Separable verbs 离合词: 见面/洗澡/毕业
Separable verbs (离合词) are verb-object compounds such as 见面 (meet), 洗澡 (bathe) and 毕业 (graduate) whose two parts can be split apart. Because the object is already built in, they cannot take another object, so you say 见了一次面 rather than 见面他.
Common 离合词: 见面 (meet), 洗澡 (bathe), 毕业 (graduate), 帮忙 (help), 散步 (stroll), 聊天 (chat), 起床 (get up)
Splitting rules — insert between the two parts:
1. Aspect markers 了/过/着: 见了面, 洗了澡, 聊过天
2. Frequency/duration: 见了三次面, 散了一会儿步
3. 的/得: 帮了忙 → 帮得很忙 (busy helping)
❌ Common errors:
- ❌ 我见面了三次 → ✅ 我见了三次面
- ❌ 毕业了学校 → ✅ 从学校毕业 / 毕业于学校
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 我们上周见了一次面，谈了很多事情。 | Wǒ men shàng zhōu jiàn le yī cì miàn, tán le hěn duō shì qíng. | We met once last week and talked about many things. | 见了一次面: frequency complement (一次) inserted between 见 and 面 |
| 他每天早上六点起床，起了床就去跑步。 | Tā měi tiān zǎo shang liù diǎn qǐ chuáng, qǐ le chuáng jiù qù pǎo bù. | He gets up at 6 every morning — as soon as he's up, he goes running. | 起了床: 了 inserted between 起 and 床 to mark completed action |
| 她去年从北京大学毕业，今年开始工作了。 | Tā qù nián cóng Běijīng Dà xué bì yè, jīn nián kāi shǐ gōng zuò le. | She graduated from Peking University last year and started working this year. | 从…毕业: when specifying the school, use 从…毕业 (not 毕业学校) |
Word by word
Each word in this pattern on its own: what it does here, the structure, three more examples, and the mistake to avoid.
见面 (jiàn miàn)
A verb-object compound meaning to meet in person, so it cannot take a second object.
Structure: 跟 + person + 见面; 见 + 了/过 + time + 面
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我们明天在学校门口见面。 | Wǒ men míng tiān zài xué xiào mén kǒu jiàn miàn. | We will meet at the school gate tomorrow. |
| 我和他还没见面。 | Wǒ hé tā hái méi jiàn miàn. | He and I have not met yet. |
| 你们什么时候见面？ | Nǐ men shén me shí hou jiàn miàn? | When are you meeting? |
Not: 我昨天见面了他。 面 is already the object of 见; link the other person with 跟, or say 见了他.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 3, verbs (离合词).
洗澡 (xǐ zǎo)
A verb-object compound meaning to take a bath or shower; aspect and duration go between 洗 and 澡.
Structure: 洗 + 了/过 + time + (的) + 澡
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我晚上洗澡以后就睡觉。 | Wǒ wǎn shang xǐ zǎo yǐ hòu jiù shuì jiào. | I go to sleep after I shower in the evening. |
| 他喜欢睡前洗澡。 | Tā xǐ huan shuì qián xǐ zǎo. | He likes to shower before bed. |
| 孩子还没洗澡呢。 | Hái zi hái méi xǐ zǎo ne. | The child has not bathed yet. |
Not: 我洗澡了一个小时。 Duration must be inserted between the two parts: 洗了一个小时澡.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 3, verbs (离合词).
毕业 (bì yè)
A verb-object compound meaning to graduate; the school is named with 从 or placed before the verb, never after it.
Structure: (从) + school + 毕业; 毕业 + 了/后
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我哥哥去年大学毕业了。 | Wǒ gē ge qù nián dà xué bì yè le. | My older brother graduated from university last year. |
| 毕业以后你想做什么？ | Bì yè yǐ hòu nǐ xiǎng zuò shén me? | What do you want to do after you graduate? |
| 他还有一年就毕业了。 | Tā hái yǒu yì nián jiù bì yè le. | He graduates in one more year. |
Not: 她毕业大学了。 毕业 cannot take an object; say 大学毕业 or 从大学毕业.
What you need first
Every topic in GraphChinese names its own prerequisites, and these are the grammar points this one is built on. If a sentence here will not parse, one of them is why.
What this opens up
These patterns list Separable verbs 离合词 among their own prerequisites, so they become readable once this one holds.
Questions about Separable verbs 离合词
What does 离合词 (Separable verbs 离合词) mean in Chinese?
Separable verbs (离合词) are verb-object compounds such as 见面 (meet), 洗澡 (bathe) and 毕业 (graduate) whose two parts can be split apart. Because the object is already built in, they cannot take another object, so you say 见了一次面 rather than 见面他. It is an HSK 4 grammar point.
How do you use 离合词 (Separable verbs 离合词) in a sentence?
我们上周见了一次面，谈了很多事情。 — Wǒ men shàng zhōu jiàn le yī cì miàn, tán le hěn duō shì qíng. — We met once last week and talked about many things. 见了一次面: frequency complement (一次) inserted between 见 and 面.
What do you need to know before 离合词 (Separable verbs 离合词)?
Separable Verb-Object Compounds (HSK 3). This pattern is built out of them, so a sentence here that will not parse usually means one of them has not landed yet.
What does 离合词 (Separable verbs 离合词) lead to?
Reduplication Patterns (HSK 5). Each of them names 离合词 (Separable verbs 离合词) among its own prerequisites.
Where do 了 and 过 go with 见面?
Between the two characters: 见了面 or 见过面, as in 我们见过一次面。 Putting 了 after 面 is fine only for a new situation, not for the completed action itself.
Can a separable verb take an object?
Not directly. Use 跟 or 给 for a person, as in 我想跟老师见面, or split the verb and put the thing in between, as in 帮你一个忙。
Separable verbs 离合词 is one topic of 829. GraphChinese teaches them in prerequisite order, so this pattern reaches you on the day everything it rests on is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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