Multiple Verb Phrases in a Sentence

In Chinese, you can put two or more verb phrases one after another, with no word for “and” or “to” in between: “go to the supermarket buy fruit.” The verbs simply follow the order the actions happen, and often the second one is the purpose of the first.

一 V1 (+ O) + V2 (+ O)

Subject + V1 (+ O) + V2 (+ O)

Line the actions up in time order. Often V1 is going somewhere or using something, and V2 is what you do there or why you went.

我wǒ去qù超市chāoshì买mǎi水果shuǐguǒ

I go to the supermarket to buy fruit.

他tā回家huíjiā看书kànshū

He goes home and reads.

我wǒ下班xiàbān回家huíjiā做饭zuòfàn

I get off work, go home, and cook.

我wǒ去qù美国Měiguó找zhǎo朋友péngyou一起yìqǐ喝hē咖啡kāfēi讨论tǎolùn工作gōngzuò

I went to the US to see a friend, have coffee, and talk about work.

You can chain several verb phrases in a row, as long as they follow the order of events.

二 Order Matters

Because the verbs follow time order, switching them changes the meaning.

Order 1

我wǒ坐车zuòchē到dào台北Táiběi

I take a car/bus to Taipei. (The ride gets me there.)

Order 2

我wǒ到dào台北Táiběi坐车zuòchē

I get to Taipei, then take a car/bus. (The ride starts in Taipei.)

Order 1

我wǒ没méi去qù机场jīchǎng送sòng朋友péngyou

I didn’t go to the airport to see my friend off.

Order 2

我wǒ没méi送sòng朋友péngyou去qù机场jīchǎng

I didn’t take my friend to the airport.

三 Negation and 了

With multiple verb phrases, 不 bù, 沒 méi没 méi, and other adverbs go before the first verb, and 了 le usually goes after the last verb (the main action).

我wǒ不bù去qù超市chāoshì买mǎi水果shuǐguǒ

I’m not going to the supermarket to buy fruit.

我wǒ去qù超市chāoshì买mǎi了le很hěn多duō水果shuǐguǒ

I went to the supermarket and bought lots of fruit.

四 Common Mistakes

❌ 我wǒ買mǎi买mǎi水果shuǐguǒ去qù超市chāoshì

✅ 我wǒ去qù超市chāoshì買mǎi买mǎi水果shuǐguǒ

You have to go to the supermarket first, then buy fruit. Follow the order of events.

❌ 我wǒ去qù了le超市chāoshì買mǎi买mǎi水果shuǐguǒ

✅ 我wǒ去qù超市chāoshì買mǎi买mǎi了le水果shuǐguǒ

了 le goes after the main action (the last verb), not the first one.

❌ 我wǒ去qù超市chāoshì不bù買mǎi买mǎi水果shuǐguǒ

✅ 我wǒ不bù去qù超市chāoshì買mǎi买mǎi水果shuǐguǒ

To say you’re not doing the whole thing, put 不 bù before the first verb. (我去超市不買水果我去超市不买水果 means you go but don’t buy anything.)

五 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 go to the bakery to buy bread.”