strange: 吃飯 chīfàn吃饭 chīfàn, 跑步 pǎobù, 睡覺 shuìjiào睡觉 shuìjiào. If 吃 chī already means “eat,” why add 飯 fàn饭 fàn? Because a bare verb and a VO verb work differently.
吃+飯饭=吃飯饭
eat + rice = eat (have a meal)
跑+步=跑步
run + steps = run (jog)
睡+覺觉=睡覺觉
sleep + sleep = sleep
Bare verb · needs a complement
他跑得很快 她跑了二十五分鐘分钟 我跑去公園公园
A bare verb like 跑 pǎo focuses on the action itself, so it always needs something after it: how, how long, where to.
VO verb · a complete activity
我去公園公园跑步 她每天早上跑步
跑步 pǎobù turns the action into an activity (“jogging”). It can end the sentence on its own.
A bare 跑 pǎo needs a complement. With nothing after it, use the VO 跑步 pǎobù.
❌ 我跑步二十分鐘分钟
✅ 我跑步跑了二十分鐘分钟
A VO verb can’t take a time complement directly. Repeat the verb first.
❌ 我見面见面朋友朋友
✅ 我見见朋友朋友
見面 jiànmiàn见面 jiànmiàn already has an object (面 miàn), so it can’t take a second one. Swap it out instead.
❌ 我教書教书中文
✅ 我教中文
Same thing here: no double objects.
八 Practice
Tap the words below in the right order to build the sentence, then check your answer. If it’s wrong, you can try again as many times as you like, or hit “Show answer” if you get stuck. Careful: some tiles are traps and are not needed!
Question 1 of 10
“I jogged for an hour yesterday.”
Tap words below to build the sentence
❌ Try Again
我昨天跑步跑了一個个小時小时
VO + the verb again + 了 le + time.
“He slept for eight hours.”
Tap words below to build the sentence
❌ Try Again
他睡覺睡觉睡了八個个小時小时
Repeat the verb to add how long.
“I want to see my old friends.”
Tap words below to build the sentence
❌ Try Again
我想見见我的老朋友朋友
The 面 miàn tile is a trap. Swap the object, don’t double it.
“Let’s go eat beef noodle soup.”
Tap words below to build the sentence
❌ Try Again
我們我们去吃牛肉麵牛肉面吧
A specific food replaces 飯 fàn饭 fàn. The 飯 fàn饭 fàn tile is a trap.
“I listened to some Japanese music for a bit.”
Tap words below to build the sentence
❌ Try Again
我聽听了一下日本音樂音乐
Details go between the verb and the object.
“She sang two songs.”
Tap words below to build the sentence
❌ Try Again
她唱了兩两首歌
了 le + amount slot in between 唱 chàng and 歌 gē.
“My mom teaches English.”
Tap words below to build the sentence
❌ Try Again
我媽媽妈妈教英文
The 書 shū书 shū tile is a trap: no double objects.
“He’s late again.”
Tap words below to build the sentence
❌ Try Again
他又遲到迟到了
遲到 chídào迟到 chídào can’t take an object. 🙄
“I swam for thirty minutes.”
Tap words below to build the sentence
❌ Try Again
我游泳游了三十分鐘分钟
游泳 yóuyǒng is VO too, so repeat the verb.
“Did you sleep well last night?”
Tap words below to build the sentence
❌ Try Again
你昨天晚上睡得好嗎吗？
There’s a complement (得好), so use bare 睡 shuì. The 覺 jiào觉 jiào tile is a trap.
