10 essential verbs in Chinese you must know (1)
Master the most common Chinese verbs followed by sample sentences with characters, pinyin, explanation and English translation. These verbs are used...
Master the most common Chinese verbs followed by sample sentences with characters, pinyin, explanation and English translation. These verbs are used all the time in daily life and can help you express basic but essential sentences to be understood by local people.
Welcome to our second course of the most common verbs in Chinese. If you are new here and want to have a look at the first course about essential verbs in Mandarin, click here.
For our readers who have finished studying the first part, here are 10 new verbs for you with sample sentences with characters, pinyin, explanation and English translation.吃 chī - To eat
小朋友很喜欢吃甜食。
xiǎopéngyǒu hěn xǐhuān chī tiándiǎn
[小朋友 Children] [很 very] [喜欢 like] [吃 eat] [甜食 desserts]
Children like to eat desserts
我吃了很美味的小笼包。
wǒ chī le hěn měiwèi de xiǎolóngbāo
[我 I] [吃 eat] [了 completed action marker] [很 very] [美味 delicious] [的 possessive particle] [小笼包 steamed dumplings]
I ate a lot of delicious steamed dumplings
你早餐平常吃什么？
nǐ zǎocān píngchǎng chī shénme？
[你 you] [早餐 breakfast] [平常 usually] [吃 eat] [什么 what]
What do you usually eat for breakfast?
喝 hē - To drink
我们昨天在酒吧喝两杯啤酒。
wǒmen zuótiān zài jiǔba hē liǎng bēi píjiǔ
[我们 we] [昨天 yesterday] [在 at] [酒吧 bar] [喝 drink] [两 two] [杯 glasses] [啤酒 beer]
Yesterday, we drank two beers at the bar
他刚喝了一杯柠檬红茶。
tā gāng hē le yī bēi níngméng hóngchá
[他 he] [刚 just] [喝 drink] [了 completed action marker] [一 one] [杯 glass] [柠檬 lemon] [红茶 black tea]
He just drank a cup of lemon back tea
很多中国人喜欢喝热水。
hěn dūo zhōnggúorén xǐhuān hē rèshǔi
[很多 a lot of] [中国人 Chinese people] [喜欢 like] [喝 drink] [热水 hot water]
A lot of Chinese people like to drink hot water
学 xué - To study/learn
我的妈妈想学西班牙语。
wǒ de māma xiǎng xué xībānyáyǔ
[我的 My] [妈妈 mom] [想 would like/want] [学 study] [西班牙语 Spanish language]
My mom wants to learn Spanish.
学写汉字很难。
xué xiě hànzì hěn nán
[学 learn] [写 write] [汉字 Chinese characters] [很 very] [难 complicated]
Studying how to write Chinese characters is complicated
小明想学弹钢琴。
Xiǎomíng xiǎng xué tán gāngqín
[小明 Xiaoming, a name] [想 would like/want] [学 learn] [弹钢琴 play the piano]
Xiaoming wants to learn how to play the piano
爱 ài - To love
她真爱她的小孩。
tā zhēnde ài zìjǐ de xiǎohái
[她 she] [真 really] [爱 love] [她的 her] [小孩 child/children]
She truly loves her child/children
我爱看科幻电影。
wǒ ài kàn kēhuàn diànyǐng
[我 I] [爱 love] [看 look] [科幻 fiction] [电影 movie]
I love watching fiction movies
很多人都爱去公园散步。
hěnduō rén dōu ài qù gōngyúan sànbù
[很多 a lot of] [人 people] [都 all] [爱 love] [去 go] [公园 park] [散步 take a walk]
A lot of people love to go to the park to take a walk
做 zùo - To do
你这个周末打算做什么？
nǐ zhōumò dōu zài zùo shènme？
[你 you] [这个周末 weekend] [打算 plan] [做 do] [什么 what]
What do you plan to do this weekend?
我的奶奶做了饼干给我吃。
wǒ de nǎinai zuò le bǐnggān gěi wǒ chī
[我的 my] [奶奶 grandma] [做 do/make] [了 completed action marker] [饼干 biscuit/cookie] [给 give] [我 me] [吃 eat]
My grandma made cookies for me.
你的爸爸做什么工作？
nǐ de bàba zuò shénme gōngzuò
[你的 your] [爸爸 dad] [做 do] [什么 what] [工作 work]
What is your dad’s job? / What does he do?
叫jiào – To call
你去叫弟弟起床。
nǐ qù jiào dìdi qǐchuáng
[你 you] [去 go] [叫 call] [弟弟 little brother] [起床 wake up]
Go wake up your little brother
我的同学都叫我长颈鹿，因为我很高。
wǒ de tóngxué jiào wǒ chángjǐnglù，yīnwei wǒ hěn gāo
[我的 my] [同学 classmate] [都 all] [叫 call] [我me] [长颈鹿 giraffe]，[因为 because] [我 I] [很 very] [高 tall]
My classmates call me giraffe because I am tall
这个男生很帅，他叫什么名字？
zhè gè nánshēng hěn shuài，tā jiào shénme míngzi？
[这 this] [个 measure word] [男生 man] [很 very] [帅 handsome] , [他 he] [叫 call] [什么 what] [名字 name]
This man is handsome, what is his name?
开 kāi - To open
隔壁的早餐店开到12点。
gébì de zǎocān diàn kāi dào shíèr diǎn
[隔壁 next door] [的 possessive particle] [早餐 breakfast] [店 store] [开 open] [到 until ] [12点 twelve o’clock]
The breakfast shop next door open until 12 o’clock
你可以帮我开门吗？
nǐ kěyǐ bāng wǒ kāi mén ma？
[你 you] [可以 can] [帮 help] [我 me] [开 open] [门 door] [吗 question particle for “yes-no” question]
Can you help me open the door?
春天终于来了，花都开了。
chūntiān zhōngyú lái le，huā dōu kāi le
[春天 spring] [终于 finally] [来 come] [了 completed action marker] ，[花 flower] [都 all] [开 open] [了 completes action marker]
Spring has come, flowers are all blooming
听 tīng - To listen
我喜欢听这首歌。
wǒ xǐhuān tīng zhè shǒu gē
[我 I] [喜欢 like] [听 listen] [这 this] [首 measure word] [歌 song]
I like to listen to this song
在学校要听老师讲的话。
zài xuéxiào yào tīng lǎoshī jiǎng de huà
[在 at] [学校 school] [要 must] [听 listen] [老师 teacher] [讲 speak] [的 possessive particle] [话 word/talk]
At school, (students) must listen to what the teachers are saying
听声音不像他
tīng shēngyīn bú xiàng tā
[听 listen] [声音 voice] [不 negative particle] [像 be like] [他 him]
The voice didn’t sound like him
能 néng - Can / To be able to
按摩能消除疲劳。
ànmó néng xiāochú píláo
[按摩 massage] [能 can] [消除 eliminate] [疲劳 fatigue]
Massage can eliminate fatigue
你能帮我丢垃圾吗？
nǐ néng bāng wǒ diū lājī ma？
[你 you] [能 can] [帮 help] [我 me] [丢 throw] [垃圾 trash] [吗question particle for “yes-no” question]
Can you help me take out the trash?
未成年人不能喝酒。
wèichéngniángrén bù néng hē jiǔ
[未成年人 minor] [不 negative prefix] [能 can] [喝 drink] [酒 alcohol]
Minor can’t drink alcohol
>> Know the difference between 能néng, 可以kě yǐ, 會huì
想 xiǎng - To think / To wish / Would like to / To miss
小明今天晚餐想吃火锅。
Xiǎomíng jīntīan wǎnshàng xiǎng chī huǒguō
[小明 Xiaoming, a name] [今天 today] [晚餐 evening] [想 would like to] [吃 eat] [火锅 hotpot]
Xiaoming would like to eat hotpot tonight
让我想一想。
ràng wǒ xiǎngyīxiǎng
[让 let] [我 me] [想一想 think twice]
Let me think it over .
我很想你。
wǒ hěn xiǎng nǐ
[我 I] [很 very] [想 miss] [你 you]
I miss you a lot
As we advised you on the last course, try to learn the examples by pronouncing then and writing them down. If you want to practice your Mandarin it with a real Chinese teacher, try our free online class by signing up just below.