A serial verb (or serial) is created when two or more verbs are placed together. This process is called serialization.
Examples
Serial verbs are a very powerful construct in Toaq grammar: any verb with a “satisfies property…” or “is the case” slot can essentially act as an auxiliary verb to another. With other verbs, the result is like “adjective-noun”, or “verb-baq-object”.
| deq koı | can · walk | A modal auxiliary verb, like in English. |
|---|---|---|
| pu koı | did · walk | A tense auxiliary verb, like in English. |
| sheo fıeq | regret · inventing | A less familiar auxiliary verb: sheo “regret”. |
| leo kuaq | try to · express | Many serials correspond to “(verb) to (verb)” in English. |
| jaq chuı | very · early | Other serials correspond to adverbs in English. |
| bu suaojıe | not · care about | Even negation can be done with a serial verb. |
| taq loı | self- · hate | Serialization can be used to make reflexive verbs. |
| sao meı | big · mountain | An “adjectival” serial verb (adjective-noun). |
| joaı haq | seek · food | A “genitival” serial verb (verb-baq-noun). |
Merging definitions
When joining two verbs together into one, their definitions are merged according to the serialization algorithm.
All of the behaviors in the table above arise from a handful of rules:
| leo | ___ tries to satisfy property | ___ | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| baı | ___ | builds | ___ | |
| leo baı | ___ tries to build ___ | |||
| le | it is probable that | ___ | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| guq | ___ | is underneath | ___ | |
| le guq | ___ is probably underneath ___ | |||
| cho | ___ likes | ___ | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rua | ___ | is a flower | ||
| cho rua | ___ likes flowers | |||
| sao | ___ | is big | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| paq | ___ | is a part of ___ | ||
| sao paq | ___ is a big part of ___ | |||
Long serials
For more than two verbs, this merging process is right-grouping:
sheo (leo kuaq)
regret (trying to express)
le (haı (luı (ceo guaı)))
probably (already (have (started working)))
Usage
The result can be used as a verb by saying each word in 
:
Dẻq kỏı súq moq?
Are you able to walk?
Bủ sủaojıe jí ní da.
I don't care about that.
Shẻo lẻo rủo hủaq cảq jí nháo da.
I regret trying to act more strong than them.
Only the first word is conjugated for tone, and everything else stays in .
táq lỏı
self-hater
täq lỏı
… who self-hates
jãq dẻ
very beautifully