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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing the action of chatting with 聊天 (liáotiān)

    Actions & Events

    Structure

    跟/和 + Person + 聊天

    Explanation

    The verb 聊天 (liáotiān) means 'to chat' or 'to have a conversation' and refers to casual, informal talking between people. It is a separable verb-object compound, meaning elements like 了 can be inserted between 聊 and 天. It is one of the most common everyday expressions for informal communication in Chinese.

    Examples

    • 我们一边喝咖啡一边聊天，特别开心。

      Wǒmen yìbiān hē kāfēi yìbiān liáotiān, tèbié kāixīn.

      We chatted while drinking coffee, and had a wonderful time.

    • 她喜欢跟邻居聊聊天，说说家常。

      Tā xǐhuān gēn línjū liáoliao tiān, shuōshuō jiācháng.

      She likes to chat with her neighbors and talk about everyday things.

    • 我昨天和老朋友聊了一下午的天。

      Wǒ zuótiān hé lǎo péngyǒu liáo le yī xiàwǔ de tiān.

      I chatted with an old friend all afternoon yesterday.

    Similar Grammar

    Expressing the action of chatting with 聊天 (liáotiān) | Chinese Grammar