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Separable verbs (离合词)
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A verb that splits in two
- You tell a friend you went swimming twice this week and had a haircut too.
- I我texture理(completed / change)了first一次hair发，to walk游(completed / change)了两次swimming泳。 — "I had my hair cut once and went swimming twice."
Verb-object words (clutch (in car gearbox)离合word词)
- Some words are really verb + object in one word: swimming游泳 (swim), meet见面 (meet: see + face), to go to bed睡觉 (sleep), to help帮忙 (help: help + task).
- Words like (completed / change)了, (before)过, amounts and (at)的 go between the two parts: met见(completed / change)了face面, to sleep睡(completed / change)了一个hour小时to feel觉.
we我们met见(before)过face面。
Complete: “We have met before.” 我们见____面。
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过 goes inside the verb-object word: 见过面.
No second object
- Because they already contain an object, they cannot take another: with跟a friend朋友meet见面, not meet见面a friend朋友.
- Use a preposition for the person: to help帮I我一个busy忙 / to / for / give给him他to help帮忙, not to help帮忙him他.
I我tomorrow明天with跟a friend朋友meet见面。
Build: “Could you do me a favour?”
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帮 + person + 一个 + 忙.
Two classic errors
- Do not add an object after them: with跟him他meet见面, not meet见面him他; to / for / give给I我to help帮忙, not to help帮忙I我.
- Put duration and (completed / change)了 inside: to sleep睡(completed / change)了八个hour小时to feel觉 or to go to bed睡觉to sleep睡(completed / change)了八个hour小时, not to go to bed睡觉(completed / change)了八个hour小时.
Which sentence is correct?
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见面 cannot take another object; use 跟 + person.
Common separable verbs
- to marry结婚 (marry): with跟she / her她to marry结婚, knot结(before)过两次to marry婚. to get angry生气 (get angry): be生him他(at)的angry气 — "be angry with him".
- to go to class上课, graduation毕业, to bathe洗澡, to sing a song唱歌, to dance跳舞 work the same way: to sing唱(completed / change)了一首歌.
don't别be生him他(at)的angry气。
他结过两次婚 puts the amount inside 结婚.
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
Separable verbs take 过 and amounts in the middle.
Recap
- clutch (in car gearbox)离合word词 = verb + object in one word (swimming游泳, meet见面, to help帮忙, to go to bed睡觉): (completed / change)了 / (before)过 / amounts go inside.
- No extra object: use with跟 / to / for / give给 + person, or be生…(at)的angry气.
Read the full reference: HSK 4 grammar — Verb phrases.
You tell a friend you went swimming twice this week and had a haircut too. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.
This is supported productive practice. Compare meaning and structure; your answer need not copy the model. A partner or teacher must hear the spoken response to comment on pronunciation.