坐火车去上海看朋友
go somewhere to do something; go somewhere by some means
Structure
主语 + 去／来 + 地点 + 动词（+ 宾语） · 主语 + 坐／开 + 交通工具 + 去／来 + 地点
What it means
Chinese lines up verbs in the order things happen: first how you go, then where, then what you do there.
How it is built
Subject + 坐／开 + vehicle + 去／来 + place + verb (+ object): 妈妈坐飞机来北京看我 (Mum is flying to Beijing to see me).
When to use it
坐 is for anything you ride as a passenger (火车, 飞机, 出租车); 开车 is when you drive yourself. 打车 already means “take a taxi”: 我们打车去火车站.
Watch out
✗ 坐打车 ✓ 打车去. ✗ 我去看朋友在上海。 ✓ 我去上海看朋友。 Don’t move the place to the end as in English.
Examples
星期天我去商店买水果。
On Sunday I’m going to the shop to buy fruit.
我们打车去火车站。
We’re getting a taxi to the station.
妈妈明天坐飞机来北京看我。
Mum is flying to Beijing tomorrow to see me.
Learn this in HSK 1 · Lesson 13: 坐火车去上海 (Train or plane?)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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