Chinese Separable Words: 游泳、帮忙、放假、见面…

separable verbs -离合词(li2 he2 ci2)

Separable verbs usually consist of two characters, the first being the verb and the second being the object. Let’s learn some of them and understand the grammar rules on how to use them.

Examples of Separable Verbs

• 游泳(you2 yong3, to swim)

• 结婚(jie2 hun1, get married)

• 帮忙(bang1 mang2, to help)

• 见面(jian4 mian4, to meet up)

• 睡觉(shui4 jiao4, to sleep)

• 考试(kao3 shi4, to take exam)

• 聊天(liao2 tian1, to chat)

• 散步(san4 bu4, to stroll)

• 跳舞(tiao4 wu3, to dance)

We will use the above examples in the following sections to illustrate its use.

Understanding the Basic Use of Separable Words

The word 游泳(you2 yong3, to swim) can serve purely as a verb, it can also be separated into verb + object by inserting other phrases in between, the phrases could be an auxiliary word or a measure word.

Verb:

我喜欢游泳。

wo3 xi3 huan0 you2 yong3.

I like swimming.

Verb + object phrase:

我每天游一个小时的泳。

wo3 mei3 tian1 you2 yi2 ge0 xiao3 shi2 de0 yong3.

I swim for an hour a day.

#1 Rule: Separable Verbs Cannot Be Followed by Objects

Let’s use the separable word 见面(jian4 mian4, to meet up) as an example. This word is used both casually and formally to mean meeting somebody in person. Do note that there should not be any object following the use of the separable word. For example:

• 今天我会和他见面。(Correct)

  jin1 tian1 wo3 hui4 he2 ta1 jian4 mian4.

  Today I will meet up with him.

• 今天我会见面他。(Wrong)

  jin1 tian1 wo3 hui4 jian4 mian4 ta1.

  Today I will meet up with him.

The second sentence is wrong because after 见面, you should not use another noun behind it, since 面 is already a noun itself.

#2 Rule: Auxiliary Word Should Be Placed In Between a Separable Word

Let’s use 睡觉(shui4 jiao4, to sleep) as an example. If an auxiliary word “过(guo4, to indicate an action is done)” is used, it needs to be inserted in between the separable word. For example:

• 他刚刚睡过觉了。(Correct)

  ta1 gang1 gang1 shui4 guo4 jiao4 le0.

  He slept just now.

• 他刚刚睡觉过了。(Wrong)

  ta1 gang1 gang1 shui4 jiao4 guo4 le0.

  He slept just now.

#3 Rule: Measure Word Should Be Placed In Between a Separable Word

Let’s take 散步(san4 bu4, to stroll) as an example. If a measure word is used, it needs to be inserted in between the separable word. For example:

• 她每天去散二十分钟(的)步。(Correct)

  ta1 mei3 tian1 qu4 san4 er4 shi2 fen1 zhong1 de0 bu4.

  Every day she strolls for 20 minutes.

• 她每天去散步二十分钟。(Wrong)

  ta1 mei3 tian1 qu4 san4 bu4 er4 shi2 fen1 zhong1.

  Every day she strolls for 20 minutes.

#4 Rule: Follow the AAB Pattern When Reduplicating Separable Words

Some verbs can be reduplicated, such as 看看(kan4 kan0, take a look) or 休息休息(xiu1 xi0, take a rest) to indicate that an action lasts for a short while. However, when reduplicating separable words, the words need to follow the AAB pattern, for example:

• 睡睡觉(shui4 shui0 jiao4, take some sleep)

• 散散步(san4 san0 bu4, take a stroll)

• 跳跳舞(tiao4 tiao0 wu3, dance a bit)

It would be wrong to use the ABAB Pattern:

• 睡觉睡觉

• 散步散步

• 跳舞跳舞

Hope that this post helps you better understand the use of separable words in Chinese. To learn Mandarin Chinese with Hanhai in Singapore, in-person or online, please contact us for a free trial to determine your Chinese proficiency. See you in the next post!