<p>I'll try answering this (but be aware I'm just a learner).</p>

<p>The given examples are transitive vs. intransitive verbs:</p>

<ol>
<li><p><strong>说 vs. 说话</strong>.  Here, <a href="http://youdao.com/w/%E8%AF%B4" rel="nofollow noreferrer">说</a> is a transitive verb (i.e., it takes an object) whereas <a href="http://youdao.com/w/%E8%AF%B4%E8%AF%9D" rel="nofollow noreferrer">说话</a> is an intransitive verb (i.e., it doesn't take an object):</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>他<strong>说</strong>“你好”<br>
  He says hello</p>
  
  <p>你为什么那样<strong>说话</strong>？<br>
  Why do you speak that way?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>We can alternatively think of <a href="http://youdao.com/w/%E8%AF%9D" rel="nofollow noreferrer">话</a> (noun) as what is being said (说).</p></li>
<li><p><strong>吃 vs. 吃饭</strong>.  Again, <a href="http://youdao.com/w/%E5%90%83" rel="nofollow noreferrer">吃</a> is a transitive verb whereas <a href="http://youdao.com/w/%E5%90%83%E9%A5%AD" rel="nofollow noreferrer">吃饭</a> is an intransitive verb, so 我<strong>吃饭</strong>面包 is incorrect, but 我<strong>吃</strong>面包 is correct.</p>

<p>Again, we can alternatively think of <a href="http://youdao.com/w/%E9%A5%AD" rel="nofollow noreferrer">饭</a> as the object being eating (吃).</p></li>
</ol>

<p>(I also note that both 说 and 吃 can be used as intransitive verbs, e.g., 你别说了 and 他什么都没吃.)</p>

<h3>学 vs. 学习</h3>

<p>Another example is <a href="http://youdao.com/w/%E5%AD%A6" rel="nofollow noreferrer">学</a> and <a href="http://youdao.com/w/%E5%AD%A6%E4%B9%A0" rel="nofollow noreferrer">学习</a> which are both transitive verbs.  So both of these are grammatical:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>我<strong>学</strong>汉语。<br>
  我<strong>学习</strong>汉语。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>In this case, which do we choose?  See this question: <a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/743/whats-the-difference-between-%e5%ad%a6-and-%e5%ad%a6%e4%b9%a0">What&#39;s the difference between 学 and 学习?</a>  It's somewhat a matter of preference, circumstance, etc.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-16T15:01:07.183Z
Where should I look to see whether a verb is transitive or intransitive? The online dictionary I have been resorting to doesn't have such information
小奥利奥
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-17T00:34:24.367Z
I don’t really have a good answer to that. I just look up example sentences at YouDao or Jukuu and see how they’re used.  I generally just look at a bunch of examples and familiarize myself with how Chinese people use words.
Becky 李蓓
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-16T05:09:27.833Z
2019-11-16T05:09:27.833Z
Becky 李蓓
<p>I know of many verbs that can be expressed as a single character or two characters (i.e. 说 &amp; 说话). The issue is that I don't know when it is appropriate to use one of over the other. Is it dependent on the subsequent word? For example, "我吃米" and "我吃饭面包"? Or is it the other way around? Neither? Personal preference perhaps!? I've read that <a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/14740/confusion-when-words-are-combined/14743#14743">there is a natural tendency in Chinese to minimize the number of characters in compound words</a>. That being the case, should I avoid using the two characters versions entirely?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-16T03:49:01.903Z
Indeed, 吃饭 means to have meal, not to eat.
魏小淇
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-16T05:05:07.523Z
Don’t eat 米 - it’s not cooked!
Mou某
<usage>
When to use the single character vs double character form of a verb?
# When to use the single character vs double character form of a verb?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-11-16)

I know of many verbs that can be expressed as a single character or two characters (i.e. 说 & 说话). The issue is that I don't know when it is appropriate to use one of over the other. Is it dependent on the subsequent word? For example, "我吃米" and "我吃饭面包"? Or is it the other way around? Neither? Personal preference perhaps!? I've read that [there is a natural tendency in Chinese to minimize the number of characters in compound words](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/14740/confusion-when-words-are-combined/14743#14743). That being the case, should I avoid using the two characters versions entirely?

**Tags:** usage

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Indeed, 吃饭 means to have meal, not to eat.  
> **username_2**: Don’t eat 米 - it’s not cooked!  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2019-11-16. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

I'll try answering this (but be aware I'm just a learner).

The given examples are transitive vs. intransitive verbs:

1. **说 vs. 说话**. Here, [说](http://youdao.com/w/%E8%AF%B4) is a transitive verb (i.e., it takes an object) whereas [说话](http://youdao.com/w/%E8%AF%B4%E8%AF%9D) is an intransitive verb (i.e., it doesn't take an object):

   > 他**说**“你好”  
   > He says hello
   >
   > 你为什么那样**说话**？  
   > Why do you speak that way?

   We can alternatively think of [话](http://youdao.com/w/%E8%AF%9D) (noun) as what is being said (说).
2. **吃 vs. 吃饭**. Again, [吃](http://youdao.com/w/%E5%90%83) is a transitive verb whereas [吃饭](http://youdao.com/w/%E5%90%83%E9%A5%AD) is an intransitive verb, so 我**吃饭**面包 is incorrect, but 我**吃**面包 is correct.

   Again, we can alternatively think of [饭](http://youdao.com/w/%E9%A5%AD) as the object being eating (吃).

(I also note that both 说 and 吃 can be used as intransitive verbs, e.g., 你别说了 and 他什么都没吃.)

### 学 vs. 学习

Another example is [学](http://youdao.com/w/%E5%AD%A6) and [学习](http://youdao.com/w/%E5%AD%A6%E4%B9%A0) which are both transitive verbs. So both of these are grammatical:

> 我**学**汉语。  
> 我**学习**汉语。

In this case, which do we choose? See this question: [What's the difference between 学 and 学习?](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/743/whats-the-difference-between-%e5%ad%a6-and-%e5%ad%a6%e4%b9%a0) It's somewhat a matter of preference, circumstance, etc.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Where should I look to see whether a verb is transitive or intransitive? The online dictionary I have been resorting to doesn't have such information  
> **username_3**: I don’t really have a good answer to that. I just look up example sentences at YouDao or Jukuu and see how they’re used.  I generally just look at a bunch of examples and familiarize myself with how Chinese people use words.  

---

