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Verbs & Verb Phrases

Action verbs
她唱歌、睡觉、工作。(asyndeton)
She sings
sleeps
works. (no connector)
玻璃碎了。
The glass broke (spontaneously).
Bōli suì le.
Spontaneous event with 了 (no agent)
门开了。vs 我开门。
The door opened. vs I opened the door.
ergative alternation
Same verb used transitively and intransitively
他变成了一个好人。
He became a good person.
Tā biàn chéng le yī gè hǎo rén.
Inchoative 成 (chéng) = become
买 (activity) vs 买到 (achievement)
buy (process) vs successfully buy
télicity distinction
Lexical aspect: activity vs achievement verb
他为人正直。(literary)
He is an upright person. (formal)
Tā wéi rén zhèngzhí.
Formal copula 为 (wéi) in literary writing
出现了一个问题。
A problem appeared.
Chūxiàn le yī gè wèntí.
Existential-presentational verb 出现
我不得不去。
I have no choice but to go.
Wǒ bùdébù qù.
Quasi-modal 不得不 = have no choice but
他应该知道。(inference)
He should know. (epistemic)
Tā yīnggāi zhīdào.
Epistemic modal 应该 = inference/expectation
必须 vs 得 vs 应该 (deontic)
must (obligation) vs have to vs should
bìxū / děi / yīnggāi
Deontic modal scale: obligation → advice