50 Most Useful Verbs in Mandarin Chinese

A list of the 50 most common verbs and phrases in Mandarin Chinese with translations and examples.

43 words in this list

有 (yǒu) → to have

🗣️ 我有一只猫。 (I have a cat.)

吃 (chī) → to eat

🗣️ 你吃过中餐吗？ (Have you ever eaten Chinese food?)

来 (lái) → to come

🗣️ 你什么时候来？ (When are you coming?)

学习 (xuéxí) → to study, to learn

🗣️ 我正在学习汉语。 (I am currently learning Chinese.)

买 (mǎi) → to buy

🗣️ 我要去买东西。 (I need to go buy things.)

拿 (ná) → to take, tohold

🗣️ 请拿一杯水给我。 (Please bring me a glass of water.)

换 (huàn) → to change, to exchange

🗣️ 我要换一张票。 (I want to exchange my ticket.)

说话 (shuōhuà) → to speak, to talk

🗣️ 你会说中文吗？ (Do you speak Chinese?)

是 (shì) → to be

🗣️ 我是老师。 (I am a teacher.)

看 (kàn) → to look at, to watch

🗣️ 我喜欢看电影。 (I like to watch movies.)

喝 (hē) → to drink

🗣️ 我喜欢喝茶。 (I like to drink tea.)

打电话 (dǎ diànhuà) → to make a phone call

🗣️ 我要给妈妈打电话。 (I need to call my mom.)

送 (sòng) → to give (as a gift), to deliver

🗣️ 我要送一份礼物给他。 (I want to give him a gift.)

打开 (dǎkāi) → to open

🗣️ 请帮我打开窗户。 (Please help me open the window.)

听 (tīng) → to listen

🗣️ 请听我说。 (Please listen to me.)

做 (zuò) → to do, to make

🗣️ 我喜欢做饭。 (I like to cook.)

看见 (kànjiàn) → to see

🗣️ 我看见了一只小狗。 (I saw a little dog.)

看电视 (kàn diànshì) → to watch TV

🗣️ 我晚上喜欢看电视。 (I like to watch TV at night.)

坐 (zuò) → to sit, to take (transportation)

🗣️ 我喜欢坐地铁。 (I like to take the subway.)

洗澡 (xǐzǎo) → to take a shower

🗣️ 我每天晚上都要洗澡。 (I take a shower every night.)

接 (jiē) → to pick up, to meet

🗣️ 我要去接我的朋友。 (I need to go pick up my friend.)

跑步 (pǎobù) → to run

🗣️ 我每天早上都会去跑步。 (I go for a run every morning.)

洗衣服 (xǐ yīfú) → to do laundry

🗣️ 我每个星期都要洗衣服。 (I do laundry every week.)

说 (shuō) → to speak, to say

🗣️ 你会说中文吗？ (Do you speak Chinese?)

写 (xiě) → to write

🗣️ 请写下你的名字。 (Please write down your name.)

卖 (mài) → to sell

🗣️ 他在商店卖东西。 (He sells things in the store.)

穿 (chuān) → to wear

🗣️ 今天我穿了一件红色的衣服。 (Today I wore a red shirt.)

放 (fàng) → to put, to place

🗣️ 请把书放在桌子上。 (Please put the book on the table.)

打扫 (dǎsǎo) → to clean up, to sweep

🗣️ 请打扫房间。 (Please clean up the room.)

工作 (gōngzuò) → to work, job

🗣️ 我每天都要去工作。 (I have to go to work every day.)

开车 (kāichē) → to drive a car

🗣️ 他不喜欢开车。 (He doesn't like to drive a car.)

关 (guān) → to close, to turn off

🗣️ 请关门。 (Please close the door.)

游泳 (yóuyǒng) → to swim

🗣️ 夏天的时候我喜欢去游泳。 (I like to go swimming in the summer.)

看书 (kàn shū) → to read a book

🗣️ 我喜欢看书。 (I like to read books.)

睡觉 (shuìjiào) → to sleep

🗣️ 我晚上十点睡觉。 (I go to bed at 10 pm.)

做饭 (zuòfàn) → to cook

🗣️ 今天晚上我要做饭。 (I am going to cook tonight.)

打电话 (dǎ diànhuà) → to make a phone call

🗣️ 我需要打电话给我的朋友。 (I need to make a phone call to my friend.)

去 (qù) → to go

🗣️ 我们去北京旅游。 (We are going to travel to Beijing.)

上网 (shàngwǎng) → to go online, to surf the internet

🗣️ 我每天晚上都会上网。 (I go online every night.)

喜欢 (xǐhuan) → to like

🗣️ 我喜欢吃水果。 (I like to eat fruit.)

要 (yào) → to want, to need

🗣️ 我要去商店买东西。 (I want to go to the store to buy things.)

找 (zhǎo) → to look for, to find

🗣️ 我找不到我的钱包。 (I can't find my wallet.)

听 (tīng) → to listen, to hear

🗣️ 请听我说。 (Please listen to me.)

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