139 Verbs in Chinese || A Complete Guide & FREE Quiz

Q: How do you say Verb in Chinese?

Verb in Chinese is 动词 dòngcí

Q: Which verbs are useful when shopping or eating out in China?

Basic verbs when you are shopping around are 买 (mǎi) - Buy, 卖 (mài) - Sell, 点 (diǎn) - Order (food), and 付 (fù) - Pay.

Learn Chinese • By LTL Team • September 8, 2024

A Complete Guide to 139 Verbs in Mandarin Chinese // Travel, Dining, Social Situations and More!

So you want to learn all the verbs in Chinese?

Mastering verbs is a crucial step in learning any language, and Chinese is no exception.

Verbs are the backbone of communication, allowing us to express actions, desires, and intentions.

Whether you’re describing daily routines, asking questions, or discussing plans, understanding how to use Chinese verbs will significantly improve your fluency.

👉 In this blog post, we’ll introduce you to the most commonly used verbs you will encounter in daily conversations and provide example sentences to improve your understanding.

Then we’ll finish off with our mega list of 139 verbs in Chinese! 🤯

Let’s dive in and start building your verb vocabulary.

First things first: verb in Chinese is 动词 dòngcí

Verbs in Chinese || Action Verbs for Everyday Activities
Verbs in Chinese || Essential Verbs for Social Interactions
Verbs in Chinese || Verbs for Travel and Navigation
Verbs in Chinese || Verbs for Shopping and Eating Out
Verbs in Chinese || 139 A-Z Verbs With Audio 🔊
Verbs in Chinese || FREE Quiz
Verbs in Chinese || FAQs

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Verbs in Chinese || Action Verbs for Everyday Activities

First, let’s start with these fundamental action verbs that you’ll use frequently on a daily basis. These verbs help you describe what you plan to do or what you are doing.

💡 Then we’ll take a look at some example sentences.

Chinese	PINYIN	English
吃	chī	Eat
喝	hē	Drink
走	zǒu	Walk
看	kàn	Look; Watch
写	xiě	Write
读	dú	Read
睡觉	shuì jiào	Sleep
起床	qǐ chuáng	Get up

吃 (chī) – Eat

每天早上我都会吃早餐。
měi tiān zǎo shàng wǒ dū huì chī zǎo cān
I eat breakfast every morning.

喝 (hē) – Drink

你想喝点什么？
nǐ xiǎng hē diǎn shén me
What would you like to drink?

走 (zǒu) – Walk

我们一起去公园走走吧。
wǒ men yī qǐ qù gōng yuán zǒu zǒu ba
Let’s take a walk in the park together.

看 (kàn) – Look; Watch

今晚我们要看电影。
jīn wǎn wǒ men yào kàn diàn yǐng
We’re going to watch a movie tonight.

写 (xiě) – Write

请你写下你的名字。
qǐng nǐ xiě xià nǐ de míng zi
Please write down your name.

睡觉 (shuì jiào) – Sleep

我昨晚睡得很好。
wǒ zuó wǎn shuì de hěn hǎo
I slept well last night.

读 (dú) – Read

我喜欢读书。
wǒ xǐ huān dú shū
I like reading books.

起床 (qǐ chuáng) – Get up

我每天七点起床。
wǒ měi tiān qī diǎn qǐ chuáng
I get up at seven every day.

Verbs in Chinese || Essential Verbs for Social Interactions

When you are new to living in China, knowing people and engaging in social activities are super important. These verbs will help you kick off conversations, make more friends, or get more familiar with your colleagues.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
说	shuō	Speak / Say
听	tīng	Listen
问	wèn	Ask
答	dá	Answer
见面	jiàn miàn	Meet
打电话	dǎ diàn huà	Make a phone call
帮助	bāng zhù	Help
喜欢	xǐ huān	Like

说 (shuō) – Speak / Say

他喜欢说故事。
tā xǐ huān shuō gù shì
He likes to tell stories.

问 (wèn) – Ask

你可以问我任何问题。
nǐ kě yǐ wèn wǒ rèn hé wèn tí
You can ask me anything.

见面 (jiàn miàn) – Meet

我们明天见面吧。
wǒ men míng tiān jiàn miàn ba
Let’s meet tomorrow.

帮助 (bāng zhù) – Help

你需要帮助吗？
nǐ xū yào bāng zhù ma
Do you need help?

听 (tīng) – Listen

请你听我说。
qǐng nǐ tīng wǒ shuō)
Please listen to me.

答 (dá) – Answer

他还没答我的问题。
tā hái méi dá wǒ de wèn tí
He hasn’t answered my question yet.

打电话 (dǎ diàn huà) – Make a phone call

我给你打电话。
wǒ gěi nǐ dǎ diàn huà)
I’ll give you a call.

喜欢 (xǐ huān) – Like

我喜欢这个城市。
wǒ xǐ huān zhè ge chéng shì
I like this city.

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Verbs in Chinese || Verbs for Travel and Navigation

When getting around in China, you will probably encounter situations where you need to ask for directions or describe where you’re going.

These verbs are indispensable in these conversations. They will help you flow through places.

Chinese	PINYIN	ENGLISH
去	qù	Go
离开	lí kāi	Leave; Depart
到达	dào dá	Arrive
住	zhù	Stay
要	yào	Want
找	zhǎo	Look for / Find
乘坐	chéng zuò	Take (a mode of transportation)
问路	wèn lù	Ask for directions

去 (qù) – Go

我们要去哪里？
wǒ men yào qù nǎ lǐ
Where are we going?

离开 (lí kāi) – Leave; Depart

我们几点离开？
wǒ men jǐ diǎn lí kāi
What time are we leaving?

要 (yào) – Want

我要买一张火车票。
wǒ yào mǎi yī zhāng huǒ chē piào
I want to buy a train ticket.

找 (zhǎo) – Look for / Find

我在找酒店。
wǒ zài zhǎo jiǔ diàn)
I’m looking for the hotel.

到达 (dào dá) – Arrive

火车几点到达？
huǒ chē jǐ diǎn dào dá
What time does the train arrive?

住 (zhù) – Stay

我们今晚住在哪儿？
wǒ men jīn wǎn zhù zài nǎr
Where are we staying tonight?

乘坐 (chéng zuò) Take (a mode of transportation)

我们乘坐地铁去机场。
wǒ men chéng zuò dì tiě qù jī chǎng
We’re taking the subway to the airport.

问路 (wèn lù) – Ask for directions

如果你迷路了，可以问路。
rú guǒ nǐ mí lù le, kě yǐ wèn lù
If you get lost, you can ask for directions.

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Verbs in Chinese || Verbs for Shopping and
Eating Out

It’s always fun to shop and eat out with your friends when you are more familiar with life in China. There are always a lot of fun things to do.

You can often use these words in daily conversations to buy stuff you like and enjoy delicious food.

CHINESE	PINYIN	ENGLISH
买	mǎi	Buy
卖	mài	Sell
点	diǎn	Order (food)
尝	cháng	Taste
付	fù	Pay
拿	ná	Take
换	huàn	Exchange
看	kàn	Look

买 (mǎi) – Buy

我想买这个。
wǒ xiǎng mǎi zhè ge
I’d like to buy this.

点 (diǎn) – Order (food)

我们点了很多菜。
wǒ men diǎn le hěn duō cài
We ordered a lot of dishes.

付 (fù) – Pay

我来付钱。
wǒ lái fù qián
I’ll pay the bill.

换 (huàn) – Exchange

这个可以换吗？
zhè ge kě yǐ huàn ma
Can I exchange this?

卖 (mài) – Sell

这家店卖水果。
zhè jiā diàn mài shuǐ guǒ
This store sells fruit.

尝 (cháng) – Taste

你想尝尝这个吗？
nǐ xiǎng cháng cháng zhè ge ma
Do you want to taste this?

拿 (ná) – Take

请拿一份菜单给我。
qǐng ná yī fèn cài dān gěi wǒ
Please bring me a menu.

看 (kàn) – Look

我先看看。
wǒ xiān kàn kan
I’ll take a look first.

Now, with this long list of verbs, you should be well-prepared to handle a wide range of daily conversations in Chinese. Keep practising, and soon you will be speaking like a local.

Bonus: Don’t just learn the verb but also how to apply them appropriately to Chinese grammar.

Verbs in Chinese || Ultimate A-Z List

And now, what you’ve all been waiting for…

In this chapter, you’ll find 139 of the most commonly used Chinese verbs, perfect for everyday conversations.

Use this list to expand your vocabulary and improve your fluency step by step!

Chinese	Pinyin	English
建议	jiàn yì	to advise
同意	tóng yì	to agree
回答	huí dá	to answer
道歉	dào qiàn	to apologize
来到	lái dào	to arrive
请求	qǐng qiú	to ask
开始	kāi shǐ	to begin
属于	shǔ yú	to belong to …
自夸	zì kuā	to boast
打破	dǎ pò	to break
呼	hū	to call (for help)
能	néng	can (capable of doing)
抓住	zhuā zhù	to catch
改变	gǎi biàn	to change
选	xuǎn	to choose (select)
下来	xià lai	to come down
进来	jìn lái	to come in (enter)
比较	bǐ jiào	to compare
抱怨	bào yuàn	to complain
混淆	hùn xiáo	to confuse
继续	jì xù	to continue
控制	kòng zhì	to control
做饭	zuò fàn	to cook
计算	jì suàn	to count
指望	zhǐ wàng	to count on (me)
创造	chuàng zào	to create
哭	kū	to cry
骗	piàn	to deceive
装饰	zhuāng	to decorate
保卫	bǎo wèi	defend
要求	yāo qiú	to demand
挖	wā	to dig
讨论	tǎo lùn	to discuss
做	zuò	to do
怀疑	huái yí	to doubt
掉	diào	to drop
存在	cún zài	to exist
预见	yù jiàn	to expect
解释	jiě shì	to explain
存在	cún zài	to exist
预见	yù jiàn	to expect
解释	jiě shì	to explain
跌倒	diē dǎo	to fall
找到	zhǎo dào	to find
结束	jié shù	to finish
飞	fēi	to fly
跟随	gēn suí	to follow
忘	wàng	to forget
原谅	yuán liàng	to forgive
给	gěi	to give
暗示	àn shì	to give a hint
走	zǒu	to go (on foot)
去游泳	qù yóu yǒng	to go for a swim
走出去	zǒu chū qù	to go out
猜	cāi	to guess
有	yǒu	to have
吃早饭	chī zǎo fàn	to have breakfast
吃午饭	chī wǔ fàn	to have lunch
吃晚饭	chī wǎn fàn	to have dinner
听见	tīng jiàn	to hear
帮助	bāng zhù	to help
藏	cáng	to hide
希望	xī wàng	to hope
打猎	dǎ liè	to hunt
赶紧	gǎn jǐn	to hurry
通知	tōng zhī	to inform
坚持	jiān chí	to insist
侮辱	wǔ rǔ	to insult
邀请	yāo qǐng	to invite
开玩笑	kāi wán xiào	to joke
保存	bǎo cún	to keep
沉默	chén mò	to keep silent
杀死	shā sǐ	to kill
知道	zhī dào	to know
笑	xiào	to laugh
解放	jiě fàng	to liberate
喜欢	xǐ huan	to like
寻找	xún zhǎo	to look for
爱	ài	to love
犯错	fàn cuò	to make a mistake
管理	guǎn lǐ	to manage
提到	tí dào	to mention
错过	cuò guò	to miss (class / work / party)
需要	xū yào	to be needed
注意到	zhù yì dào	to notice
观察	guān chá	to observe
开	kāi	to open
订	dìng	to order (food)
命令	mìng lìng	order (command)
拥有	yōng yǒu	to own
参与	cān yù	to participate
支付	zhī fù	to pay
允许	yǔn xǔ	to permit
计划	jì huà	to plan
玩	wán	to play
祈祷	qí dǎo	to pray
宁愿	nìng yuàn	to prefer
承诺	chéng nuò	to promise
提议	tí yì	to propose (offer)
惩罚	chéng fá	to punish
读	dú	to read
推荐	tuī jiàn	to recommend
拒绝	jù jué	to refuse
后悔	hòu huǐ	to regret
租房	zū fáng	to rent
重复	chóng fù	to repeat (say again)
预订	to reserve	yù dìng
跑	pǎo	to run
救出	jiù chū	to save (rescue)
说	shuō	to say
责骂	zé mà	to scold
看见	kàn jiàn	to see
卖	mài	to sell
寄	jì	to send
射击	shè jī	to shoot
叫喊	jiào hǎn	to shout
展示	zhǎn shì	to show
签名	qiān míng	to sign (document)
坐下	zuò xia	to sit down
微笑	wēi xiào	to smile
说	shuō	to speak
偷窃	tōu qiè	to steal
停	tíng	to stop
学习	xué xí	to study
游泳	yóuyǒng	to swim
拿	ná	to take
想	xiǎng	to think
威胁	wēi xié	to threaten
摸	mō	to touch
翻译	fān yì	to translate
信任	xìn rèn	to trust
试图	shì tú	to try
转弯	zhuǎn wān	to turn
轻视	qīng shì	to underestimate
明白	míng bai	to understand
联合	lián hé	to unite
等	děng	to wait
想	xiǎng	to want (desire)
警告	jǐng gào	to warn
工作	gōng zuò	to work
写	xiě	to write

Chinese Verbs Quiz

Time to test your knowledge. Here comes our quick-fire quiz.

20 questions, barely a couple of minutes, and instant results.

Score well? Tell us in the comments below!

Enjoying learning new things? So do we!

Why not check out our guide to verbs in Japanese as well? You might notice some similarities with the characters used in Japanese Kanji, just like Chinese Hanzi!

And whilst we’re at it, let’s check out these super useful vocabulary blogs as well…

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Chinese Verbs – FAQ’s

How do Chinese Verbs work?

Chinese Mandarin does not conjugate verbs, meaning verbs don’t have different tenses.

This means you only have to learn one tense! Sentences like: “I do, he does, she did” just got a lot simpler!

How to use Chinese Verbs in a sentence?

Basic Chinese grammar dictates that subject + verb + object sentence is the correct order for making sentences. Example (我 wǒ) + (爱 ài) + (你 nǐ) = I love you.

How do you say Verb in Chinese?

Verb in Chinese is 动词 dòngcí

How can I learn all the verbs in Chinese?

Read our blog to learn the most common verbs in Chinese.

As a BONUS, we’ve included a Chinese Verbs Quiz to test yourself and learn from your mistakes.

What are some essential Chinese verbs for daily activities?

In the most common scenarios for daily activities, you could use 吃 (chī) – Eat, 喝 (hē) – Drink, 走 (zǒu) – Walk, and 睡觉 (shuì jiào) – Sleep.