verb + verb verb
xué 学 ‘to study’ + xí 习 ‘to practice’ 学习 xuéxí ‘to study’
e.g.: 我学习汉语。 W
ǒ xuéxí hànyǔ. I study Mandarin.
4.4.2 偏正 piānzhèng ‘Modifier-Modified Compound Words’
In such a structure the first word modifies or restricts the latter word.
noun + noun noun
e.g. 1. yuè 月 ‘moon’ + b ǐng 饼 ‘biscuit’
月饼 yuèb ǐng ‘moon cake’
2. chā 茶 ‘tea’ + guǎn 馆 ‘shop’ 茶馆 chāguǎn ‘tea house’
3. hu ǒ 火 ‘fire’ + chē 车 ‘vehicle’ 火车 huǒchē ‘train’
4. máo 毛 ‘fur’ + b ǐ 笔 ‘penpencil’ 毛笔 máobǐ ‘painting brush’
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5. huā 花 ‘flower’ + yuán 园 ‘garden’ 花园 huāyuán ‘flower garden’
e.g.: 我时常去茶馆喝茶。 W
ǒ shícháng qù chāguǎn hē chā. I often go to a tea house to drink tea.
4.4.3 补充 b ǔchōng ‘verb-complement compound words’
This kind of compound word is composed of a verb and a complement. The second character complements the first one.
verb + complement verb
For example: 1.
tí 提 ‘to lift’ + gāo 高 ‘high’ 提 高 tígāo ‘to raise’. 2.
dǎ 打 ‘to hit’ + kāi 开 ‘open’ 打开 dǎkāi ‘to open’ 3.
zhàn 站 ‘to stand’ + zhù 住 ‘upright’ 站住 zhànzhù ‘to stand-up’
4.4.4 动宾 dòngb īn ‘Verb-object compound words’
The first character defines or restricts the meaning of the second one.
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verb + noun verb
e.g. 1. shuō 说 ‘to speak’ + huà 话 ‘word’ 说 话 shuōhuà ‘to speak’
2. q ǐ 起 ‘to get-up’ + chuáng 床 ‘bed’ 起床 qǐchuáng ‘to get up’
e.g.: 我 说话 的 声 音 很 大。 W
ǒ shuōhuà de shēng yīn hěn dà. I speak my voice very loud.
The voice of my speaking is very loud.
4.4.5 主谓 zh ǔwèi ‘Subject-predicate compound words’
subject + predicate noun or adjective
The relationship between the first and second character is similar to that between a subject and a predicate.
e.g. 1. nián 年 ‘age’ + qīng 轻 ‘green’ niánqīng 年 轻 ‘young’
2. tóu 头 ‘head’ + téng 疼 ‘hurt’ tóuténg 头疼 ‘headache’
e.g.: 他 还 年轻。
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Tā hái niánqīng. He still young.
He is still young.
4.4.6 adjective + noun noun
