The plain serial verb construction chains verbs that simply happen one after another. But a huge slice of everyday speech uses the same bare chaining to express something more pointed: purpose ("go to buy things") and means ("go by bus," "eat with chopsticks"). English marks these with little grammar words — "to," "in order to," "by," "with." Mandarin marks them with nothing but the order of the verbs. 去买东西 is "go buy-things"; 坐车去 is "sit-vehicle go." Once you know which verb comes first, you know whether you are looking at a goal or a vehicle. This page sorts the two out.
Purpose: motion first, goal second
The commonest case pairs a motion verb — 去 (qù, go), 来 (lái, come), 回 (huí, return) — with a second verb that states why you moved. The motion comes first, the purpose follows. English inserts "to"; Mandarin just chains.
| Motion | Purpose | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 去 (qù) | 买东西 (mǎi dōngxi) | go to buy things |
| 来 (lái) | 看你 (kàn nǐ) | come to see you |
| 回家 (huí jiā) | 吃饭 (chī fàn) | go home to eat |
我去超市买点儿东西，你要不要一起去？
wǒ qù chāoshì mǎi diǎnr dōngxi, nǐ yào bu yào yìqǐ qù?
I'm going to the supermarket to buy a few things — do you want to come along? (informal) — 去超市 (motion) then 买东西 (purpose).
我今天来就是想看看你，别的没什么事。
wǒ jīntiān lái jiùshì xiǎng kànkan nǐ, biéde méi shénme shì
I came today just to see you — nothing else, really. (informal) — the coming serves the purpose of seeing you.
The motion verbs 去 and 来 are so at home in this pattern that a bare 去买东西 already feels like a complete errand: go, in order to buy. No "to" required.
Means: vehicle or tool first, main verb second
The mirror image expresses means — how you accomplish the main action. Here the means comes first (the transport you take, the tool you use), and the main verb follows. Transport uses 坐 (zuò, sit/ride) or 骑 (qí, ride astride); tools use 用 (yòng, use).
| Means | Main verb | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 坐车 (zuò chē) | 去 (qù) | go by bus/car |
| 骑自行车 (qí zìxíngchē) | 上班 (shàngbān) | commute by bike |
| 用筷子 (yòng kuàizi) | 吃 (chī) | eat with chopsticks |
我一般坐地铁上班，又快又便宜。
wǒ yìbān zuò dìtiě shàngbān, yòu kuài yòu piányi
I usually take the subway to work — fast and cheap. (informal) — 坐地铁 (means) precedes 上班 (main action).
你用筷子吃还是用勺子吃？
nǐ yòng kuàizi chī háishi yòng sháozi chī?
Are you eating with chopsticks or with a spoon? (informal) — the tool phrase 用筷子 comes first, the eating second.
Why you usually don't need 为了
English speakers, primed to mark purpose explicitly, often want to front the sentence with 为了 (wèile, "in order to"). For a simple, concrete errand, that is overkill — the serial chain already carries the purpose. 我去买东西 says everything; 我为了买东西去 sounds stilted and top-heavy. Reserve 为了 for larger, more abstract goals ("in order to pass the exam," "for the sake of the family"), not for popping to the shop.
我下楼取个快递，马上就回来。
wǒ xià lóu qǔ ge kuàidì, mǎshàng jiù huílái
I'm going downstairs to grab a package — back in a sec. (informal) — pure serial purpose; adding 为了 here would sound heavy.
为了通过考试，他每天学到半夜。
wèile tōngguò kǎoshì, tā měitiān xué dào bànyè
In order to pass the exam, he studies until midnight every day. (neutral) — a big, abstract goal — this is where 为了 earns its place.
Common Mistakes
1. Adding 为了 for a simple purpose. Everyday errands don't need it — the serial chain already means "to do X."
❌ 我为了买东西去超市。
Overwrought for an errand — the chain 去超市买东西 already carries the purpose.
✅ 我去超市买东西。
wǒ qù chāoshì mǎi dōngxi
I'm going to the supermarket to buy things. — bare serial purpose, no 为了.
2. Putting the means after the main verb. The vehicle or tool must come before the verb it serves.
❌ 我去坐车公司。
Incorrect — the means 坐车 can't trail the main verb; it comes first.
✅ 我坐车去公司。
wǒ zuò chē qù gōngsī
I go to the office by bus. — means (坐车) before main verb (去公司).
3. Using 用 for transport. Riding a vehicle takes 坐 or 骑, not 用; 用 is for tools and instruments.
❌ 我用公交车去学校。
Incorrect — you don't 用 a bus; take it with 坐.
✅ 我坐公交车去学校。
wǒ zuò gōngjiāochē qù xuéxiào
I go to school by bus. — 坐 for riding transport.
4. Inserting a connector between the two verbs. Like all serial chains, purpose and means take no 和 and no "to."
❌ 我来和看你。
Incorrect — no connector goes between the motion verb and the purpose verb.
✅ 我来看你。
wǒ lái kàn nǐ
I've come to see you. — the two verbs chain bare.
Key Takeaways
- This serial-verb subtype expresses purpose (去买东西 "go to buy things") or means (坐车去 "go by bus"), with no connecting word.
- Purpose: a motion verb (去/来/回) comes first, and the second verb is the goal — where English says "to."
- Means: the vehicle or tool phrase (坐车, 用筷子) comes first, ahead of the main verb — where English says "by" or "with."
- The first verb tells you which relationship you're in: motion → purpose; vehicle/tool → means.
- Skip 为了 for simple errands; save it for large, abstract goals. And use 坐/骑 for transport, not 用.
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- Serial Verbs 连动句 (Sequenced Actions)HSK 2 — A serial-verb sentence (连动句) strings two or more verb phrases under one subject, in the order the actions happen: 开门进来 'open the door and come in', 他站起来说话 'he stood up and spoke'. Where English glues verbs together with 'and', Chinese just lines them up — the order of the verbs IS the order of events.