Topics
IntermediateSerial Verb Constructions
How multiple verbs combine in a single clause in Spanish, English and Chinese.
Compare languages
Chinese uses serial verb constructions extensively, stringing verbs together without conjunctions. Spanish and English typically require conjunctions, prepositions, or infinitive markers between verbs.
Overview
Serial verb constructions (SVCs) place multiple verbs together in a single clause without explicit conjunctions or infinitive markers.
- Spanish: Does not allow true serial verbs. Requires prepositions (ir a), conjunctions (ir y), or different structures. Multiple verbs must be linked grammatically.
- English: Limited serial verbs. Some constructions allow bare infinitives (go get, come see), but most require “and” or “to.”
- Chinese: Extensive serial verb system. Verbs are concatenated freely to express sequence, purpose, direction, result, and giving.
Spanish
No true serial verbs
Spanish requires explicit markers between verbs:
Infinitive with preposition:
- Voy a comer. (I’m going to eat.)
- Empiezo a trabajar. (I start working.)
- Acabo de comer. (I’ve just eaten.)
- Trato de entender. (I try to understand.)
Conjunctions:
- Voy y vengo. (I go and come back.)
- Entró y se sentó. (He entered and sat down.)
Different structures:
- Dame el libro. (Give me the book. — one verb, indirect object)
- Sal corriendo. (He left running. — gerund, not serial verb)
Perception verb + infinitive
Spanish allows infinitive after perception verbs:
- Vi caer la hoja. (I saw the leaf fall.)
- Oí llorar al niño. (I heard the child cry.)
Causative + infinitive
- Me hizo reír. (He made me laugh.)
- Dejó salir a los niños. (He let the children leave.)
English
Limited serial verbs
English allows some bare verb sequences in informal registers:
- Go get your coat.
- Come see me sometime.
- Go ask your mother.
- Run tell him. (Southern US)
More common: conjunction or infinitive required
- Go and get your coat. (British)
- Come to see me.
- Try to understand.
Verb + preposition/gerund
English often uses prepositional phrases instead of serial verbs:
- Take out the trash. (phrasal verb)
- Put on your shoes. (phrasal verb)
- Look after the children. (prepositional verb)
Causative + bare infinitive
- He made me laugh.
- She let him go.
- I watched him leave.
- I heard her sing.
Coordinate structure
- Go and buy some milk.
- Come and see.
- Wait and see.
Note: In informal American English, “and” is often dropped: Go buy some milk.
Chinese
Core serial verb patterns
Chinese concatenates verbs freely:
Sequence (do A then B):
- 去买菜 (go buy vegetables)
- 跑去告诉他 (run go tell him)
- 走过来看看 (walk over come look-look)
Purpose (do A in order to B):
- 去医院看病 (go hospital see illness = go to the hospital to see a doctor)
- 来北京学中文 (come Beijing study Chinese = come to Beijing to study Chinese)
Direction (move + path):
- 跑进来 (run enter come = run in [toward speaker])
- 走出去 (walk exit go = walk out [away])
- 拿回来 (take return come = bring back)
Giving (give + recipient + object):
- 给我一本书 (give me one [CL] book)
- 借给他钱 (lend give him money = lend him money)
- 送给她花 (give give her flowers = give her flowers)
Resultative (verb + result complement):
- 打开 (hit open = open)
- 吃完 (eat finish = finish eating)
- 做好 (do well = do well / finish doing)
- 看见 (look perceive = see)
- 听懂 (listen understand = understand by hearing)
Multiple verb stacking
Chinese can stack many verbs in one clause:
- 跑去医院看病 (run go hospital see illness)
- 拿出来给我看看 (take out come give me look-look = take it out and show me)
Verb + 来/去 (purpose)
来 and 去 can indicate purpose:
- 我来学习 (I come study = I came to study)
- 他去工作 (He go work = He went to work)
Coverbs
Chinese has “coverbs” that function like prepositions but originated as verbs:
| Coverb | Origin | Function |
|---|---|---|
| 在 | at (verb) | at, in |
| 给 | give (verb) | to, for |
| 对 | face (verb) | toward, to |
| 跟 | follow (verb) | with |
| 比 | compare (verb) | than |
Comparison at a glance
| Pattern | Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Go eat | Voy a comer | Go eat / Go and eat | 去吃 |
| Come see | Ven a ver / Ven y mira | Come see / Come and see | 过来看 |
| Give me | Dame | Give me | 给我 |
| Run in | Corre hacia adentro | Run in | 跑进来 |
| Take out | Saca | Take out | 拿出来 |
| Verb linkage | Preposition/conjunction | And / to / bare verb | Direct concatenation |
| Multiple verbs | Rare | Rare | Very common |
| Coverbs | No | No | Yes (在, 给, 对, 跟, 比) |
Examples in context
Go buy something
- ES: Voy a comprar algo.
- EN: I’m going to buy something. / Go buy something.
- ZH: 去买点东西。
Come take a look
- ES: Ven a ver.
- EN: Come and see. / Come see.
- ZH: 过来看看。
Lend him money
- ES: Le presté dinero. / Presté dinero a él.
- EN: I lent him money.
- ZH: 借给他钱。
Common mistakes
-
Spanish/English speakers learning Chinese: Adding conjunctions: 去和买 → 去买
-
Spanish speakers learning Chinese: Adding 要 before purpose verbs: 我要去去医院 → 我去医院
-
Chinese speakers learning English: Dropping “and” in formal contexts: Go buy is okay in US English but Go and buy is preferred formally
-
English speakers learning Spanish: Using serial verb logic: Voy comprar → Voy a comprar
Related topics
- Directional Verbs: How direction combines with main verbs
- Causatives: How causative verbs interact with serial constructions
- Word Order: How multiple verbs fit into sentence structure
- Prepositions: How prepositions replace serial verbs in Spanish and English
Examples
Go buy something
Voy a comprar / Voy y compro
Come take a look
Ven a ver / Ven y mira
Give him a book
Le doy un libro
Run into the room
Corre hacia la habitación
Take out money
Saca dinero
Verb linkage required
Yes (a, y, prepositions)
Examples
Go buy something
Go and buy / Go buy
Come take a look
Come and see / Come see
Give him a book
I give him a book
Run into the room
Run into the room
Take out money
Take out money
Verb linkage required
Usually (and, to, bare infinitive)
Examples
Go buy something
去买
Come take a look
过来看看
Give him a book
给他一本书
Run into the room
跑进房间
Take out money
取钱出来
Verb linkage required
No (direct concatenation)
Comparison at a glance
| Grammar concepts | Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Go buy something | Voy a comprar / Voy y compro | Go and buy / Go buy | 去买 |
| Come take a look | Ven a ver / Ven y mira | Come and see / Come see | 过来看看 |
| Give him a book | Le doy un libro | I give him a book | 给他一本书 |
| Run into the room | Corre hacia la habitación | Run into the room | 跑进房间 |
| Take out money | Saca dinero | Take out money | 取钱出来 |
| Verb linkage required | Yes (a, y, prepositions) | Usually (and, to, bare infinitive) | No (direct concatenation) |
Select at least one language to view comparisons
Side-by-side comparison
| Grammar concepts | Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Go buy something | Voy a comprar / Voy y compro | Go and buy / Go buy | 去买 |
| Come take a look | Ven a ver / Ven y mira | Come and see / Come see | 过来看看 |
| Give him a book | Le doy un libro | I give him a book | 给他一本书 |
| Run into the room | Corre hacia la habitación | Run into the room | 跑进房间 |
| Take out money | Saca dinero | Take out money | 取钱出来 |
| Verb linkage required | Yes (a, y, prepositions) | Usually (and, to, bare infinitive) | No (direct concatenation) |
Select at least one language to view comparisons
Examples in context
Go buy something
Spanish
Voy a comprar / Voy y compro
English
Go and buy / Go buy
Chinese
去买
Come take a look
Spanish
Ven a ver / Ven y mira
English
Come and see / Come see
Chinese
过来看看
Give him a book
Spanish
Le doy un libro
English
I give him a book
Chinese
给他一本书
Run into the room
Spanish
Corre hacia la habitación
English
Run into the room
Chinese
跑进房间
Take out money
Spanish
Saca dinero
English
Take out money
Chinese
取钱出来
Verb linkage required
Spanish
Yes (a, y, prepositions)
English
Usually (and, to, bare infinitive)
Chinese
No (direct concatenation)
Select at least one language to view comparisons
Key Takeaways
Spanish: Does not allow true serial verbs. Requires prepositions (ir a), conjunctions (ir y), or different structures. Multiple verbs must be linked ...
English: Limited serial verbs. Some constructions allow bare infinitives (go get, come see), but most require "and" or "to."
Chinese: Extensive serial verb system. Verbs are concatenated freely to express sequence, purpose, direction, result, and giving.
Key concepts compared: Go buy something, Come take a look, Give him a book.
Read this first
Last updated: June 4, 2026