The grammatical term 离合词 líhécí in Chinese refers to a group of verbs; they can be used as a single verb or can be separated and used as a verb + object phrase.
Take 上课 for example：
1.我每天上午九点上课。（I have class at 9 o’clock every morning.）
2.我每天上午九点上汉语课。（I have Chinese class at 9 o’clock every morning.）
In the first sentence, 上课 is used as a single verb, in the second sentence, 上课 is separated to 上 and 课，and becomes a verb + object phrase.
Because 上课 resembles the English verb + object phrase “have lesson” or “have class”, it’s not hard to understand what this separable verb is or how to use it. However, not every separable verb in Chinese has an equivalent verb + object phrase in English, which easily causes some Chinese learners to make mistakes.
Then, how shall we master this special Chinese language grammar?
I. Memorize the most common separable verbs
Memorize the most commonly used Chinese separable verbs that don’t have equivalent verb + object phrases in English:
1. 帮忙 (help)
2. 道歉 (apologize)
3. 见面 (meet)
4. 跑步 (run)
5. 洗澡 (bath)
6. 散步 (walk)
7. 聊天 (chat)
8. 跳舞 (dance)
9. 结婚 (marry)
10. 离婚 (divorce)
11. 睡觉 (sleep)
12. 考试 (test)
13. 毕业 (graduate)
14. 吵架 (quarrel)
15. 游泳 (swim)
II. Rules of using Chinese separable verbs
1. Chinese separable verbs can not be followed by objects.
Chinese separable verbs are all intransitive. Since a separable verb can be separated to a verb and an object, that means it has an object already.
Examples:
He’s got troubles; I want to help him.
他有困难，我想帮忙他。（incorrect）
他有困难，我想帮忙。（correct）
He bathes his dog every day.
他每天洗澡他的狗。（incorrect）
他每天给他的狗洗澡。（correct）
I will meet you tomorrow.
我明天见面你。（incorrect）
我明天和你见面。（correct）
2. When a separable verb is separated to a verb and an object, auxiliary word such as 了, 过, 着 are only allowed to be placed after the verb, not the object.
Examples:
We chatted for a while yesterday evening.
昨天晚上，我们聊天了一会儿。（incorrect）
昨天晚上，我们聊了一会儿天。（correct）
He has been married before.
他以前结婚过。（incorrect）
他以前结过婚。（correct）
They are having a lesson.
他们正上课着。（incorrect）
他们正上着课。（correct）
3. When a separable verb is separated into a verb and an object, the measure words can only be placed after the verb, not the object.
Examples:
I swim 3 times a week.
我每周游泳三次。（incorrect）
我每周游三次泳。（correct）
I sleep for 8 hours every day.
我每天睡觉八个小时。（incorrect）
我每天睡八个小时觉。（correct）
4. In Chinese, you can reduplicate verbs such as 看看，学习学习，to imply the brief duration of an action or to give the action a relaxed tone. However, when you reduplicate a separable verb, you only can reduplicate its verb part, not the object part.
Examples:
游泳游泳（incorrect）
游游泳（correct）
睡觉睡觉（incorrect）
睡睡觉（correct）
跳舞跳舞（incorrect）
跳跳舞（correct）
To intermediate-level learners of Chinese Mandarin, the separable verb is an inevitable grammar point. Mastering its usage doesn’t seem difficult, but it takes time to use it naturally. From my point of view, if you can memorize the most commonly used ones and practice them as much as possible, sooner or later, you will be like every native Chinese speaker and won’t feel they are “special verbs” any more.
Image by Pearson Scott Foresman [Public domain]
