8.5 Serial Verb Constructions I (Purpose)
We can form a verb phrase with a verb alone, or with a verb and an object.
The verb phrase 玩 waan2 is formed with the verb 玩 waan2 alone. The verb phrase 探朋友 taam3 pang4 jau5 is formed with the verb 探 taam3 and the object 朋友 pang4 jau5.In Cantonese, it is common to use two or more verb phrases consecutively without adding any conjunctions in between. In grammar, we call this type of construction a serial verb construction.
This serial verb construction consists of two verb phrases: 嚟香港 lai4 hoeng1 gong2 and 玩 waan2. Notice the two verb phrases are put right next to each other, without any conjunctions added between them. This serial verb construction consists of two verb phrases: 去日本 heoi3 jat6 bun2 and 探朋友 taam3 pang4 jau5. Notice the two verb phrases are put right next to each other, without any conjunctions added between them.The verb phrases in a serial verb construction can have different meaning relationships. In this lesson, we will learn this meaning relationship: the second verb phrase indicates the purpose of the first verb phrase. For this type of meaning relationship, one common type of verb that appears in the first verb phrase is a verb that indicates movement to a location, such as 嚟 lai4 (‘to come’, as pronounced as lei4), 去 heoi3 (‘to go’) and 返 faan1 (‘to go back’). Also, the subject will be the person who performs the activities of both verb phrases.
The second verb phrase 玩 waan2 is the purpose of the first verb phrase 嚟香港 lai4 hoeng1 gong2. The person comes to Hong Kong because he or she wants to have fun in Hong Kong. The subject 我 ngo5 is the person who performs both 嚟香港 lai4 hoeng1 gong2 and 玩 waan2. The second verb phrase 去日本 heoi3 jat6 bun2 is the purpose of the first verb phrase 探朋友 taam3 pang4 jau5. The person goes to Japan because he or she wants to visit friends in Japan. The subject 我 ngo5 is the person who performs both 去日本 heoi3 jat6 bun2 and 探朋友 taam3 pang4 jau5.To ask about the purpose for a movement, we can put 做乜嘢 zou6 mat1 je5 / 做咩 zou6 me1 (‘to do + what’) at the position of the second verb phrase.
Serial verb constructions are different from verb phrases connected with conjunctions like 同 tung4 (‘and’) and 同埋 tung4 maai4 (‘and’). For verb phrases connected with conjunctions, we can usually change the order of the verb phrases freely without changing the meaning too much. For serial verb constructions, if we change the order of the verb phrases, we will distort the meaning.
Verb Phrases Connected with a Conjunction:
✔️ 我識彈琴同彈結他嘅。
ngo5 sik1 taan4 kam4 tung4 taan4 git3 taa1 ge3.
I know how to play the piano and the guitar.
✔️ 我識彈結他同彈琴嘅。
ngo5 sik1 taan4 git3 taa1 tung4 taan4 kam4 ge3.
I know how to play the guitar and the piano.
The meaning is basically the same even if the order of the two verb phrases is changed.
Serial Verb Construction:
✔️ 我嚟香港讀書嘅。
ngo5 lai4 hoeng1 gong2 duk6 syu1 ge3.
I come to Hong Kong to study.
❌ 我讀書嚟香港嘅。
ngo5 duk6 syu1 lai4 hoeng1 gong2 ge3.
The meaning is distorted if the order of the two verb phrases is changed.
The first verb phrase can also be a verb that doesn’t indicate movement. We will see some examples in later lessons.