Serial Verb & Pivotal Constructions
A serial verb sentence (连动句) puts two or more verb phrases after one subject, as in 他去图书馆借书. A pivotal sentence (兼语句) has a noun that is both the object of the first verb and the subject of the second, as in 让他来.
兼语句 (pivotal sentence): the object of V1 is also the subject of V2 — one noun plays two roles.
老师叫我回答问题。(The teacher tells me to answer the question.) — 我 is object of 叫, subject of 回答问题.
Combining them: the two often appear together in longer sentences:
他打电话请朋友帮忙搬家。(He called to ask a friend to help him move.) — 打电话 (serial) + 请朋友帮忙搬家 (pivotal).
Common mistake: confusing the two — check whether the second verb phrase shares the same doer as the first (连动句) or a different one introduced by V1's object (兼语句).
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 他去图书馆借书。 | Tā qù tú shū guǎn jiè shū. | He goes to the library to borrow books. | 连动句: same subject (他) performs both actions in sequence. |
| 老师叫我回答问题。 | Lǎo shī jiào wǒ huí dá wèn tí. | The teacher tells me to answer the question. | 兼语句: 我 is the object of 叫 and the subject of 回答问题. |
| 我们坐火车去北京旅游。 | Wǒ men zuò huǒ chē qù Běi jīng lǚ yóu. | We take the train to Beijing to travel. | 连动句 with three verb phrases: manner (坐火车) + destination (去北京) + purpose (旅游). |
| 他打电话请朋友帮忙搬家。 | Tā dǎ diàn huà qǐng péng you bāng máng bān jiā. | He called a friend to ask for help moving house. | Combines 连动句 (打电话, same subject 他) with 兼语句 embedded as the second verb phrase (请朋友帮忙搬家: 朋友 is object of 请, subject of 帮忙搬家). |
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.
请 (qǐng)
As a first verb, it invites or asks someone, who then becomes the doer of the next verb.
Structure: subject + 请 + person + verb phrase
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我想请你帮我看一下这封邮件。 | Wǒ xiǎng qǐng nǐ bāng wǒ kàn yí xià zhè fēng yóu jiàn. | I would like to ask you to take a look at this email for me. |
| 经理请大家下班后留下来开会。 | Jīng lǐ qǐng dà jiā xià bān hòu liú xià lái kāi huì. | The manager asked everyone to stay for a meeting after work. |
| 他请我去他家吃饭。 | Tā qǐng wǒ qù tā jiā chī fàn. | He invited me to dinner at his home. |
Not: 我请去他吃饭。 In a pivotal sentence the person comes right after 请: 我请他去吃饭。
请 is also explained in: Pivot Sentences: 叫/让/请+someone+V (HSK 3).
让 (ràng)
As a first verb, it has someone do something, and that person is the doer of the next verb.
Structure: subject + 让 + person + verb phrase
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 妈妈让我早点睡觉。 | Mā mā ràng wǒ zǎo diǎn shuì jiào. | Mom told me to go to bed early. |
| 老师让同学们先读课文。 | Lǎo shī ràng tóng xué men xiān dú kè wén. | The teacher had the students read the text first. |
| 这件事让我很生气。 | Zhè jiàn shì ràng wǒ hěn shēng qì. | This matter makes me very angry. |
Not: 老师让回答问题我。 The person goes between 让 and the second verb: 老师让我回答问题。
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 4, fixed patterns; level 4, prepositions (引出施事、受事).
让 is also explained in: Passive Constructions: 被, 叫, 让 (HSK 3) · Pivot Sentences: 叫/让/请+someone+V (HSK 3) · 被-construction (passive) (HSK 4) · 使/让/叫 pivot-causative sentences (HSK 4).
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.
Questions about Serial Verb & Pivotal Constructions
What does 连动句与兼语句 (Serial Verb & Pivotal Constructions) mean in Chinese?
A serial verb sentence (连动句) puts two or more verb phrases after one subject, as in 他去图书馆借书. A pivotal sentence (兼语句) has a noun that is both the object of the first verb and the subject of the second, as in 让他来. It is an HSK 5 grammar point.
How do you use 连动句与兼语句 (Serial Verb & Pivotal Constructions) in a sentence?
他去图书馆借书。 — Tā qù tú shū guǎn jiè shū. — He goes to the library to borrow books. 连动句: same subject (他) performs both actions in sequence.
What do you need to know before 连动句与兼语句 (Serial Verb & Pivotal Constructions)?
使/让/叫 pivot-causative sentences (HSK 4). This pattern is built out of them, so a sentence here that will not parse usually means one of them has not landed yet.
How can I tell a serial verb sentence from a pivotal sentence?
Check who does the second verb. In 他去图书馆借书, he does both. In 老师叫我回答问题, the teacher does the first verb and I do the second, so 我 is the pivot.
Which verbs often start a pivotal sentence?
请, 让, 叫, 使, 派 and 求 are the common ones: 公司派他去上海。 They all have someone act on another person, who then does a second action.
Serial Verb & Pivotal Constructions 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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