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Verbs & Verb Phrases

Action verbs
他把那本书翻了一遍。
He leafed through the book once.
Tā bǎ nà běn shū fān le yī biàn.
把 with complex resultative complement
这个决定使我们感到高兴。
This decision made us happy.
Zhège juédìng shǐ wǒmen gǎndào gāoxìng.
Formal causative 使 (shǐ)
他们互相帮助。
They help each other.
Tāmen hùxiāng bāngzhù.
Reciprocal adverb 互相 (hùxiāng)
他笑着说。
He said (it) smilingly.
Tā xiào zhe shuō.
Aspect overlap: V + 着 as manner
再 (future again) vs 又 (past again)
again in future vs again in past
zài vs yòu
再 = future repeated action; 又 = past repeated
我懂了。
Now I understand. (change of state)
Wǒ dǒng le.
Sentence-final 了 for change of state
她唱起歌来了。
She started to sing.
Tā chàng qǐ gē lái le.
Inceptive 起来 (qǐlái) = begin to V
这令人难以置信。
This is hard to believe.
Zhè lìng rén nán yǐ zhìxìn.
Formal causative 令 (lìng)
吃得了 / 吃不了
can / can't finish eating
chī de liǎo / chī bu liǎo
Potential complement with 了
他拿起杯子。
He picked up the cup.
Tā ná qǐ bēizi.
Coverb 拿 (ná) with directional complement