<p>The present study attempted to explore second language (L2) learners’ processing of English applicative constructions in comparison to prepositional dative constructions. Specifically, we employed an online comprehension in an eye-tracking paradigm in which Chinese learners of English had to read sentences containing English applicative constructions and prepositional dative constructions. Results revealed that compared with the indirect objects in prepositional dative constructions, learners processed the indirect objects in English applicative constructions more slowly during the later stage. Additionally, factors such as thematic roles, verbal event types, and the learners’ proficiency collectively affected the processing of English applicative constructions. The findings suggest that L2 learners experience greater difficulties integrating syntactic and semantic information in English applicative constructions. This study highlights the role of syntactic-semantic interface complexity in L2 processing and supports the Interface Heterogeneity Hypothesis, offering new insights for theories of bilingual language acquisition.</p>