The verb-object compound is composed of two constituents having the syntactic relation of a ver and its direct object. Any one of the following three properties will render a verb-object construction as a compound:
-One or both of the constituents being bound morphemes
-Idiomaticity of the meaning of the entire unit
-Inseparability or limited separability of the constituents
Let us take 革命 ‘remove the mandate-life =revolution’ as an example.
革 is a bound morpheme.
The meaning of the construction is not derivable from the meaning of the constituents.
The construction is inseparable.
Reference
Li, C. N., & Thompson, S. A. (1989). Mandarin Chinese: A functional reference grammar (Vol. 3). Univ of California Press.
