Introduction
我去商店买东西 (Wǒ qù shāngdiàn mǎi dōngxi) — I go to the shop to buy things. Two verbs, one subject, and nothing at all between them. The order on the page is the order in real life, and the second verb is usually the reason for the first.
Overview
Structure: Subj. + Verb 1 + (Obj. 1) + Verb 2 + (Obj. 2)
| Pattern | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Go somewhere to do something | 我去商店买东西。(Wǒ qù shāngdiàn mǎi dōngxi.) | I'm going to the shop to buy things. |
| 来 / 去 + Verb | 我来看你。(Wǒ lái kàn nǐ.) | I've come to see you. |
| Means, then goal | 他坐地铁去公司。(Tā zuò dìtiě qù gōngsī.) | He takes the subway to work. |
| 用 + tool + Verb | 我用手机看新闻。(Wǒ yòng shǒujī kàn xīnwén.) | I read the news on my phone. |
| Negative | 我不去商店买东西。(Wǒ bú qù shāngdiàn mǎi dōngxi.) | I'm not going to the shop to buy things. |
No word for "and", and the 了 (le) rides the second verb:
- ✓ 我去商店买东西。(Wǒ qù shāngdiàn mǎi dōngxi.) ❌ 我去商店和买东西。(Wǒ qù shāngdiàn hé mǎi dōngxi.)
- ✓ 我去商店买了东西。(Wǒ qù shāngdiàn mǎi le dōngxi.) — the second verb is the one that gets completed.
- 不 (bù) and 没 (méi) go in front of the first verb: ✓ 我没去商店买东西。(Wǒ méi qù shāngdiàn mǎi dōngxi.)
- The order cannot be swapped: 坐地铁去公司 (zuò dìtiě qù gōngsī) is right because you sit on the subway first and arrive second.
Examples
我去商店买东西。
Wǒ qù shāngdiàn mǎi dōngxi.
I'm going to the shop to buy things.
他来我家吃饭。
Tā lái wǒ jiā chī fàn.
He's coming to my place for dinner.
我每天坐地铁去公司。
Wǒ měi tiān zuò dìtiě qù gōngsī.
I take the subway to work every day.
她用手机买了两张票。
Tā yòng shǒujī mǎi le liǎng zhāng piào.
She bought two tickets on her phone.
我们去医院看他吧。
Wǒmen qù yīyuàn kàn tā ba.
Let's go to the hospital to see him.
他没去学校上课。
Tā méi qù xuéxiào shàng kè.
He didn't go to school for class.
Usage Notes
- The commonest shape by far is 去 (qù) or 来 (lái) plus a place plus what you go there to do.
- With a means of getting somewhere — 坐 (zuò)、走 (zǒu)、开车 (kāichē) — the means comes first and the destination second.
- 用 (yòng) plus a tool works the same way: 用手机看 (yòng shǒujī kàn)、用筷子吃 (yòng kuàizi chī).
- Time words and adverbs belong in front of the first verb: 我每天坐地铁去公司。(Wǒ měi tiān zuò dìtiě qù gōngsī.)
- One negative is enough, and it belongs at the front: ❌ 我去商店没买东西。(Wǒ qù shāngdiàn méi mǎi dōngxi.) does not mean you never went — it says you went and bought nothing.