😅 我们吃饭一起吧 – Wait… That’s Wrong?!

❌ The Wrong Sentence

我们吃饭一起吧。

(Wǒmen chīfàn yìqǐ ba.)

Let’s eat together.

This might seem okay if you’re translating directly from English, but in Chinese, the word order is off.

✅ What You Should Say

✅ 我们一起吃饭吧。

(Wǒmen yìqǐ chīfàn ba.)

→ Let’s eat together.

🔍 What’s the Problem?

In Chinese, the word 一起 (yìqǐ) — meaning together — usually comes before the verb it modifies.

Let’s break it down:

❌ Wrong Order	✅ Correct Order
吃饭一起 (chīfàn yìqǐ)	一起吃饭 (yìqǐ chīfàn)
看电影一起 (kàn diànyǐng yìqǐ)	一起看电影 (yìqǐ kàn diànyǐng)
去公园一起 (qù gōngyuán yìqǐ)	一起去公园 (yìqǐ qù gōngyuán)

❌ Wrong Order

✅ Correct Order

吃饭一起

(chīfàn yìqǐ)

一起吃饭

(yìqǐ chīfàn)

看电影一起

(kàn diànyǐng yìqǐ)

一起看电影

(yìqǐ kàn diànyǐng)

去公园一起

(qù gōngyuán yìqǐ)

一起去公园

(yìqǐ qù gōngyuán)

So, “一起” + Verb is the natural, correct structure in Chinese.

🎯 Example Sentences

✅ 我们一起去看电影吧。

(Wǒmen yìqǐ qù kàn diànyǐng ba.)

→ Let’s go watch a movie together.

✅ 周末我们一起去公园。

(Zhōumò wǒmen yìqǐ qù gōngyuán.)

→ We’ll go to the park together this weekend.

✅ 她喜欢和朋友一起吃饭。

(Tā xǐhuan hé péngyou yìqǐ chīfàn.)

→ She likes eating with friends.

💡 Easy Tip to Remember

📌 In Chinese, “一起” comes before the verb — not after.

🎯 Think of it like saying “together do something” instead of “do something together.”

🎯 Interactive Practice

Which one is correct for "They play soccer together":

A. 他们踢足球一起。

(Tāmen tī zúqiú yìqǐ.)

B. 他们一起踢足球。

(Tāmen yìqǐ tī zúqiú.)

✅ Correct Answer: B

🚀 Final Reminder

Learning word order helps you speak smoother Chinese and sound more natural.

So next time, if you want to sound more natural, say “一起吃饭” — not “吃饭一起.” 🍚🥢

📘 Want to avoid more Chinese mistakes?

👉 Check out the full blog series: Oops! Chinese Mistakes.

📚 Explore All Blog Posts