Serial verb construction 連動句 (连动句)

liándòngjù · from English

What is a serial verb construction?

A serial verb construction strings two or more verbs together in one clause without conjunctions, as in Mandarin 去買菜 (go buy groceries).

Serial verbs are typical of Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese and other mainland Southeast Asian languages, as well as West African languages. The verbs share a subject and express one complex event, such as movement plus purpose or action plus direction.

Examples

我去買菜 wǒ qù mǎi cài (I go buy groceries); 拿來 ná lái (bring: take + come); Thai เดินไป doen pai (walk go = walk there); Vietnamese đi mua (go buy)

Kungfucius says: Why choose one verb when you can stack three like a Hong Kong kitchen?