The Chinese term "連動式文" (liándòngshì wén)

 The Chinese term "連動式文" (liándòngshì wén), often simply called 連動文 (liándòng wén), refers to a grammatical structure in Chinese where two or more verb phrases appear in a single sentence, all sharing the same subject. These verb phrases describe a sequence of actions or describe one action as the purpose or means of another.

It's a very common and natural way to express multiple related actions in Chinese, unlike in English where we often use conjunctions like "and," "then," "in order to," or separate sentences.

Here's a breakdown of how to use it, with examples:

Core Principle:

• One Subject, Multiple Verbs: All the actions in a 連動文 are performed by the same subject.

• Order Matters (Usually): The verb phrases are typically arranged in the order that the actions occur, or in a logical sequence (e.g., means before purpose).

• No Conjunctions Needed: The verb phrases are usually placed directly one after another, without explicit conjunctions.

Common Types and Usage:

1. Sequential Actions (動作が連続して起こる場合):

This is the most straightforward use, where one action follows another in time.

• Structure: Subject + Verb Phrase 1 + Verb Phrase 2 (+ Verb Phrase 3...)

• Examples:

  • 我 去 超市 买 东西。(Wǒ qù chāoshì mǎi dōngxi.)

    • I go to the supermarket to buy things. (Literally: I go supermarket buy things.)

  • 他 回家 吃 晚饭。(Tā huíjiā chī wǎnfàn.)

    • He goes home to eat dinner. (Literally: He return home eat dinner.)

  • 她 看 完电影 睡觉。(Tā kàn wán diànyǐng shuìjiào.)

    • She finishes watching the movie and goes to sleep. (Literally: She watch finish movie sleep.)

2. Purpose or Means (後の動詞句が前の動詞句の目的や手段を表す場合):

The first verb phrase often describes how or why the second action is performed.

• Structure: Subject + Means/Method Verb Phrase + Purpose Verb Phrase

• Examples:

  • 我 坐 火车 去 北京。(Wǒ zuò huǒchē qù Běijīng.)

    • I take the train to go to Beijing. (Means: taking train; Purpose: going to Beijing)

  • 他 用 筷子 吃 饭。(Tā yòng kuàizi chī fàn.)

    • He uses chopsticks to eat rice. (Means: using chopsticks; Purpose: eating)

  • 我 打电话 告诉 他。(Wǒ dǎ diànhuà gàosu tā.)

    • I call him to tell him. (Means: making a call; Purpose: telling him)

3. "有/没有" + Verb Phrase (「有/没有」が他の動詞句を修飾する場合):

When "有" (yǒu - to have) or "没有" (méiyǒu - to not have) is the first verb, the following verb phrase often describes the characteristic or purpose of what is had/not had.

• Structure: Subject + 有/没有 + Noun + Verb Phrase

• Examples:

  • 我 有 时间 看 书。(Wǒ yǒu shíjiān kàn shū.)

    • I have time to read books.

  • 他 没有 钱 买 手机。(Tā méiyǒu qián mǎi shǒujī.)

    • He doesn't have money to buy a phone.

Important Considerations:

• Subject Consistency: The most crucial rule is that the subject for all actions must be the same. If the subject changes, you'll need a different grammatical structure (e.g., 兼語文 jiāngyǔwén - pivot sentence).

• Time Words: If you use "了" (le - perfective aspect marker) to indicate completion, it usually appears after the last verb phrase, unless you want to emphasize the completion of an earlier action.

  • 我去了图书馆借了两本书。(Wǒ qù le túshūguǎn jiè le liǎng běn shū.) - This is possible, but usually, the "le" comes at the end.

  • 我去了图书馆借了两本书。(Wǒ qù túshūguǎn jiè le liǎng běn shū.) - More common. I went to the library and borrowed two books.

• Negation: For negation, "不" (bù - not) or "没" (méi - not/didn't) typically comes before the first verb.

  • 我 不 想 去 玩儿。(Wǒ bù xiǎng qù wánr.) - I don't want to go play.

  • 他 没 去 睡觉。(Tā méi qù shuìjiào.) - He didn't go to sleep.

• "来" and "去" Exception: While generally, two verbs don't directly follow each other without an object in between, "来" (lái - to come) and "去" (qù - to go) can sometimes directly precede another verb, forming a "来/去 + Verb" construction.

  • 他们 来 玩儿。(Tāmen lái wánr.) - They come to play.

  • 我 去 学习。(Wǒ qù xuéxí.) - I go to study.

By understanding these patterns and rules, you can effectively construct and interpret Chinese 連動文 sentences. Practice with various examples will help you master this fundamental Chinese grammar point.