[fluentu-toc]
\n<\/p>\n
1. \u7231 (\u00e0i)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to love<\/h2>\n\u6211\u7231\u4f60\uff01
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 \u00e0i n\u01d0!)
\n<\/em>I love you!<\/p>\n2. \u770b (k\u00e0n)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to see\/watch\/look<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5728\u770b\u7535\u5f71\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 z\u00e0i k\u00e0n di\u00e0n y\u01d0ng.)
\n<\/em>I am watching a movie.<\/p>\n3. \u53bb (q\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to go<\/h2>\n\u6211\u8981\u53bb\u5317\u4eac\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u00e0o q\u00f9 b\u011bi j\u012bng.)
\n<\/em>I am going to Beijing.<\/p>\n4. \u6765 (l\u00e1i)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to come<\/h2>\n\u6765\u8fd9\u513f\u5427\uff01
\n<\/strong>(l\u00e1i zh\u00e8r ba!)
\n<\/em>Come here!<\/p>\n5. \u6709 (y\u01d2u )<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to have<\/h2>\n\u6211\u6709\u4e00\u4e2a\u597d\u670b\u53cb\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u01d2u y\u00ed g\u00e8 h\u01ceo p\u00e9ng y\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I have one good friend.<\/p>\n6. \u8981 (y\u00e0o)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to want<\/h2>\n\u6211\u8981\u8fd9\u6761\u88d9\u5b50\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u00e0o zh\u00e8 ti\u00e1o q\u00fan zi.)
\n<\/em>I want this skirt.<\/p>\n7. \u505a (zu\u00f2) <\/em>\u2014\u00a0to do<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5728\u505a\u4f5c\u4e1a\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 z\u00e0i zu\u00f2 zu\u00f2 y\u00e8.)
\n<\/em>I am doing homework.<\/p>\n8. \u5199 (xi\u011b)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to write<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5728\u5199\u6c49\u5b57\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 z\u00e0i xi\u011b h\u00e0n z\u00ec.)
\n<\/em>I am writing Chinese characters.<\/p>\n9. \u7a7f (chu\u0101n)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to wear<\/h2>\n\u6211\u7a7f\u6211\u59b9\u59b9\u7684\u8863\u670d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 chu\u0101n w\u01d2 m\u00e8i mei de y\u012b fu.)
\n<\/em>I wear my sister’s clothes.<\/p>\n10. \u542c\u00a0(t\u012bng) <\/em>\u2014\u00a0to hear\/listen<\/h2>\n\u7238\u7238\u5728\u542c\u5e7f\u64ad\u3002
\n<\/strong>(b\u00e0 ba z\u00e0i t\u012bng gu\u01ceng b\u00f2.)
\n<\/em>Dad is listening to the radio.<\/p>\n11. \u8bf4 (shu\u014d)<\/em> \u2014 to speak<\/h2>\n\u6211\u8ddf\u8001\u5e08\u8bf4\u4e2d\u6587\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 g\u0113n l\u01ceo sh\u012b shu\u014d zh\u014dng w\u00e9n.)
\n<\/em>I speak Chinese with the teacher.<\/p>\n12. \u95ee (w\u00e8n)<\/em> \u2014 to ask<\/h2>\n\u00a0\u6211\u60f3\u95ee\u4f60\u4e00\u4ef6\u4e8b\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 xi\u01ceng w\u00e8n n\u01d0 y\u00ed ji\u00e0n sh\u00ec.)
\n<\/em>I want to ask you one thing.<\/p>\n13. \u5403 (ch\u012b)<\/em> \u2014 to eat<\/h2>\n\u6211\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u5403\u65e9\u996d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du ch\u012b z\u01ceo f\u00e0n.)
\n<\/em>I eat breakfast every day.<\/p>\n14. \u559d (h\u0113)<\/em> \u2014 to drink<\/h2>\n\u5988\u5988\u5728\u559d\u8336\u3002
\n<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma z\u00e0i h\u0113 ch\u00e1.)
\n<\/em>Mom is drinking tea.<\/p>\n15. \u4e70 (m\u01cei)<\/em> \u2014 to buy<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e70\u4e86\u6c34\u679c\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 m\u01cei le shu\u01d0 gu\u01d2.)
\n<\/em>I bought fruit.<\/p>\n16. \u7528 (y\u00f2ng)<\/em> \u2014 to use<\/h2>\n\u8bf7\u7528\u9ed1\u8272\u7684\u7b14\u3002
\n<\/strong>(q\u01d0ng y\u00f2ng h\u0113i s\u00e8 de b\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>Please use a black pen.<\/p>\n17. \u6e38\u6cf3 (y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to swim<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u4f1a\u6e38\u6cf3\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00fa hu\u00ec y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng.)
\n<\/em>I can’t swim.<\/p>\n18. \u5b66\u4e60 (xu\u00e9 x\u00ed)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to study\/learn<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5b66\u4e60\u7684\u4e0d\u662f\u897f\u73ed\u7259\u8bed\uff0c\u800c\u662f\u6cd5\u8bed\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed de b\u00fa sh\u00ec x\u012b b\u0101n y\u00e1 y\u01d4, \u00e9r sh\u00ec f\u01ce y\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>I am not studying Spanish but French.<\/p>\n19. \u5bb3\u6015 (h\u00e0i p\u00e0)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to be afraid<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5bb3\u6015\u72d7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u00e0i p\u00e0 g\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I am afraid of dogs.<\/p>\n20. \u8df3\u821e (ti\u00e0o w\u01d4)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to dance<\/h2>\n\u8fd9\u4e2a\u5468\u672b\u6211\u8981\u8df3\u821e\u3002
\n<\/strong>(zh\u00e8 ge zh\u014du m\u00f2 w\u01d2 y\u00e0o ti\u00e0o w\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>This weekend I want to dance.<\/p>\n21. \u51c6\u5907 (zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to prepare\/get ready<\/h2>\n\u660e\u5929\u6211\u4eec\u4e00\u8d77\u53bb\u5317\u4eac\u3002\u4f60\u51c6\u5907\u597d\u4e86\u5417\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(m\u00edng ti\u0101n w\u01d2 men y\u00ec q\u01d0 q\u00f9 b\u011bi j\u012bng. n\u01d0 zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i h\u01ceo le ma?)
\n<\/em>Tomorrow we are going together to Beijing. Are you ready?<\/p>\n22. \u559c\u6b22 (x\u01d0 hu\u0101n)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to like<\/h2>\n\u6211\u559c\u6b22\u4f60\u7684\u670b\u53cb\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 x\u01d0 hu\u0101n n\u01d0 de p\u00e9ng y\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I like your friend.<\/p>\n23. \u6563\u6b65 (s\u00e0n b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a walk<\/h2>\n\u6211\u7684\u5916\u5a46\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u53bb\u6563\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 de w\u00e0i p\u00f3 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du q\u00f9 s\u00e0n b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>My grandmother takes a walk every day.<\/p>\n24. \u6d17\u6fa1 (x\u01d0 z\u01ceo)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a shower\/bath<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5df2\u7ecf\u6d17\u6fa1\u4e86\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u01d0 j\u012bng x\u01d0 z\u01ceo le.)
\n<\/em>I’ve already had a bath.<\/p>\n25. \u8d70\u8def (z\u01d2u l\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to walk (go on foot)<\/h2>\n\u4f60\u4eec\u662f\u5750\u8f66\u53bb\u8fd8\u662f\u8d70\u8def\u53bb\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(n\u01d0 men sh\u00ec zu\u00f2 ch\u0113 q\u00f9 h\u00e1i sh\u00ec z\u01d2u l\u00f9 q\u00f9?)
\n<\/em>Are you going by car or on foot?<\/p>\n26. \u8dd1\u6b65 (p\u01ceo b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to run<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5f88\u7d2f\uff0c\u4e0d\u60f3\u8dd1\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u011bn l\u00e8i, b\u00f9 xi\u01ceng p\u01ceo b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>I am very tired. I don’t want to run.<\/p>\n27. \u5f00\u59cb (k\u0101i sh\u01d0)<\/em> \u2014 to start<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4eec\u5f00\u59cb\u5427\uff01
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 men k\u0101i sh\u01d0 ba!)
\n<\/em>Let’s get started! \/ Here we go!<\/p>\n28. \u660e\u767d (m\u00edng bai)<\/em> \u2014 to understand<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u660e\u767d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00f9 m\u00edng bai.)
\n<\/em>I don’t understand.<\/p>\n29. \u77e5\u9053 (zh\u012b d\u00e0o)<\/em> \u2014 to know<\/h2>\n\u6211\u77e5\u9053\u5b66\u6821\u5728\u54ea\u91cc\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 zh\u012b d\u00e0o xu\u00e9 xi\u00e0o z\u00e0i n\u01ce l\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>I know where the school is.<\/p>\n30. \u89c9\u5f97 (ju\u00e9 de)<\/em> \u2014 to feel<\/h2>\n\u6211\u89c9\u5f97\u51b7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 ju\u00e9 de l\u011bng.)
\n<\/em>I feel cold.<\/p>\nHow Verbs Work in Chinese<\/h2>\nChinese Verb Placement<\/h3>\n
To be able to express statements of action, you should keep in mind the basic structure for any sentence in Chinese:<\/p>\n
\u00a0Subject + Verb + Object<\/strong><\/p>\nA very important aspect of this structure is the fact that the Subject uses the Verb to act upon the Object, like so:<\/p>\n
\u5988\u5988\u5403<\/strong>\u725b\u8089\u3002<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma ch\u012b ni\u00fa r\u00f2u.) \u2014<\/em> Mother eats beef.<\/p>\nMakes sense, right? If we switched the Subject’s position with the Object’s, we’d get a sentence that looks like this:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u725b\u8089\u5403<\/strong>\u5988\u5988\u3002<\/strong>(ni\u00fa r\u00f2u ch\u012b m\u0101 m\u0101.) \u2014<\/em> Beef eats Mother.<\/p>\nThat’s not quite right, obviously.\u00a0So, the noun that comes after the Verb will be the target of its action.<\/p>\n
Easy and logical, no?<\/p>\n
Chinese Verb Conjugations<\/h3>\n
In Chinese, verbs don’t have conjugations<\/b>.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe basic form of any verb is the infinitive, and that’s what we could say is used in Chinese. Every Chinese verb can be considered an infinitive because it doesn’t have any conjugation, and it certainly doesn’t change according to the person or number of people performing the action.<\/p>\n
Further, the forms of Chinese verbs never change,<\/strong> regardless of present, past or future tense. That’s good news, because it means you won’t have to memorize different forms for participles or tenses.<\/p>\nOf course, there are some rules<\/a> about how to express the fact that an action already took place or will happen in the future. When you’re just starting out, it’s best to keep things super simple, and to see lots of examples of verbs in use. You can do this on FluentU<\/a>, which has hundreds of videos to show you how native Chinese speakers use verbs in context.<\/p>\nSimple Verbs vs. Compound Verbs in Chinese<\/h2>\n
You may have noticed that there are two types of Chinese verbs on our list:<\/p>\n
\n- simple verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of only one character, and<\/li>\n
- compound verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of two characters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Simple verbs are just that\u2014very simple to use. Put the word into the sentence as your verb, and you’re good to go.<\/p>\n
Compound verbs are a bit more complex. These character groups can form a single word in some situations, but they can also be separated in other situations.<\/p>\n
Why can compound verbs be split? Well, sometimes the characters within the compound verb all mean the same thing. In these cases, you can choose to use the entire verb or<\/em> just one of the characters (usually the first character), and they’ll express the same meaning.<\/p>\nFor example, you can use either of the following sentences to mean “I am learning Chinese”:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u6211\u5b66\u4e60<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(<\/em>w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u5b66<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\nSome compound verbs can also be split to give more information, like quantifiers. For instance, both of the following examples separate the compound verb \u8dd1\u6b65, and both sentences mean “Yesterday I ran for two hours”:<\/p>\n
\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u6b65<\/strong>\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed b\u00f9.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed.)<\/em><\/p>\nIt’s probably a good idea to use the entire compound verb at the beginning of your Chinese studies, though. That’s because splitting compound verbs is typically only possible when both characters have the same meaning.<\/strong><\/p>\nOnce you have more experience with Chinese verbs, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to experiment with them more!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now you can use these common Chinese verbs to start making some sentences. So, how about you go out there and put the skills you’ve just learned to the test?<\/p>\n
Don’t be scared to make mistakes. We’re all human, and mistakes are good, because you always learn from them!
\n\u00a0
\n<\/p>\n
And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n
\r\nIf you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nFluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\nFluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos\u2014like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
![\"learn-mandarin-chinese-with-videos\"](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Chinese-5.png\")
<\/a>FluentU App Browse Screen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n![\"learn-mandarin-chinese-with-subtitled-song-and-music-videos\"](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Chinese-6.png\")
<\/a>Interactive Transcripts on FluentU<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU's Learn Mode<\/strong> turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n![\"practice-mandarin-chinese-with-adaptive-quizzes\"](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Chinese-7.png\")
<\/a>
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 \u00e0i n\u01d0!)
\n<\/em>I love you!<\/p>\n
2. \u770b (k\u00e0n)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to see\/watch\/look<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5728\u770b\u7535\u5f71\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 z\u00e0i k\u00e0n di\u00e0n y\u01d0ng.)
\n<\/em>I am watching a movie.<\/p>\n3. \u53bb (q\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to go<\/h2>\n\u6211\u8981\u53bb\u5317\u4eac\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u00e0o q\u00f9 b\u011bi j\u012bng.)
\n<\/em>I am going to Beijing.<\/p>\n4. \u6765 (l\u00e1i)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to come<\/h2>\n\u6765\u8fd9\u513f\u5427\uff01
\n<\/strong>(l\u00e1i zh\u00e8r ba!)
\n<\/em>Come here!<\/p>\n5. \u6709 (y\u01d2u )<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to have<\/h2>\n\u6211\u6709\u4e00\u4e2a\u597d\u670b\u53cb\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u01d2u y\u00ed g\u00e8 h\u01ceo p\u00e9ng y\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I have one good friend.<\/p>\n6. \u8981 (y\u00e0o)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to want<\/h2>\n\u6211\u8981\u8fd9\u6761\u88d9\u5b50\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u00e0o zh\u00e8 ti\u00e1o q\u00fan zi.)
\n<\/em>I want this skirt.<\/p>\n7. \u505a (zu\u00f2) <\/em>\u2014\u00a0to do<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5728\u505a\u4f5c\u4e1a\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 z\u00e0i zu\u00f2 zu\u00f2 y\u00e8.)
\n<\/em>I am doing homework.<\/p>\n8. \u5199 (xi\u011b)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to write<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5728\u5199\u6c49\u5b57\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 z\u00e0i xi\u011b h\u00e0n z\u00ec.)
\n<\/em>I am writing Chinese characters.<\/p>\n9. \u7a7f (chu\u0101n)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to wear<\/h2>\n\u6211\u7a7f\u6211\u59b9\u59b9\u7684\u8863\u670d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 chu\u0101n w\u01d2 m\u00e8i mei de y\u012b fu.)
\n<\/em>I wear my sister’s clothes.<\/p>\n10. \u542c\u00a0(t\u012bng) <\/em>\u2014\u00a0to hear\/listen<\/h2>\n\u7238\u7238\u5728\u542c\u5e7f\u64ad\u3002
\n<\/strong>(b\u00e0 ba z\u00e0i t\u012bng gu\u01ceng b\u00f2.)
\n<\/em>Dad is listening to the radio.<\/p>\n11. \u8bf4 (shu\u014d)<\/em> \u2014 to speak<\/h2>\n\u6211\u8ddf\u8001\u5e08\u8bf4\u4e2d\u6587\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 g\u0113n l\u01ceo sh\u012b shu\u014d zh\u014dng w\u00e9n.)
\n<\/em>I speak Chinese with the teacher.<\/p>\n12. \u95ee (w\u00e8n)<\/em> \u2014 to ask<\/h2>\n\u00a0\u6211\u60f3\u95ee\u4f60\u4e00\u4ef6\u4e8b\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 xi\u01ceng w\u00e8n n\u01d0 y\u00ed ji\u00e0n sh\u00ec.)
\n<\/em>I want to ask you one thing.<\/p>\n13. \u5403 (ch\u012b)<\/em> \u2014 to eat<\/h2>\n\u6211\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u5403\u65e9\u996d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du ch\u012b z\u01ceo f\u00e0n.)
\n<\/em>I eat breakfast every day.<\/p>\n14. \u559d (h\u0113)<\/em> \u2014 to drink<\/h2>\n\u5988\u5988\u5728\u559d\u8336\u3002
\n<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma z\u00e0i h\u0113 ch\u00e1.)
\n<\/em>Mom is drinking tea.<\/p>\n15. \u4e70 (m\u01cei)<\/em> \u2014 to buy<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e70\u4e86\u6c34\u679c\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 m\u01cei le shu\u01d0 gu\u01d2.)
\n<\/em>I bought fruit.<\/p>\n16. \u7528 (y\u00f2ng)<\/em> \u2014 to use<\/h2>\n\u8bf7\u7528\u9ed1\u8272\u7684\u7b14\u3002
\n<\/strong>(q\u01d0ng y\u00f2ng h\u0113i s\u00e8 de b\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>Please use a black pen.<\/p>\n17. \u6e38\u6cf3 (y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to swim<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u4f1a\u6e38\u6cf3\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00fa hu\u00ec y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng.)
\n<\/em>I can’t swim.<\/p>\n18. \u5b66\u4e60 (xu\u00e9 x\u00ed)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to study\/learn<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5b66\u4e60\u7684\u4e0d\u662f\u897f\u73ed\u7259\u8bed\uff0c\u800c\u662f\u6cd5\u8bed\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed de b\u00fa sh\u00ec x\u012b b\u0101n y\u00e1 y\u01d4, \u00e9r sh\u00ec f\u01ce y\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>I am not studying Spanish but French.<\/p>\n19. \u5bb3\u6015 (h\u00e0i p\u00e0)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to be afraid<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5bb3\u6015\u72d7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u00e0i p\u00e0 g\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I am afraid of dogs.<\/p>\n20. \u8df3\u821e (ti\u00e0o w\u01d4)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to dance<\/h2>\n\u8fd9\u4e2a\u5468\u672b\u6211\u8981\u8df3\u821e\u3002
\n<\/strong>(zh\u00e8 ge zh\u014du m\u00f2 w\u01d2 y\u00e0o ti\u00e0o w\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>This weekend I want to dance.<\/p>\n21. \u51c6\u5907 (zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to prepare\/get ready<\/h2>\n\u660e\u5929\u6211\u4eec\u4e00\u8d77\u53bb\u5317\u4eac\u3002\u4f60\u51c6\u5907\u597d\u4e86\u5417\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(m\u00edng ti\u0101n w\u01d2 men y\u00ec q\u01d0 q\u00f9 b\u011bi j\u012bng. n\u01d0 zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i h\u01ceo le ma?)
\n<\/em>Tomorrow we are going together to Beijing. Are you ready?<\/p>\n22. \u559c\u6b22 (x\u01d0 hu\u0101n)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to like<\/h2>\n\u6211\u559c\u6b22\u4f60\u7684\u670b\u53cb\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 x\u01d0 hu\u0101n n\u01d0 de p\u00e9ng y\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I like your friend.<\/p>\n23. \u6563\u6b65 (s\u00e0n b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a walk<\/h2>\n\u6211\u7684\u5916\u5a46\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u53bb\u6563\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 de w\u00e0i p\u00f3 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du q\u00f9 s\u00e0n b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>My grandmother takes a walk every day.<\/p>\n24. \u6d17\u6fa1 (x\u01d0 z\u01ceo)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a shower\/bath<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5df2\u7ecf\u6d17\u6fa1\u4e86\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u01d0 j\u012bng x\u01d0 z\u01ceo le.)
\n<\/em>I’ve already had a bath.<\/p>\n25. \u8d70\u8def (z\u01d2u l\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to walk (go on foot)<\/h2>\n\u4f60\u4eec\u662f\u5750\u8f66\u53bb\u8fd8\u662f\u8d70\u8def\u53bb\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(n\u01d0 men sh\u00ec zu\u00f2 ch\u0113 q\u00f9 h\u00e1i sh\u00ec z\u01d2u l\u00f9 q\u00f9?)
\n<\/em>Are you going by car or on foot?<\/p>\n26. \u8dd1\u6b65 (p\u01ceo b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to run<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5f88\u7d2f\uff0c\u4e0d\u60f3\u8dd1\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u011bn l\u00e8i, b\u00f9 xi\u01ceng p\u01ceo b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>I am very tired. I don’t want to run.<\/p>\n27. \u5f00\u59cb (k\u0101i sh\u01d0)<\/em> \u2014 to start<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4eec\u5f00\u59cb\u5427\uff01
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 men k\u0101i sh\u01d0 ba!)
\n<\/em>Let’s get started! \/ Here we go!<\/p>\n28. \u660e\u767d (m\u00edng bai)<\/em> \u2014 to understand<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u660e\u767d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00f9 m\u00edng bai.)
\n<\/em>I don’t understand.<\/p>\n29. \u77e5\u9053 (zh\u012b d\u00e0o)<\/em> \u2014 to know<\/h2>\n\u6211\u77e5\u9053\u5b66\u6821\u5728\u54ea\u91cc\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 zh\u012b d\u00e0o xu\u00e9 xi\u00e0o z\u00e0i n\u01ce l\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>I know where the school is.<\/p>\n30. \u89c9\u5f97 (ju\u00e9 de)<\/em> \u2014 to feel<\/h2>\n\u6211\u89c9\u5f97\u51b7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 ju\u00e9 de l\u011bng.)
\n<\/em>I feel cold.<\/p>\nHow Verbs Work in Chinese<\/h2>\nChinese Verb Placement<\/h3>\n
To be able to express statements of action, you should keep in mind the basic structure for any sentence in Chinese:<\/p>\n
\u00a0Subject + Verb + Object<\/strong><\/p>\nA very important aspect of this structure is the fact that the Subject uses the Verb to act upon the Object, like so:<\/p>\n
\u5988\u5988\u5403<\/strong>\u725b\u8089\u3002<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma ch\u012b ni\u00fa r\u00f2u.) \u2014<\/em> Mother eats beef.<\/p>\nMakes sense, right? If we switched the Subject’s position with the Object’s, we’d get a sentence that looks like this:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u725b\u8089\u5403<\/strong>\u5988\u5988\u3002<\/strong>(ni\u00fa r\u00f2u ch\u012b m\u0101 m\u0101.) \u2014<\/em> Beef eats Mother.<\/p>\nThat’s not quite right, obviously.\u00a0So, the noun that comes after the Verb will be the target of its action.<\/p>\n
Easy and logical, no?<\/p>\n
Chinese Verb Conjugations<\/h3>\n
In Chinese, verbs don’t have conjugations<\/b>.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe basic form of any verb is the infinitive, and that’s what we could say is used in Chinese. Every Chinese verb can be considered an infinitive because it doesn’t have any conjugation, and it certainly doesn’t change according to the person or number of people performing the action.<\/p>\n
Further, the forms of Chinese verbs never change,<\/strong> regardless of present, past or future tense. That’s good news, because it means you won’t have to memorize different forms for participles or tenses.<\/p>\nOf course, there are some rules<\/a> about how to express the fact that an action already took place or will happen in the future. When you’re just starting out, it’s best to keep things super simple, and to see lots of examples of verbs in use. You can do this on FluentU<\/a>, which has hundreds of videos to show you how native Chinese speakers use verbs in context.<\/p>\nSimple Verbs vs. Compound Verbs in Chinese<\/h2>\n
You may have noticed that there are two types of Chinese verbs on our list:<\/p>\n
\n- simple verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of only one character, and<\/li>\n
- compound verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of two characters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Simple verbs are just that\u2014very simple to use. Put the word into the sentence as your verb, and you’re good to go.<\/p>\n
Compound verbs are a bit more complex. These character groups can form a single word in some situations, but they can also be separated in other situations.<\/p>\n
Why can compound verbs be split? Well, sometimes the characters within the compound verb all mean the same thing. In these cases, you can choose to use the entire verb or<\/em> just one of the characters (usually the first character), and they’ll express the same meaning.<\/p>\nFor example, you can use either of the following sentences to mean “I am learning Chinese”:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u6211\u5b66\u4e60<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(<\/em>w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u5b66<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\nSome compound verbs can also be split to give more information, like quantifiers. For instance, both of the following examples separate the compound verb \u8dd1\u6b65, and both sentences mean “Yesterday I ran for two hours”:<\/p>\n
\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u6b65<\/strong>\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed b\u00f9.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed.)<\/em><\/p>\nIt’s probably a good idea to use the entire compound verb at the beginning of your Chinese studies, though. That’s because splitting compound verbs is typically only possible when both characters have the same meaning.<\/strong><\/p>\nOnce you have more experience with Chinese verbs, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to experiment with them more!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now you can use these common Chinese verbs to start making some sentences. So, how about you go out there and put the skills you’ve just learned to the test?<\/p>\n
Don’t be scared to make mistakes. We’re all human, and mistakes are good, because you always learn from them!
\n\u00a0
\n<\/p>\n
And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n
\r\nIf you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nFluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\nFluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos\u2014like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
<\/a>FluentU App Browse Screen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>Interactive Transcripts on FluentU<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU's Learn Mode<\/strong> turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 z\u00e0i k\u00e0n di\u00e0n y\u01d0ng.)
\n<\/em>I am watching a movie.<\/p>\n
3. \u53bb (q\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to go<\/h2>\n\u6211\u8981\u53bb\u5317\u4eac\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u00e0o q\u00f9 b\u011bi j\u012bng.)
\n<\/em>I am going to Beijing.<\/p>\n4. \u6765 (l\u00e1i)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to come<\/h2>\n\u6765\u8fd9\u513f\u5427\uff01
\n<\/strong>(l\u00e1i zh\u00e8r ba!)
\n<\/em>Come here!<\/p>\n5. \u6709 (y\u01d2u )<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to have<\/h2>\n\u6211\u6709\u4e00\u4e2a\u597d\u670b\u53cb\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u01d2u y\u00ed g\u00e8 h\u01ceo p\u00e9ng y\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I have one good friend.<\/p>\n6. \u8981 (y\u00e0o)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to want<\/h2>\n\u6211\u8981\u8fd9\u6761\u88d9\u5b50\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u00e0o zh\u00e8 ti\u00e1o q\u00fan zi.)
\n<\/em>I want this skirt.<\/p>\n7. \u505a (zu\u00f2) <\/em>\u2014\u00a0to do<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5728\u505a\u4f5c\u4e1a\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 z\u00e0i zu\u00f2 zu\u00f2 y\u00e8.)
\n<\/em>I am doing homework.<\/p>\n8. \u5199 (xi\u011b)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to write<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5728\u5199\u6c49\u5b57\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 z\u00e0i xi\u011b h\u00e0n z\u00ec.)
\n<\/em>I am writing Chinese characters.<\/p>\n9. \u7a7f (chu\u0101n)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to wear<\/h2>\n\u6211\u7a7f\u6211\u59b9\u59b9\u7684\u8863\u670d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 chu\u0101n w\u01d2 m\u00e8i mei de y\u012b fu.)
\n<\/em>I wear my sister’s clothes.<\/p>\n10. \u542c\u00a0(t\u012bng) <\/em>\u2014\u00a0to hear\/listen<\/h2>\n\u7238\u7238\u5728\u542c\u5e7f\u64ad\u3002
\n<\/strong>(b\u00e0 ba z\u00e0i t\u012bng gu\u01ceng b\u00f2.)
\n<\/em>Dad is listening to the radio.<\/p>\n11. \u8bf4 (shu\u014d)<\/em> \u2014 to speak<\/h2>\n\u6211\u8ddf\u8001\u5e08\u8bf4\u4e2d\u6587\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 g\u0113n l\u01ceo sh\u012b shu\u014d zh\u014dng w\u00e9n.)
\n<\/em>I speak Chinese with the teacher.<\/p>\n12. \u95ee (w\u00e8n)<\/em> \u2014 to ask<\/h2>\n\u00a0\u6211\u60f3\u95ee\u4f60\u4e00\u4ef6\u4e8b\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 xi\u01ceng w\u00e8n n\u01d0 y\u00ed ji\u00e0n sh\u00ec.)
\n<\/em>I want to ask you one thing.<\/p>\n13. \u5403 (ch\u012b)<\/em> \u2014 to eat<\/h2>\n\u6211\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u5403\u65e9\u996d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du ch\u012b z\u01ceo f\u00e0n.)
\n<\/em>I eat breakfast every day.<\/p>\n14. \u559d (h\u0113)<\/em> \u2014 to drink<\/h2>\n\u5988\u5988\u5728\u559d\u8336\u3002
\n<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma z\u00e0i h\u0113 ch\u00e1.)
\n<\/em>Mom is drinking tea.<\/p>\n15. \u4e70 (m\u01cei)<\/em> \u2014 to buy<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e70\u4e86\u6c34\u679c\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 m\u01cei le shu\u01d0 gu\u01d2.)
\n<\/em>I bought fruit.<\/p>\n16. \u7528 (y\u00f2ng)<\/em> \u2014 to use<\/h2>\n\u8bf7\u7528\u9ed1\u8272\u7684\u7b14\u3002
\n<\/strong>(q\u01d0ng y\u00f2ng h\u0113i s\u00e8 de b\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>Please use a black pen.<\/p>\n17. \u6e38\u6cf3 (y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to swim<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u4f1a\u6e38\u6cf3\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00fa hu\u00ec y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng.)
\n<\/em>I can’t swim.<\/p>\n18. \u5b66\u4e60 (xu\u00e9 x\u00ed)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to study\/learn<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5b66\u4e60\u7684\u4e0d\u662f\u897f\u73ed\u7259\u8bed\uff0c\u800c\u662f\u6cd5\u8bed\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed de b\u00fa sh\u00ec x\u012b b\u0101n y\u00e1 y\u01d4, \u00e9r sh\u00ec f\u01ce y\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>I am not studying Spanish but French.<\/p>\n19. \u5bb3\u6015 (h\u00e0i p\u00e0)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to be afraid<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5bb3\u6015\u72d7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u00e0i p\u00e0 g\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I am afraid of dogs.<\/p>\n20. \u8df3\u821e (ti\u00e0o w\u01d4)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to dance<\/h2>\n\u8fd9\u4e2a\u5468\u672b\u6211\u8981\u8df3\u821e\u3002
\n<\/strong>(zh\u00e8 ge zh\u014du m\u00f2 w\u01d2 y\u00e0o ti\u00e0o w\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>This weekend I want to dance.<\/p>\n21. \u51c6\u5907 (zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to prepare\/get ready<\/h2>\n\u660e\u5929\u6211\u4eec\u4e00\u8d77\u53bb\u5317\u4eac\u3002\u4f60\u51c6\u5907\u597d\u4e86\u5417\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(m\u00edng ti\u0101n w\u01d2 men y\u00ec q\u01d0 q\u00f9 b\u011bi j\u012bng. n\u01d0 zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i h\u01ceo le ma?)
\n<\/em>Tomorrow we are going together to Beijing. Are you ready?<\/p>\n22. \u559c\u6b22 (x\u01d0 hu\u0101n)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to like<\/h2>\n\u6211\u559c\u6b22\u4f60\u7684\u670b\u53cb\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 x\u01d0 hu\u0101n n\u01d0 de p\u00e9ng y\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I like your friend.<\/p>\n23. \u6563\u6b65 (s\u00e0n b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a walk<\/h2>\n\u6211\u7684\u5916\u5a46\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u53bb\u6563\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 de w\u00e0i p\u00f3 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du q\u00f9 s\u00e0n b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>My grandmother takes a walk every day.<\/p>\n24. \u6d17\u6fa1 (x\u01d0 z\u01ceo)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a shower\/bath<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5df2\u7ecf\u6d17\u6fa1\u4e86\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u01d0 j\u012bng x\u01d0 z\u01ceo le.)
\n<\/em>I’ve already had a bath.<\/p>\n25. \u8d70\u8def (z\u01d2u l\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to walk (go on foot)<\/h2>\n\u4f60\u4eec\u662f\u5750\u8f66\u53bb\u8fd8\u662f\u8d70\u8def\u53bb\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(n\u01d0 men sh\u00ec zu\u00f2 ch\u0113 q\u00f9 h\u00e1i sh\u00ec z\u01d2u l\u00f9 q\u00f9?)
\n<\/em>Are you going by car or on foot?<\/p>\n26. \u8dd1\u6b65 (p\u01ceo b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to run<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5f88\u7d2f\uff0c\u4e0d\u60f3\u8dd1\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u011bn l\u00e8i, b\u00f9 xi\u01ceng p\u01ceo b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>I am very tired. I don’t want to run.<\/p>\n27. \u5f00\u59cb (k\u0101i sh\u01d0)<\/em> \u2014 to start<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4eec\u5f00\u59cb\u5427\uff01
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 men k\u0101i sh\u01d0 ba!)
\n<\/em>Let’s get started! \/ Here we go!<\/p>\n28. \u660e\u767d (m\u00edng bai)<\/em> \u2014 to understand<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u660e\u767d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00f9 m\u00edng bai.)
\n<\/em>I don’t understand.<\/p>\n29. \u77e5\u9053 (zh\u012b d\u00e0o)<\/em> \u2014 to know<\/h2>\n\u6211\u77e5\u9053\u5b66\u6821\u5728\u54ea\u91cc\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 zh\u012b d\u00e0o xu\u00e9 xi\u00e0o z\u00e0i n\u01ce l\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>I know where the school is.<\/p>\n30. \u89c9\u5f97 (ju\u00e9 de)<\/em> \u2014 to feel<\/h2>\n\u6211\u89c9\u5f97\u51b7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 ju\u00e9 de l\u011bng.)
\n<\/em>I feel cold.<\/p>\nHow Verbs Work in Chinese<\/h2>\nChinese Verb Placement<\/h3>\n
To be able to express statements of action, you should keep in mind the basic structure for any sentence in Chinese:<\/p>\n
\u00a0Subject + Verb + Object<\/strong><\/p>\nA very important aspect of this structure is the fact that the Subject uses the Verb to act upon the Object, like so:<\/p>\n
\u5988\u5988\u5403<\/strong>\u725b\u8089\u3002<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma ch\u012b ni\u00fa r\u00f2u.) \u2014<\/em> Mother eats beef.<\/p>\nMakes sense, right? If we switched the Subject’s position with the Object’s, we’d get a sentence that looks like this:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u725b\u8089\u5403<\/strong>\u5988\u5988\u3002<\/strong>(ni\u00fa r\u00f2u ch\u012b m\u0101 m\u0101.) \u2014<\/em> Beef eats Mother.<\/p>\nThat’s not quite right, obviously.\u00a0So, the noun that comes after the Verb will be the target of its action.<\/p>\n
Easy and logical, no?<\/p>\n
Chinese Verb Conjugations<\/h3>\n
In Chinese, verbs don’t have conjugations<\/b>.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe basic form of any verb is the infinitive, and that’s what we could say is used in Chinese. Every Chinese verb can be considered an infinitive because it doesn’t have any conjugation, and it certainly doesn’t change according to the person or number of people performing the action.<\/p>\n
Further, the forms of Chinese verbs never change,<\/strong> regardless of present, past or future tense. That’s good news, because it means you won’t have to memorize different forms for participles or tenses.<\/p>\nOf course, there are some rules<\/a> about how to express the fact that an action already took place or will happen in the future. When you’re just starting out, it’s best to keep things super simple, and to see lots of examples of verbs in use. You can do this on FluentU<\/a>, which has hundreds of videos to show you how native Chinese speakers use verbs in context.<\/p>\nSimple Verbs vs. Compound Verbs in Chinese<\/h2>\n
You may have noticed that there are two types of Chinese verbs on our list:<\/p>\n
\n- simple verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of only one character, and<\/li>\n
- compound verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of two characters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Simple verbs are just that\u2014very simple to use. Put the word into the sentence as your verb, and you’re good to go.<\/p>\n
Compound verbs are a bit more complex. These character groups can form a single word in some situations, but they can also be separated in other situations.<\/p>\n
Why can compound verbs be split? Well, sometimes the characters within the compound verb all mean the same thing. In these cases, you can choose to use the entire verb or<\/em> just one of the characters (usually the first character), and they’ll express the same meaning.<\/p>\nFor example, you can use either of the following sentences to mean “I am learning Chinese”:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u6211\u5b66\u4e60<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(<\/em>w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u5b66<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\nSome compound verbs can also be split to give more information, like quantifiers. For instance, both of the following examples separate the compound verb \u8dd1\u6b65, and both sentences mean “Yesterday I ran for two hours”:<\/p>\n
\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u6b65<\/strong>\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed b\u00f9.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed.)<\/em><\/p>\nIt’s probably a good idea to use the entire compound verb at the beginning of your Chinese studies, though. That’s because splitting compound verbs is typically only possible when both characters have the same meaning.<\/strong><\/p>\nOnce you have more experience with Chinese verbs, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to experiment with them more!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now you can use these common Chinese verbs to start making some sentences. So, how about you go out there and put the skills you’ve just learned to the test?<\/p>\n
Don’t be scared to make mistakes. We’re all human, and mistakes are good, because you always learn from them!
\n\u00a0
\n<\/p>\n
And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n
\r\nIf you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nFluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\nFluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos\u2014like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
<\/a>FluentU App Browse Screen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>Interactive Transcripts on FluentU<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU's Learn Mode<\/strong> turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u00e0o q\u00f9 b\u011bi j\u012bng.)
\n<\/em>I am going to Beijing.<\/p>\n
4. \u6765 (l\u00e1i)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to come<\/h2>\n\u6765\u8fd9\u513f\u5427\uff01
\n<\/strong>(l\u00e1i zh\u00e8r ba!)
\n<\/em>Come here!<\/p>\n5. \u6709 (y\u01d2u )<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to have<\/h2>\n\u6211\u6709\u4e00\u4e2a\u597d\u670b\u53cb\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u01d2u y\u00ed g\u00e8 h\u01ceo p\u00e9ng y\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I have one good friend.<\/p>\n6. \u8981 (y\u00e0o)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to want<\/h2>\n\u6211\u8981\u8fd9\u6761\u88d9\u5b50\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u00e0o zh\u00e8 ti\u00e1o q\u00fan zi.)
\n<\/em>I want this skirt.<\/p>\n7. \u505a (zu\u00f2) <\/em>\u2014\u00a0to do<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5728\u505a\u4f5c\u4e1a\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 z\u00e0i zu\u00f2 zu\u00f2 y\u00e8.)
\n<\/em>I am doing homework.<\/p>\n8. \u5199 (xi\u011b)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to write<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5728\u5199\u6c49\u5b57\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 z\u00e0i xi\u011b h\u00e0n z\u00ec.)
\n<\/em>I am writing Chinese characters.<\/p>\n9. \u7a7f (chu\u0101n)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to wear<\/h2>\n\u6211\u7a7f\u6211\u59b9\u59b9\u7684\u8863\u670d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 chu\u0101n w\u01d2 m\u00e8i mei de y\u012b fu.)
\n<\/em>I wear my sister’s clothes.<\/p>\n10. \u542c\u00a0(t\u012bng) <\/em>\u2014\u00a0to hear\/listen<\/h2>\n\u7238\u7238\u5728\u542c\u5e7f\u64ad\u3002
\n<\/strong>(b\u00e0 ba z\u00e0i t\u012bng gu\u01ceng b\u00f2.)
\n<\/em>Dad is listening to the radio.<\/p>\n11. \u8bf4 (shu\u014d)<\/em> \u2014 to speak<\/h2>\n\u6211\u8ddf\u8001\u5e08\u8bf4\u4e2d\u6587\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 g\u0113n l\u01ceo sh\u012b shu\u014d zh\u014dng w\u00e9n.)
\n<\/em>I speak Chinese with the teacher.<\/p>\n12. \u95ee (w\u00e8n)<\/em> \u2014 to ask<\/h2>\n\u00a0\u6211\u60f3\u95ee\u4f60\u4e00\u4ef6\u4e8b\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 xi\u01ceng w\u00e8n n\u01d0 y\u00ed ji\u00e0n sh\u00ec.)
\n<\/em>I want to ask you one thing.<\/p>\n13. \u5403 (ch\u012b)<\/em> \u2014 to eat<\/h2>\n\u6211\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u5403\u65e9\u996d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du ch\u012b z\u01ceo f\u00e0n.)
\n<\/em>I eat breakfast every day.<\/p>\n14. \u559d (h\u0113)<\/em> \u2014 to drink<\/h2>\n\u5988\u5988\u5728\u559d\u8336\u3002
\n<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma z\u00e0i h\u0113 ch\u00e1.)
\n<\/em>Mom is drinking tea.<\/p>\n15. \u4e70 (m\u01cei)<\/em> \u2014 to buy<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e70\u4e86\u6c34\u679c\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 m\u01cei le shu\u01d0 gu\u01d2.)
\n<\/em>I bought fruit.<\/p>\n16. \u7528 (y\u00f2ng)<\/em> \u2014 to use<\/h2>\n\u8bf7\u7528\u9ed1\u8272\u7684\u7b14\u3002
\n<\/strong>(q\u01d0ng y\u00f2ng h\u0113i s\u00e8 de b\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>Please use a black pen.<\/p>\n17. \u6e38\u6cf3 (y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to swim<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u4f1a\u6e38\u6cf3\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00fa hu\u00ec y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng.)
\n<\/em>I can’t swim.<\/p>\n18. \u5b66\u4e60 (xu\u00e9 x\u00ed)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to study\/learn<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5b66\u4e60\u7684\u4e0d\u662f\u897f\u73ed\u7259\u8bed\uff0c\u800c\u662f\u6cd5\u8bed\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed de b\u00fa sh\u00ec x\u012b b\u0101n y\u00e1 y\u01d4, \u00e9r sh\u00ec f\u01ce y\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>I am not studying Spanish but French.<\/p>\n19. \u5bb3\u6015 (h\u00e0i p\u00e0)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to be afraid<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5bb3\u6015\u72d7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u00e0i p\u00e0 g\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I am afraid of dogs.<\/p>\n20. \u8df3\u821e (ti\u00e0o w\u01d4)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to dance<\/h2>\n\u8fd9\u4e2a\u5468\u672b\u6211\u8981\u8df3\u821e\u3002
\n<\/strong>(zh\u00e8 ge zh\u014du m\u00f2 w\u01d2 y\u00e0o ti\u00e0o w\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>This weekend I want to dance.<\/p>\n21. \u51c6\u5907 (zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to prepare\/get ready<\/h2>\n\u660e\u5929\u6211\u4eec\u4e00\u8d77\u53bb\u5317\u4eac\u3002\u4f60\u51c6\u5907\u597d\u4e86\u5417\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(m\u00edng ti\u0101n w\u01d2 men y\u00ec q\u01d0 q\u00f9 b\u011bi j\u012bng. n\u01d0 zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i h\u01ceo le ma?)
\n<\/em>Tomorrow we are going together to Beijing. Are you ready?<\/p>\n22. \u559c\u6b22 (x\u01d0 hu\u0101n)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to like<\/h2>\n\u6211\u559c\u6b22\u4f60\u7684\u670b\u53cb\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 x\u01d0 hu\u0101n n\u01d0 de p\u00e9ng y\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I like your friend.<\/p>\n23. \u6563\u6b65 (s\u00e0n b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a walk<\/h2>\n\u6211\u7684\u5916\u5a46\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u53bb\u6563\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 de w\u00e0i p\u00f3 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du q\u00f9 s\u00e0n b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>My grandmother takes a walk every day.<\/p>\n24. \u6d17\u6fa1 (x\u01d0 z\u01ceo)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a shower\/bath<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5df2\u7ecf\u6d17\u6fa1\u4e86\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u01d0 j\u012bng x\u01d0 z\u01ceo le.)
\n<\/em>I’ve already had a bath.<\/p>\n25. \u8d70\u8def (z\u01d2u l\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to walk (go on foot)<\/h2>\n\u4f60\u4eec\u662f\u5750\u8f66\u53bb\u8fd8\u662f\u8d70\u8def\u53bb\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(n\u01d0 men sh\u00ec zu\u00f2 ch\u0113 q\u00f9 h\u00e1i sh\u00ec z\u01d2u l\u00f9 q\u00f9?)
\n<\/em>Are you going by car or on foot?<\/p>\n26. \u8dd1\u6b65 (p\u01ceo b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to run<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5f88\u7d2f\uff0c\u4e0d\u60f3\u8dd1\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u011bn l\u00e8i, b\u00f9 xi\u01ceng p\u01ceo b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>I am very tired. I don’t want to run.<\/p>\n27. \u5f00\u59cb (k\u0101i sh\u01d0)<\/em> \u2014 to start<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4eec\u5f00\u59cb\u5427\uff01
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 men k\u0101i sh\u01d0 ba!)
\n<\/em>Let’s get started! \/ Here we go!<\/p>\n28. \u660e\u767d (m\u00edng bai)<\/em> \u2014 to understand<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u660e\u767d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00f9 m\u00edng bai.)
\n<\/em>I don’t understand.<\/p>\n29. \u77e5\u9053 (zh\u012b d\u00e0o)<\/em> \u2014 to know<\/h2>\n\u6211\u77e5\u9053\u5b66\u6821\u5728\u54ea\u91cc\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 zh\u012b d\u00e0o xu\u00e9 xi\u00e0o z\u00e0i n\u01ce l\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>I know where the school is.<\/p>\n30. \u89c9\u5f97 (ju\u00e9 de)<\/em> \u2014 to feel<\/h2>\n\u6211\u89c9\u5f97\u51b7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 ju\u00e9 de l\u011bng.)
\n<\/em>I feel cold.<\/p>\nHow Verbs Work in Chinese<\/h2>\nChinese Verb Placement<\/h3>\n
To be able to express statements of action, you should keep in mind the basic structure for any sentence in Chinese:<\/p>\n
\u00a0Subject + Verb + Object<\/strong><\/p>\nA very important aspect of this structure is the fact that the Subject uses the Verb to act upon the Object, like so:<\/p>\n
\u5988\u5988\u5403<\/strong>\u725b\u8089\u3002<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma ch\u012b ni\u00fa r\u00f2u.) \u2014<\/em> Mother eats beef.<\/p>\nMakes sense, right? If we switched the Subject’s position with the Object’s, we’d get a sentence that looks like this:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u725b\u8089\u5403<\/strong>\u5988\u5988\u3002<\/strong>(ni\u00fa r\u00f2u ch\u012b m\u0101 m\u0101.) \u2014<\/em> Beef eats Mother.<\/p>\nThat’s not quite right, obviously.\u00a0So, the noun that comes after the Verb will be the target of its action.<\/p>\n
Easy and logical, no?<\/p>\n
Chinese Verb Conjugations<\/h3>\n
In Chinese, verbs don’t have conjugations<\/b>.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe basic form of any verb is the infinitive, and that’s what we could say is used in Chinese. Every Chinese verb can be considered an infinitive because it doesn’t have any conjugation, and it certainly doesn’t change according to the person or number of people performing the action.<\/p>\n
Further, the forms of Chinese verbs never change,<\/strong> regardless of present, past or future tense. That’s good news, because it means you won’t have to memorize different forms for participles or tenses.<\/p>\nOf course, there are some rules<\/a> about how to express the fact that an action already took place or will happen in the future. When you’re just starting out, it’s best to keep things super simple, and to see lots of examples of verbs in use. You can do this on FluentU<\/a>, which has hundreds of videos to show you how native Chinese speakers use verbs in context.<\/p>\nSimple Verbs vs. Compound Verbs in Chinese<\/h2>\n
You may have noticed that there are two types of Chinese verbs on our list:<\/p>\n
\n- simple verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of only one character, and<\/li>\n
- compound verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of two characters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Simple verbs are just that\u2014very simple to use. Put the word into the sentence as your verb, and you’re good to go.<\/p>\n
Compound verbs are a bit more complex. These character groups can form a single word in some situations, but they can also be separated in other situations.<\/p>\n
Why can compound verbs be split? Well, sometimes the characters within the compound verb all mean the same thing. In these cases, you can choose to use the entire verb or<\/em> just one of the characters (usually the first character), and they’ll express the same meaning.<\/p>\nFor example, you can use either of the following sentences to mean “I am learning Chinese”:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u6211\u5b66\u4e60<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(<\/em>w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u5b66<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\nSome compound verbs can also be split to give more information, like quantifiers. For instance, both of the following examples separate the compound verb \u8dd1\u6b65, and both sentences mean “Yesterday I ran for two hours”:<\/p>\n
\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u6b65<\/strong>\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed b\u00f9.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed.)<\/em><\/p>\nIt’s probably a good idea to use the entire compound verb at the beginning of your Chinese studies, though. That’s because splitting compound verbs is typically only possible when both characters have the same meaning.<\/strong><\/p>\nOnce you have more experience with Chinese verbs, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to experiment with them more!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now you can use these common Chinese verbs to start making some sentences. So, how about you go out there and put the skills you’ve just learned to the test?<\/p>\n
Don’t be scared to make mistakes. We’re all human, and mistakes are good, because you always learn from them!
\n\u00a0
\n<\/p>\n
And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n
\r\nIf you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nFluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\nFluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos\u2014like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
<\/a>FluentU App Browse Screen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>Interactive Transcripts on FluentU<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU's Learn Mode<\/strong> turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>
\n<\/strong>(l\u00e1i zh\u00e8r ba!)
\n<\/em>Come here!<\/p>\n
5. \u6709 (y\u01d2u )<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to have<\/h2>\n\u6211\u6709\u4e00\u4e2a\u597d\u670b\u53cb\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u01d2u y\u00ed g\u00e8 h\u01ceo p\u00e9ng y\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I have one good friend.<\/p>\n6. \u8981 (y\u00e0o)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to want<\/h2>\n\u6211\u8981\u8fd9\u6761\u88d9\u5b50\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u00e0o zh\u00e8 ti\u00e1o q\u00fan zi.)
\n<\/em>I want this skirt.<\/p>\n7. \u505a (zu\u00f2) <\/em>\u2014\u00a0to do<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5728\u505a\u4f5c\u4e1a\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 z\u00e0i zu\u00f2 zu\u00f2 y\u00e8.)
\n<\/em>I am doing homework.<\/p>\n8. \u5199 (xi\u011b)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to write<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5728\u5199\u6c49\u5b57\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 z\u00e0i xi\u011b h\u00e0n z\u00ec.)
\n<\/em>I am writing Chinese characters.<\/p>\n9. \u7a7f (chu\u0101n)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to wear<\/h2>\n\u6211\u7a7f\u6211\u59b9\u59b9\u7684\u8863\u670d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 chu\u0101n w\u01d2 m\u00e8i mei de y\u012b fu.)
\n<\/em>I wear my sister’s clothes.<\/p>\n10. \u542c\u00a0(t\u012bng) <\/em>\u2014\u00a0to hear\/listen<\/h2>\n\u7238\u7238\u5728\u542c\u5e7f\u64ad\u3002
\n<\/strong>(b\u00e0 ba z\u00e0i t\u012bng gu\u01ceng b\u00f2.)
\n<\/em>Dad is listening to the radio.<\/p>\n11. \u8bf4 (shu\u014d)<\/em> \u2014 to speak<\/h2>\n\u6211\u8ddf\u8001\u5e08\u8bf4\u4e2d\u6587\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 g\u0113n l\u01ceo sh\u012b shu\u014d zh\u014dng w\u00e9n.)
\n<\/em>I speak Chinese with the teacher.<\/p>\n12. \u95ee (w\u00e8n)<\/em> \u2014 to ask<\/h2>\n\u00a0\u6211\u60f3\u95ee\u4f60\u4e00\u4ef6\u4e8b\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 xi\u01ceng w\u00e8n n\u01d0 y\u00ed ji\u00e0n sh\u00ec.)
\n<\/em>I want to ask you one thing.<\/p>\n13. \u5403 (ch\u012b)<\/em> \u2014 to eat<\/h2>\n\u6211\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u5403\u65e9\u996d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du ch\u012b z\u01ceo f\u00e0n.)
\n<\/em>I eat breakfast every day.<\/p>\n14. \u559d (h\u0113)<\/em> \u2014 to drink<\/h2>\n\u5988\u5988\u5728\u559d\u8336\u3002
\n<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma z\u00e0i h\u0113 ch\u00e1.)
\n<\/em>Mom is drinking tea.<\/p>\n15. \u4e70 (m\u01cei)<\/em> \u2014 to buy<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e70\u4e86\u6c34\u679c\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 m\u01cei le shu\u01d0 gu\u01d2.)
\n<\/em>I bought fruit.<\/p>\n16. \u7528 (y\u00f2ng)<\/em> \u2014 to use<\/h2>\n\u8bf7\u7528\u9ed1\u8272\u7684\u7b14\u3002
\n<\/strong>(q\u01d0ng y\u00f2ng h\u0113i s\u00e8 de b\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>Please use a black pen.<\/p>\n17. \u6e38\u6cf3 (y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to swim<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u4f1a\u6e38\u6cf3\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00fa hu\u00ec y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng.)
\n<\/em>I can’t swim.<\/p>\n18. \u5b66\u4e60 (xu\u00e9 x\u00ed)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to study\/learn<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5b66\u4e60\u7684\u4e0d\u662f\u897f\u73ed\u7259\u8bed\uff0c\u800c\u662f\u6cd5\u8bed\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed de b\u00fa sh\u00ec x\u012b b\u0101n y\u00e1 y\u01d4, \u00e9r sh\u00ec f\u01ce y\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>I am not studying Spanish but French.<\/p>\n19. \u5bb3\u6015 (h\u00e0i p\u00e0)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to be afraid<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5bb3\u6015\u72d7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u00e0i p\u00e0 g\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I am afraid of dogs.<\/p>\n20. \u8df3\u821e (ti\u00e0o w\u01d4)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to dance<\/h2>\n\u8fd9\u4e2a\u5468\u672b\u6211\u8981\u8df3\u821e\u3002
\n<\/strong>(zh\u00e8 ge zh\u014du m\u00f2 w\u01d2 y\u00e0o ti\u00e0o w\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>This weekend I want to dance.<\/p>\n21. \u51c6\u5907 (zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to prepare\/get ready<\/h2>\n\u660e\u5929\u6211\u4eec\u4e00\u8d77\u53bb\u5317\u4eac\u3002\u4f60\u51c6\u5907\u597d\u4e86\u5417\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(m\u00edng ti\u0101n w\u01d2 men y\u00ec q\u01d0 q\u00f9 b\u011bi j\u012bng. n\u01d0 zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i h\u01ceo le ma?)
\n<\/em>Tomorrow we are going together to Beijing. Are you ready?<\/p>\n22. \u559c\u6b22 (x\u01d0 hu\u0101n)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to like<\/h2>\n\u6211\u559c\u6b22\u4f60\u7684\u670b\u53cb\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 x\u01d0 hu\u0101n n\u01d0 de p\u00e9ng y\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I like your friend.<\/p>\n23. \u6563\u6b65 (s\u00e0n b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a walk<\/h2>\n\u6211\u7684\u5916\u5a46\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u53bb\u6563\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 de w\u00e0i p\u00f3 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du q\u00f9 s\u00e0n b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>My grandmother takes a walk every day.<\/p>\n24. \u6d17\u6fa1 (x\u01d0 z\u01ceo)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a shower\/bath<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5df2\u7ecf\u6d17\u6fa1\u4e86\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u01d0 j\u012bng x\u01d0 z\u01ceo le.)
\n<\/em>I’ve already had a bath.<\/p>\n25. \u8d70\u8def (z\u01d2u l\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to walk (go on foot)<\/h2>\n\u4f60\u4eec\u662f\u5750\u8f66\u53bb\u8fd8\u662f\u8d70\u8def\u53bb\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(n\u01d0 men sh\u00ec zu\u00f2 ch\u0113 q\u00f9 h\u00e1i sh\u00ec z\u01d2u l\u00f9 q\u00f9?)
\n<\/em>Are you going by car or on foot?<\/p>\n26. \u8dd1\u6b65 (p\u01ceo b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to run<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5f88\u7d2f\uff0c\u4e0d\u60f3\u8dd1\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u011bn l\u00e8i, b\u00f9 xi\u01ceng p\u01ceo b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>I am very tired. I don’t want to run.<\/p>\n27. \u5f00\u59cb (k\u0101i sh\u01d0)<\/em> \u2014 to start<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4eec\u5f00\u59cb\u5427\uff01
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 men k\u0101i sh\u01d0 ba!)
\n<\/em>Let’s get started! \/ Here we go!<\/p>\n28. \u660e\u767d (m\u00edng bai)<\/em> \u2014 to understand<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u660e\u767d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00f9 m\u00edng bai.)
\n<\/em>I don’t understand.<\/p>\n29. \u77e5\u9053 (zh\u012b d\u00e0o)<\/em> \u2014 to know<\/h2>\n\u6211\u77e5\u9053\u5b66\u6821\u5728\u54ea\u91cc\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 zh\u012b d\u00e0o xu\u00e9 xi\u00e0o z\u00e0i n\u01ce l\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>I know where the school is.<\/p>\n30. \u89c9\u5f97 (ju\u00e9 de)<\/em> \u2014 to feel<\/h2>\n\u6211\u89c9\u5f97\u51b7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 ju\u00e9 de l\u011bng.)
\n<\/em>I feel cold.<\/p>\nHow Verbs Work in Chinese<\/h2>\nChinese Verb Placement<\/h3>\n
To be able to express statements of action, you should keep in mind the basic structure for any sentence in Chinese:<\/p>\n
\u00a0Subject + Verb + Object<\/strong><\/p>\nA very important aspect of this structure is the fact that the Subject uses the Verb to act upon the Object, like so:<\/p>\n
\u5988\u5988\u5403<\/strong>\u725b\u8089\u3002<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma ch\u012b ni\u00fa r\u00f2u.) \u2014<\/em> Mother eats beef.<\/p>\nMakes sense, right? If we switched the Subject’s position with the Object’s, we’d get a sentence that looks like this:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u725b\u8089\u5403<\/strong>\u5988\u5988\u3002<\/strong>(ni\u00fa r\u00f2u ch\u012b m\u0101 m\u0101.) \u2014<\/em> Beef eats Mother.<\/p>\nThat’s not quite right, obviously.\u00a0So, the noun that comes after the Verb will be the target of its action.<\/p>\n
Easy and logical, no?<\/p>\n
Chinese Verb Conjugations<\/h3>\n
In Chinese, verbs don’t have conjugations<\/b>.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe basic form of any verb is the infinitive, and that’s what we could say is used in Chinese. Every Chinese verb can be considered an infinitive because it doesn’t have any conjugation, and it certainly doesn’t change according to the person or number of people performing the action.<\/p>\n
Further, the forms of Chinese verbs never change,<\/strong> regardless of present, past or future tense. That’s good news, because it means you won’t have to memorize different forms for participles or tenses.<\/p>\nOf course, there are some rules<\/a> about how to express the fact that an action already took place or will happen in the future. When you’re just starting out, it’s best to keep things super simple, and to see lots of examples of verbs in use. You can do this on FluentU<\/a>, which has hundreds of videos to show you how native Chinese speakers use verbs in context.<\/p>\nSimple Verbs vs. Compound Verbs in Chinese<\/h2>\n
You may have noticed that there are two types of Chinese verbs on our list:<\/p>\n
\n- simple verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of only one character, and<\/li>\n
- compound verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of two characters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Simple verbs are just that\u2014very simple to use. Put the word into the sentence as your verb, and you’re good to go.<\/p>\n
Compound verbs are a bit more complex. These character groups can form a single word in some situations, but they can also be separated in other situations.<\/p>\n
Why can compound verbs be split? Well, sometimes the characters within the compound verb all mean the same thing. In these cases, you can choose to use the entire verb or<\/em> just one of the characters (usually the first character), and they’ll express the same meaning.<\/p>\nFor example, you can use either of the following sentences to mean “I am learning Chinese”:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u6211\u5b66\u4e60<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(<\/em>w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u5b66<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\nSome compound verbs can also be split to give more information, like quantifiers. For instance, both of the following examples separate the compound verb \u8dd1\u6b65, and both sentences mean “Yesterday I ran for two hours”:<\/p>\n
\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u6b65<\/strong>\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed b\u00f9.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed.)<\/em><\/p>\nIt’s probably a good idea to use the entire compound verb at the beginning of your Chinese studies, though. That’s because splitting compound verbs is typically only possible when both characters have the same meaning.<\/strong><\/p>\nOnce you have more experience with Chinese verbs, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to experiment with them more!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now you can use these common Chinese verbs to start making some sentences. So, how about you go out there and put the skills you’ve just learned to the test?<\/p>\n
Don’t be scared to make mistakes. We’re all human, and mistakes are good, because you always learn from them!
\n\u00a0
\n<\/p>\n
And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n
\r\nIf you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nFluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\nFluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos\u2014like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
<\/a>FluentU App Browse Screen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>Interactive Transcripts on FluentU<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU's Learn Mode<\/strong> turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u01d2u y\u00ed g\u00e8 h\u01ceo p\u00e9ng y\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I have one good friend.<\/p>\n
6. \u8981 (y\u00e0o)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to want<\/h2>\n\u6211\u8981\u8fd9\u6761\u88d9\u5b50\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u00e0o zh\u00e8 ti\u00e1o q\u00fan zi.)
\n<\/em>I want this skirt.<\/p>\n7. \u505a (zu\u00f2) <\/em>\u2014\u00a0to do<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5728\u505a\u4f5c\u4e1a\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 z\u00e0i zu\u00f2 zu\u00f2 y\u00e8.)
\n<\/em>I am doing homework.<\/p>\n8. \u5199 (xi\u011b)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to write<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5728\u5199\u6c49\u5b57\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 z\u00e0i xi\u011b h\u00e0n z\u00ec.)
\n<\/em>I am writing Chinese characters.<\/p>\n9. \u7a7f (chu\u0101n)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to wear<\/h2>\n\u6211\u7a7f\u6211\u59b9\u59b9\u7684\u8863\u670d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 chu\u0101n w\u01d2 m\u00e8i mei de y\u012b fu.)
\n<\/em>I wear my sister’s clothes.<\/p>\n10. \u542c\u00a0(t\u012bng) <\/em>\u2014\u00a0to hear\/listen<\/h2>\n\u7238\u7238\u5728\u542c\u5e7f\u64ad\u3002
\n<\/strong>(b\u00e0 ba z\u00e0i t\u012bng gu\u01ceng b\u00f2.)
\n<\/em>Dad is listening to the radio.<\/p>\n11. \u8bf4 (shu\u014d)<\/em> \u2014 to speak<\/h2>\n\u6211\u8ddf\u8001\u5e08\u8bf4\u4e2d\u6587\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 g\u0113n l\u01ceo sh\u012b shu\u014d zh\u014dng w\u00e9n.)
\n<\/em>I speak Chinese with the teacher.<\/p>\n12. \u95ee (w\u00e8n)<\/em> \u2014 to ask<\/h2>\n\u00a0\u6211\u60f3\u95ee\u4f60\u4e00\u4ef6\u4e8b\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 xi\u01ceng w\u00e8n n\u01d0 y\u00ed ji\u00e0n sh\u00ec.)
\n<\/em>I want to ask you one thing.<\/p>\n13. \u5403 (ch\u012b)<\/em> \u2014 to eat<\/h2>\n\u6211\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u5403\u65e9\u996d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du ch\u012b z\u01ceo f\u00e0n.)
\n<\/em>I eat breakfast every day.<\/p>\n14. \u559d (h\u0113)<\/em> \u2014 to drink<\/h2>\n\u5988\u5988\u5728\u559d\u8336\u3002
\n<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma z\u00e0i h\u0113 ch\u00e1.)
\n<\/em>Mom is drinking tea.<\/p>\n15. \u4e70 (m\u01cei)<\/em> \u2014 to buy<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e70\u4e86\u6c34\u679c\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 m\u01cei le shu\u01d0 gu\u01d2.)
\n<\/em>I bought fruit.<\/p>\n16. \u7528 (y\u00f2ng)<\/em> \u2014 to use<\/h2>\n\u8bf7\u7528\u9ed1\u8272\u7684\u7b14\u3002
\n<\/strong>(q\u01d0ng y\u00f2ng h\u0113i s\u00e8 de b\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>Please use a black pen.<\/p>\n17. \u6e38\u6cf3 (y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to swim<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u4f1a\u6e38\u6cf3\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00fa hu\u00ec y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng.)
\n<\/em>I can’t swim.<\/p>\n18. \u5b66\u4e60 (xu\u00e9 x\u00ed)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to study\/learn<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5b66\u4e60\u7684\u4e0d\u662f\u897f\u73ed\u7259\u8bed\uff0c\u800c\u662f\u6cd5\u8bed\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed de b\u00fa sh\u00ec x\u012b b\u0101n y\u00e1 y\u01d4, \u00e9r sh\u00ec f\u01ce y\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>I am not studying Spanish but French.<\/p>\n19. \u5bb3\u6015 (h\u00e0i p\u00e0)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to be afraid<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5bb3\u6015\u72d7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u00e0i p\u00e0 g\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I am afraid of dogs.<\/p>\n20. \u8df3\u821e (ti\u00e0o w\u01d4)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to dance<\/h2>\n\u8fd9\u4e2a\u5468\u672b\u6211\u8981\u8df3\u821e\u3002
\n<\/strong>(zh\u00e8 ge zh\u014du m\u00f2 w\u01d2 y\u00e0o ti\u00e0o w\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>This weekend I want to dance.<\/p>\n21. \u51c6\u5907 (zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to prepare\/get ready<\/h2>\n\u660e\u5929\u6211\u4eec\u4e00\u8d77\u53bb\u5317\u4eac\u3002\u4f60\u51c6\u5907\u597d\u4e86\u5417\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(m\u00edng ti\u0101n w\u01d2 men y\u00ec q\u01d0 q\u00f9 b\u011bi j\u012bng. n\u01d0 zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i h\u01ceo le ma?)
\n<\/em>Tomorrow we are going together to Beijing. Are you ready?<\/p>\n22. \u559c\u6b22 (x\u01d0 hu\u0101n)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to like<\/h2>\n\u6211\u559c\u6b22\u4f60\u7684\u670b\u53cb\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 x\u01d0 hu\u0101n n\u01d0 de p\u00e9ng y\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I like your friend.<\/p>\n23. \u6563\u6b65 (s\u00e0n b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a walk<\/h2>\n\u6211\u7684\u5916\u5a46\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u53bb\u6563\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 de w\u00e0i p\u00f3 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du q\u00f9 s\u00e0n b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>My grandmother takes a walk every day.<\/p>\n24. \u6d17\u6fa1 (x\u01d0 z\u01ceo)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a shower\/bath<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5df2\u7ecf\u6d17\u6fa1\u4e86\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u01d0 j\u012bng x\u01d0 z\u01ceo le.)
\n<\/em>I’ve already had a bath.<\/p>\n25. \u8d70\u8def (z\u01d2u l\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to walk (go on foot)<\/h2>\n\u4f60\u4eec\u662f\u5750\u8f66\u53bb\u8fd8\u662f\u8d70\u8def\u53bb\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(n\u01d0 men sh\u00ec zu\u00f2 ch\u0113 q\u00f9 h\u00e1i sh\u00ec z\u01d2u l\u00f9 q\u00f9?)
\n<\/em>Are you going by car or on foot?<\/p>\n26. \u8dd1\u6b65 (p\u01ceo b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to run<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5f88\u7d2f\uff0c\u4e0d\u60f3\u8dd1\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u011bn l\u00e8i, b\u00f9 xi\u01ceng p\u01ceo b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>I am very tired. I don’t want to run.<\/p>\n27. \u5f00\u59cb (k\u0101i sh\u01d0)<\/em> \u2014 to start<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4eec\u5f00\u59cb\u5427\uff01
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 men k\u0101i sh\u01d0 ba!)
\n<\/em>Let’s get started! \/ Here we go!<\/p>\n28. \u660e\u767d (m\u00edng bai)<\/em> \u2014 to understand<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u660e\u767d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00f9 m\u00edng bai.)
\n<\/em>I don’t understand.<\/p>\n29. \u77e5\u9053 (zh\u012b d\u00e0o)<\/em> \u2014 to know<\/h2>\n\u6211\u77e5\u9053\u5b66\u6821\u5728\u54ea\u91cc\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 zh\u012b d\u00e0o xu\u00e9 xi\u00e0o z\u00e0i n\u01ce l\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>I know where the school is.<\/p>\n30. \u89c9\u5f97 (ju\u00e9 de)<\/em> \u2014 to feel<\/h2>\n\u6211\u89c9\u5f97\u51b7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 ju\u00e9 de l\u011bng.)
\n<\/em>I feel cold.<\/p>\nHow Verbs Work in Chinese<\/h2>\nChinese Verb Placement<\/h3>\n
To be able to express statements of action, you should keep in mind the basic structure for any sentence in Chinese:<\/p>\n
\u00a0Subject + Verb + Object<\/strong><\/p>\nA very important aspect of this structure is the fact that the Subject uses the Verb to act upon the Object, like so:<\/p>\n
\u5988\u5988\u5403<\/strong>\u725b\u8089\u3002<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma ch\u012b ni\u00fa r\u00f2u.) \u2014<\/em> Mother eats beef.<\/p>\nMakes sense, right? If we switched the Subject’s position with the Object’s, we’d get a sentence that looks like this:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u725b\u8089\u5403<\/strong>\u5988\u5988\u3002<\/strong>(ni\u00fa r\u00f2u ch\u012b m\u0101 m\u0101.) \u2014<\/em> Beef eats Mother.<\/p>\nThat’s not quite right, obviously.\u00a0So, the noun that comes after the Verb will be the target of its action.<\/p>\n
Easy and logical, no?<\/p>\n
Chinese Verb Conjugations<\/h3>\n
In Chinese, verbs don’t have conjugations<\/b>.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe basic form of any verb is the infinitive, and that’s what we could say is used in Chinese. Every Chinese verb can be considered an infinitive because it doesn’t have any conjugation, and it certainly doesn’t change according to the person or number of people performing the action.<\/p>\n
Further, the forms of Chinese verbs never change,<\/strong> regardless of present, past or future tense. That’s good news, because it means you won’t have to memorize different forms for participles or tenses.<\/p>\nOf course, there are some rules<\/a> about how to express the fact that an action already took place or will happen in the future. When you’re just starting out, it’s best to keep things super simple, and to see lots of examples of verbs in use. You can do this on FluentU<\/a>, which has hundreds of videos to show you how native Chinese speakers use verbs in context.<\/p>\nSimple Verbs vs. Compound Verbs in Chinese<\/h2>\n
You may have noticed that there are two types of Chinese verbs on our list:<\/p>\n
\n- simple verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of only one character, and<\/li>\n
- compound verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of two characters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Simple verbs are just that\u2014very simple to use. Put the word into the sentence as your verb, and you’re good to go.<\/p>\n
Compound verbs are a bit more complex. These character groups can form a single word in some situations, but they can also be separated in other situations.<\/p>\n
Why can compound verbs be split? Well, sometimes the characters within the compound verb all mean the same thing. In these cases, you can choose to use the entire verb or<\/em> just one of the characters (usually the first character), and they’ll express the same meaning.<\/p>\nFor example, you can use either of the following sentences to mean “I am learning Chinese”:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u6211\u5b66\u4e60<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(<\/em>w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u5b66<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\nSome compound verbs can also be split to give more information, like quantifiers. For instance, both of the following examples separate the compound verb \u8dd1\u6b65, and both sentences mean “Yesterday I ran for two hours”:<\/p>\n
\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u6b65<\/strong>\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed b\u00f9.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed.)<\/em><\/p>\nIt’s probably a good idea to use the entire compound verb at the beginning of your Chinese studies, though. That’s because splitting compound verbs is typically only possible when both characters have the same meaning.<\/strong><\/p>\nOnce you have more experience with Chinese verbs, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to experiment with them more!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now you can use these common Chinese verbs to start making some sentences. So, how about you go out there and put the skills you’ve just learned to the test?<\/p>\n
Don’t be scared to make mistakes. We’re all human, and mistakes are good, because you always learn from them!
\n\u00a0
\n<\/p>\n
And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n
\r\nIf you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nFluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\nFluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos\u2014like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
<\/a>FluentU App Browse Screen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>Interactive Transcripts on FluentU<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU's Learn Mode<\/strong> turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u00e0o zh\u00e8 ti\u00e1o q\u00fan zi.)
\n<\/em>I want this skirt.<\/p>\n
7. \u505a (zu\u00f2) <\/em>\u2014\u00a0to do<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5728\u505a\u4f5c\u4e1a\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 z\u00e0i zu\u00f2 zu\u00f2 y\u00e8.)
\n<\/em>I am doing homework.<\/p>\n8. \u5199 (xi\u011b)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to write<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5728\u5199\u6c49\u5b57\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 z\u00e0i xi\u011b h\u00e0n z\u00ec.)
\n<\/em>I am writing Chinese characters.<\/p>\n9. \u7a7f (chu\u0101n)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to wear<\/h2>\n\u6211\u7a7f\u6211\u59b9\u59b9\u7684\u8863\u670d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 chu\u0101n w\u01d2 m\u00e8i mei de y\u012b fu.)
\n<\/em>I wear my sister’s clothes.<\/p>\n10. \u542c\u00a0(t\u012bng) <\/em>\u2014\u00a0to hear\/listen<\/h2>\n\u7238\u7238\u5728\u542c\u5e7f\u64ad\u3002
\n<\/strong>(b\u00e0 ba z\u00e0i t\u012bng gu\u01ceng b\u00f2.)
\n<\/em>Dad is listening to the radio.<\/p>\n11. \u8bf4 (shu\u014d)<\/em> \u2014 to speak<\/h2>\n\u6211\u8ddf\u8001\u5e08\u8bf4\u4e2d\u6587\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 g\u0113n l\u01ceo sh\u012b shu\u014d zh\u014dng w\u00e9n.)
\n<\/em>I speak Chinese with the teacher.<\/p>\n12. \u95ee (w\u00e8n)<\/em> \u2014 to ask<\/h2>\n\u00a0\u6211\u60f3\u95ee\u4f60\u4e00\u4ef6\u4e8b\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 xi\u01ceng w\u00e8n n\u01d0 y\u00ed ji\u00e0n sh\u00ec.)
\n<\/em>I want to ask you one thing.<\/p>\n13. \u5403 (ch\u012b)<\/em> \u2014 to eat<\/h2>\n\u6211\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u5403\u65e9\u996d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du ch\u012b z\u01ceo f\u00e0n.)
\n<\/em>I eat breakfast every day.<\/p>\n14. \u559d (h\u0113)<\/em> \u2014 to drink<\/h2>\n\u5988\u5988\u5728\u559d\u8336\u3002
\n<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma z\u00e0i h\u0113 ch\u00e1.)
\n<\/em>Mom is drinking tea.<\/p>\n15. \u4e70 (m\u01cei)<\/em> \u2014 to buy<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e70\u4e86\u6c34\u679c\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 m\u01cei le shu\u01d0 gu\u01d2.)
\n<\/em>I bought fruit.<\/p>\n16. \u7528 (y\u00f2ng)<\/em> \u2014 to use<\/h2>\n\u8bf7\u7528\u9ed1\u8272\u7684\u7b14\u3002
\n<\/strong>(q\u01d0ng y\u00f2ng h\u0113i s\u00e8 de b\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>Please use a black pen.<\/p>\n17. \u6e38\u6cf3 (y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to swim<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u4f1a\u6e38\u6cf3\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00fa hu\u00ec y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng.)
\n<\/em>I can’t swim.<\/p>\n18. \u5b66\u4e60 (xu\u00e9 x\u00ed)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to study\/learn<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5b66\u4e60\u7684\u4e0d\u662f\u897f\u73ed\u7259\u8bed\uff0c\u800c\u662f\u6cd5\u8bed\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed de b\u00fa sh\u00ec x\u012b b\u0101n y\u00e1 y\u01d4, \u00e9r sh\u00ec f\u01ce y\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>I am not studying Spanish but French.<\/p>\n19. \u5bb3\u6015 (h\u00e0i p\u00e0)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to be afraid<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5bb3\u6015\u72d7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u00e0i p\u00e0 g\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I am afraid of dogs.<\/p>\n20. \u8df3\u821e (ti\u00e0o w\u01d4)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to dance<\/h2>\n\u8fd9\u4e2a\u5468\u672b\u6211\u8981\u8df3\u821e\u3002
\n<\/strong>(zh\u00e8 ge zh\u014du m\u00f2 w\u01d2 y\u00e0o ti\u00e0o w\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>This weekend I want to dance.<\/p>\n21. \u51c6\u5907 (zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to prepare\/get ready<\/h2>\n\u660e\u5929\u6211\u4eec\u4e00\u8d77\u53bb\u5317\u4eac\u3002\u4f60\u51c6\u5907\u597d\u4e86\u5417\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(m\u00edng ti\u0101n w\u01d2 men y\u00ec q\u01d0 q\u00f9 b\u011bi j\u012bng. n\u01d0 zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i h\u01ceo le ma?)
\n<\/em>Tomorrow we are going together to Beijing. Are you ready?<\/p>\n22. \u559c\u6b22 (x\u01d0 hu\u0101n)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to like<\/h2>\n\u6211\u559c\u6b22\u4f60\u7684\u670b\u53cb\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 x\u01d0 hu\u0101n n\u01d0 de p\u00e9ng y\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I like your friend.<\/p>\n23. \u6563\u6b65 (s\u00e0n b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a walk<\/h2>\n\u6211\u7684\u5916\u5a46\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u53bb\u6563\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 de w\u00e0i p\u00f3 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du q\u00f9 s\u00e0n b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>My grandmother takes a walk every day.<\/p>\n24. \u6d17\u6fa1 (x\u01d0 z\u01ceo)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a shower\/bath<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5df2\u7ecf\u6d17\u6fa1\u4e86\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u01d0 j\u012bng x\u01d0 z\u01ceo le.)
\n<\/em>I’ve already had a bath.<\/p>\n25. \u8d70\u8def (z\u01d2u l\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to walk (go on foot)<\/h2>\n\u4f60\u4eec\u662f\u5750\u8f66\u53bb\u8fd8\u662f\u8d70\u8def\u53bb\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(n\u01d0 men sh\u00ec zu\u00f2 ch\u0113 q\u00f9 h\u00e1i sh\u00ec z\u01d2u l\u00f9 q\u00f9?)
\n<\/em>Are you going by car or on foot?<\/p>\n26. \u8dd1\u6b65 (p\u01ceo b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to run<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5f88\u7d2f\uff0c\u4e0d\u60f3\u8dd1\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u011bn l\u00e8i, b\u00f9 xi\u01ceng p\u01ceo b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>I am very tired. I don’t want to run.<\/p>\n27. \u5f00\u59cb (k\u0101i sh\u01d0)<\/em> \u2014 to start<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4eec\u5f00\u59cb\u5427\uff01
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 men k\u0101i sh\u01d0 ba!)
\n<\/em>Let’s get started! \/ Here we go!<\/p>\n28. \u660e\u767d (m\u00edng bai)<\/em> \u2014 to understand<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u660e\u767d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00f9 m\u00edng bai.)
\n<\/em>I don’t understand.<\/p>\n29. \u77e5\u9053 (zh\u012b d\u00e0o)<\/em> \u2014 to know<\/h2>\n\u6211\u77e5\u9053\u5b66\u6821\u5728\u54ea\u91cc\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 zh\u012b d\u00e0o xu\u00e9 xi\u00e0o z\u00e0i n\u01ce l\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>I know where the school is.<\/p>\n30. \u89c9\u5f97 (ju\u00e9 de)<\/em> \u2014 to feel<\/h2>\n\u6211\u89c9\u5f97\u51b7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 ju\u00e9 de l\u011bng.)
\n<\/em>I feel cold.<\/p>\nHow Verbs Work in Chinese<\/h2>\nChinese Verb Placement<\/h3>\n
To be able to express statements of action, you should keep in mind the basic structure for any sentence in Chinese:<\/p>\n
\u00a0Subject + Verb + Object<\/strong><\/p>\nA very important aspect of this structure is the fact that the Subject uses the Verb to act upon the Object, like so:<\/p>\n
\u5988\u5988\u5403<\/strong>\u725b\u8089\u3002<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma ch\u012b ni\u00fa r\u00f2u.) \u2014<\/em> Mother eats beef.<\/p>\nMakes sense, right? If we switched the Subject’s position with the Object’s, we’d get a sentence that looks like this:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u725b\u8089\u5403<\/strong>\u5988\u5988\u3002<\/strong>(ni\u00fa r\u00f2u ch\u012b m\u0101 m\u0101.) \u2014<\/em> Beef eats Mother.<\/p>\nThat’s not quite right, obviously.\u00a0So, the noun that comes after the Verb will be the target of its action.<\/p>\n
Easy and logical, no?<\/p>\n
Chinese Verb Conjugations<\/h3>\n
In Chinese, verbs don’t have conjugations<\/b>.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe basic form of any verb is the infinitive, and that’s what we could say is used in Chinese. Every Chinese verb can be considered an infinitive because it doesn’t have any conjugation, and it certainly doesn’t change according to the person or number of people performing the action.<\/p>\n
Further, the forms of Chinese verbs never change,<\/strong> regardless of present, past or future tense. That’s good news, because it means you won’t have to memorize different forms for participles or tenses.<\/p>\nOf course, there are some rules<\/a> about how to express the fact that an action already took place or will happen in the future. When you’re just starting out, it’s best to keep things super simple, and to see lots of examples of verbs in use. You can do this on FluentU<\/a>, which has hundreds of videos to show you how native Chinese speakers use verbs in context.<\/p>\nSimple Verbs vs. Compound Verbs in Chinese<\/h2>\n
You may have noticed that there are two types of Chinese verbs on our list:<\/p>\n
\n- simple verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of only one character, and<\/li>\n
- compound verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of two characters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Simple verbs are just that\u2014very simple to use. Put the word into the sentence as your verb, and you’re good to go.<\/p>\n
Compound verbs are a bit more complex. These character groups can form a single word in some situations, but they can also be separated in other situations.<\/p>\n
Why can compound verbs be split? Well, sometimes the characters within the compound verb all mean the same thing. In these cases, you can choose to use the entire verb or<\/em> just one of the characters (usually the first character), and they’ll express the same meaning.<\/p>\nFor example, you can use either of the following sentences to mean “I am learning Chinese”:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u6211\u5b66\u4e60<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(<\/em>w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u5b66<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\nSome compound verbs can also be split to give more information, like quantifiers. For instance, both of the following examples separate the compound verb \u8dd1\u6b65, and both sentences mean “Yesterday I ran for two hours”:<\/p>\n
\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u6b65<\/strong>\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed b\u00f9.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed.)<\/em><\/p>\nIt’s probably a good idea to use the entire compound verb at the beginning of your Chinese studies, though. That’s because splitting compound verbs is typically only possible when both characters have the same meaning.<\/strong><\/p>\nOnce you have more experience with Chinese verbs, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to experiment with them more!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now you can use these common Chinese verbs to start making some sentences. So, how about you go out there and put the skills you’ve just learned to the test?<\/p>\n
Don’t be scared to make mistakes. We’re all human, and mistakes are good, because you always learn from them!
\n\u00a0
\n<\/p>\n
And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n
\r\nIf you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nFluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\nFluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos\u2014like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
<\/a>FluentU App Browse Screen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>Interactive Transcripts on FluentU<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU's Learn Mode<\/strong> turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 z\u00e0i zu\u00f2 zu\u00f2 y\u00e8.)
\n<\/em>I am doing homework.<\/p>\n
8. \u5199 (xi\u011b)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to write<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5728\u5199\u6c49\u5b57\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 z\u00e0i xi\u011b h\u00e0n z\u00ec.)
\n<\/em>I am writing Chinese characters.<\/p>\n9. \u7a7f (chu\u0101n)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to wear<\/h2>\n\u6211\u7a7f\u6211\u59b9\u59b9\u7684\u8863\u670d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 chu\u0101n w\u01d2 m\u00e8i mei de y\u012b fu.)
\n<\/em>I wear my sister’s clothes.<\/p>\n10. \u542c\u00a0(t\u012bng) <\/em>\u2014\u00a0to hear\/listen<\/h2>\n\u7238\u7238\u5728\u542c\u5e7f\u64ad\u3002
\n<\/strong>(b\u00e0 ba z\u00e0i t\u012bng gu\u01ceng b\u00f2.)
\n<\/em>Dad is listening to the radio.<\/p>\n11. \u8bf4 (shu\u014d)<\/em> \u2014 to speak<\/h2>\n\u6211\u8ddf\u8001\u5e08\u8bf4\u4e2d\u6587\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 g\u0113n l\u01ceo sh\u012b shu\u014d zh\u014dng w\u00e9n.)
\n<\/em>I speak Chinese with the teacher.<\/p>\n12. \u95ee (w\u00e8n)<\/em> \u2014 to ask<\/h2>\n\u00a0\u6211\u60f3\u95ee\u4f60\u4e00\u4ef6\u4e8b\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 xi\u01ceng w\u00e8n n\u01d0 y\u00ed ji\u00e0n sh\u00ec.)
\n<\/em>I want to ask you one thing.<\/p>\n13. \u5403 (ch\u012b)<\/em> \u2014 to eat<\/h2>\n\u6211\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u5403\u65e9\u996d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du ch\u012b z\u01ceo f\u00e0n.)
\n<\/em>I eat breakfast every day.<\/p>\n14. \u559d (h\u0113)<\/em> \u2014 to drink<\/h2>\n\u5988\u5988\u5728\u559d\u8336\u3002
\n<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma z\u00e0i h\u0113 ch\u00e1.)
\n<\/em>Mom is drinking tea.<\/p>\n15. \u4e70 (m\u01cei)<\/em> \u2014 to buy<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e70\u4e86\u6c34\u679c\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 m\u01cei le shu\u01d0 gu\u01d2.)
\n<\/em>I bought fruit.<\/p>\n16. \u7528 (y\u00f2ng)<\/em> \u2014 to use<\/h2>\n\u8bf7\u7528\u9ed1\u8272\u7684\u7b14\u3002
\n<\/strong>(q\u01d0ng y\u00f2ng h\u0113i s\u00e8 de b\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>Please use a black pen.<\/p>\n17. \u6e38\u6cf3 (y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to swim<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u4f1a\u6e38\u6cf3\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00fa hu\u00ec y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng.)
\n<\/em>I can’t swim.<\/p>\n18. \u5b66\u4e60 (xu\u00e9 x\u00ed)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to study\/learn<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5b66\u4e60\u7684\u4e0d\u662f\u897f\u73ed\u7259\u8bed\uff0c\u800c\u662f\u6cd5\u8bed\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed de b\u00fa sh\u00ec x\u012b b\u0101n y\u00e1 y\u01d4, \u00e9r sh\u00ec f\u01ce y\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>I am not studying Spanish but French.<\/p>\n19. \u5bb3\u6015 (h\u00e0i p\u00e0)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to be afraid<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5bb3\u6015\u72d7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u00e0i p\u00e0 g\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I am afraid of dogs.<\/p>\n20. \u8df3\u821e (ti\u00e0o w\u01d4)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to dance<\/h2>\n\u8fd9\u4e2a\u5468\u672b\u6211\u8981\u8df3\u821e\u3002
\n<\/strong>(zh\u00e8 ge zh\u014du m\u00f2 w\u01d2 y\u00e0o ti\u00e0o w\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>This weekend I want to dance.<\/p>\n21. \u51c6\u5907 (zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to prepare\/get ready<\/h2>\n\u660e\u5929\u6211\u4eec\u4e00\u8d77\u53bb\u5317\u4eac\u3002\u4f60\u51c6\u5907\u597d\u4e86\u5417\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(m\u00edng ti\u0101n w\u01d2 men y\u00ec q\u01d0 q\u00f9 b\u011bi j\u012bng. n\u01d0 zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i h\u01ceo le ma?)
\n<\/em>Tomorrow we are going together to Beijing. Are you ready?<\/p>\n22. \u559c\u6b22 (x\u01d0 hu\u0101n)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to like<\/h2>\n\u6211\u559c\u6b22\u4f60\u7684\u670b\u53cb\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 x\u01d0 hu\u0101n n\u01d0 de p\u00e9ng y\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I like your friend.<\/p>\n23. \u6563\u6b65 (s\u00e0n b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a walk<\/h2>\n\u6211\u7684\u5916\u5a46\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u53bb\u6563\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 de w\u00e0i p\u00f3 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du q\u00f9 s\u00e0n b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>My grandmother takes a walk every day.<\/p>\n24. \u6d17\u6fa1 (x\u01d0 z\u01ceo)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a shower\/bath<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5df2\u7ecf\u6d17\u6fa1\u4e86\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u01d0 j\u012bng x\u01d0 z\u01ceo le.)
\n<\/em>I’ve already had a bath.<\/p>\n25. \u8d70\u8def (z\u01d2u l\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to walk (go on foot)<\/h2>\n\u4f60\u4eec\u662f\u5750\u8f66\u53bb\u8fd8\u662f\u8d70\u8def\u53bb\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(n\u01d0 men sh\u00ec zu\u00f2 ch\u0113 q\u00f9 h\u00e1i sh\u00ec z\u01d2u l\u00f9 q\u00f9?)
\n<\/em>Are you going by car or on foot?<\/p>\n26. \u8dd1\u6b65 (p\u01ceo b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to run<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5f88\u7d2f\uff0c\u4e0d\u60f3\u8dd1\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u011bn l\u00e8i, b\u00f9 xi\u01ceng p\u01ceo b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>I am very tired. I don’t want to run.<\/p>\n27. \u5f00\u59cb (k\u0101i sh\u01d0)<\/em> \u2014 to start<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4eec\u5f00\u59cb\u5427\uff01
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 men k\u0101i sh\u01d0 ba!)
\n<\/em>Let’s get started! \/ Here we go!<\/p>\n28. \u660e\u767d (m\u00edng bai)<\/em> \u2014 to understand<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u660e\u767d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00f9 m\u00edng bai.)
\n<\/em>I don’t understand.<\/p>\n29. \u77e5\u9053 (zh\u012b d\u00e0o)<\/em> \u2014 to know<\/h2>\n\u6211\u77e5\u9053\u5b66\u6821\u5728\u54ea\u91cc\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 zh\u012b d\u00e0o xu\u00e9 xi\u00e0o z\u00e0i n\u01ce l\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>I know where the school is.<\/p>\n30. \u89c9\u5f97 (ju\u00e9 de)<\/em> \u2014 to feel<\/h2>\n\u6211\u89c9\u5f97\u51b7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 ju\u00e9 de l\u011bng.)
\n<\/em>I feel cold.<\/p>\nHow Verbs Work in Chinese<\/h2>\nChinese Verb Placement<\/h3>\n
To be able to express statements of action, you should keep in mind the basic structure for any sentence in Chinese:<\/p>\n
\u00a0Subject + Verb + Object<\/strong><\/p>\nA very important aspect of this structure is the fact that the Subject uses the Verb to act upon the Object, like so:<\/p>\n
\u5988\u5988\u5403<\/strong>\u725b\u8089\u3002<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma ch\u012b ni\u00fa r\u00f2u.) \u2014<\/em> Mother eats beef.<\/p>\nMakes sense, right? If we switched the Subject’s position with the Object’s, we’d get a sentence that looks like this:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u725b\u8089\u5403<\/strong>\u5988\u5988\u3002<\/strong>(ni\u00fa r\u00f2u ch\u012b m\u0101 m\u0101.) \u2014<\/em> Beef eats Mother.<\/p>\nThat’s not quite right, obviously.\u00a0So, the noun that comes after the Verb will be the target of its action.<\/p>\n
Easy and logical, no?<\/p>\n
Chinese Verb Conjugations<\/h3>\n
In Chinese, verbs don’t have conjugations<\/b>.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe basic form of any verb is the infinitive, and that’s what we could say is used in Chinese. Every Chinese verb can be considered an infinitive because it doesn’t have any conjugation, and it certainly doesn’t change according to the person or number of people performing the action.<\/p>\n
Further, the forms of Chinese verbs never change,<\/strong> regardless of present, past or future tense. That’s good news, because it means you won’t have to memorize different forms for participles or tenses.<\/p>\nOf course, there are some rules<\/a> about how to express the fact that an action already took place or will happen in the future. When you’re just starting out, it’s best to keep things super simple, and to see lots of examples of verbs in use. You can do this on FluentU<\/a>, which has hundreds of videos to show you how native Chinese speakers use verbs in context.<\/p>\nSimple Verbs vs. Compound Verbs in Chinese<\/h2>\n
You may have noticed that there are two types of Chinese verbs on our list:<\/p>\n
\n- simple verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of only one character, and<\/li>\n
- compound verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of two characters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Simple verbs are just that\u2014very simple to use. Put the word into the sentence as your verb, and you’re good to go.<\/p>\n
Compound verbs are a bit more complex. These character groups can form a single word in some situations, but they can also be separated in other situations.<\/p>\n
Why can compound verbs be split? Well, sometimes the characters within the compound verb all mean the same thing. In these cases, you can choose to use the entire verb or<\/em> just one of the characters (usually the first character), and they’ll express the same meaning.<\/p>\nFor example, you can use either of the following sentences to mean “I am learning Chinese”:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u6211\u5b66\u4e60<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(<\/em>w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u5b66<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\nSome compound verbs can also be split to give more information, like quantifiers. For instance, both of the following examples separate the compound verb \u8dd1\u6b65, and both sentences mean “Yesterday I ran for two hours”:<\/p>\n
\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u6b65<\/strong>\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed b\u00f9.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed.)<\/em><\/p>\nIt’s probably a good idea to use the entire compound verb at the beginning of your Chinese studies, though. That’s because splitting compound verbs is typically only possible when both characters have the same meaning.<\/strong><\/p>\nOnce you have more experience with Chinese verbs, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to experiment with them more!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now you can use these common Chinese verbs to start making some sentences. So, how about you go out there and put the skills you’ve just learned to the test?<\/p>\n
Don’t be scared to make mistakes. We’re all human, and mistakes are good, because you always learn from them!
\n\u00a0
\n<\/p>\n
And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n
\r\nIf you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nFluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\nFluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos\u2014like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
<\/a>FluentU App Browse Screen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>Interactive Transcripts on FluentU<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU's Learn Mode<\/strong> turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 z\u00e0i xi\u011b h\u00e0n z\u00ec.)
\n<\/em>I am writing Chinese characters.<\/p>\n
9. \u7a7f (chu\u0101n)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to wear<\/h2>\n\u6211\u7a7f\u6211\u59b9\u59b9\u7684\u8863\u670d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 chu\u0101n w\u01d2 m\u00e8i mei de y\u012b fu.)
\n<\/em>I wear my sister’s clothes.<\/p>\n10. \u542c\u00a0(t\u012bng) <\/em>\u2014\u00a0to hear\/listen<\/h2>\n\u7238\u7238\u5728\u542c\u5e7f\u64ad\u3002
\n<\/strong>(b\u00e0 ba z\u00e0i t\u012bng gu\u01ceng b\u00f2.)
\n<\/em>Dad is listening to the radio.<\/p>\n11. \u8bf4 (shu\u014d)<\/em> \u2014 to speak<\/h2>\n\u6211\u8ddf\u8001\u5e08\u8bf4\u4e2d\u6587\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 g\u0113n l\u01ceo sh\u012b shu\u014d zh\u014dng w\u00e9n.)
\n<\/em>I speak Chinese with the teacher.<\/p>\n12. \u95ee (w\u00e8n)<\/em> \u2014 to ask<\/h2>\n\u00a0\u6211\u60f3\u95ee\u4f60\u4e00\u4ef6\u4e8b\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 xi\u01ceng w\u00e8n n\u01d0 y\u00ed ji\u00e0n sh\u00ec.)
\n<\/em>I want to ask you one thing.<\/p>\n13. \u5403 (ch\u012b)<\/em> \u2014 to eat<\/h2>\n\u6211\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u5403\u65e9\u996d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du ch\u012b z\u01ceo f\u00e0n.)
\n<\/em>I eat breakfast every day.<\/p>\n14. \u559d (h\u0113)<\/em> \u2014 to drink<\/h2>\n\u5988\u5988\u5728\u559d\u8336\u3002
\n<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma z\u00e0i h\u0113 ch\u00e1.)
\n<\/em>Mom is drinking tea.<\/p>\n15. \u4e70 (m\u01cei)<\/em> \u2014 to buy<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e70\u4e86\u6c34\u679c\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 m\u01cei le shu\u01d0 gu\u01d2.)
\n<\/em>I bought fruit.<\/p>\n16. \u7528 (y\u00f2ng)<\/em> \u2014 to use<\/h2>\n\u8bf7\u7528\u9ed1\u8272\u7684\u7b14\u3002
\n<\/strong>(q\u01d0ng y\u00f2ng h\u0113i s\u00e8 de b\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>Please use a black pen.<\/p>\n17. \u6e38\u6cf3 (y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to swim<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u4f1a\u6e38\u6cf3\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00fa hu\u00ec y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng.)
\n<\/em>I can’t swim.<\/p>\n18. \u5b66\u4e60 (xu\u00e9 x\u00ed)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to study\/learn<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5b66\u4e60\u7684\u4e0d\u662f\u897f\u73ed\u7259\u8bed\uff0c\u800c\u662f\u6cd5\u8bed\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed de b\u00fa sh\u00ec x\u012b b\u0101n y\u00e1 y\u01d4, \u00e9r sh\u00ec f\u01ce y\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>I am not studying Spanish but French.<\/p>\n19. \u5bb3\u6015 (h\u00e0i p\u00e0)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to be afraid<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5bb3\u6015\u72d7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u00e0i p\u00e0 g\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I am afraid of dogs.<\/p>\n20. \u8df3\u821e (ti\u00e0o w\u01d4)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to dance<\/h2>\n\u8fd9\u4e2a\u5468\u672b\u6211\u8981\u8df3\u821e\u3002
\n<\/strong>(zh\u00e8 ge zh\u014du m\u00f2 w\u01d2 y\u00e0o ti\u00e0o w\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>This weekend I want to dance.<\/p>\n21. \u51c6\u5907 (zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to prepare\/get ready<\/h2>\n\u660e\u5929\u6211\u4eec\u4e00\u8d77\u53bb\u5317\u4eac\u3002\u4f60\u51c6\u5907\u597d\u4e86\u5417\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(m\u00edng ti\u0101n w\u01d2 men y\u00ec q\u01d0 q\u00f9 b\u011bi j\u012bng. n\u01d0 zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i h\u01ceo le ma?)
\n<\/em>Tomorrow we are going together to Beijing. Are you ready?<\/p>\n22. \u559c\u6b22 (x\u01d0 hu\u0101n)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to like<\/h2>\n\u6211\u559c\u6b22\u4f60\u7684\u670b\u53cb\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 x\u01d0 hu\u0101n n\u01d0 de p\u00e9ng y\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I like your friend.<\/p>\n23. \u6563\u6b65 (s\u00e0n b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a walk<\/h2>\n\u6211\u7684\u5916\u5a46\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u53bb\u6563\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 de w\u00e0i p\u00f3 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du q\u00f9 s\u00e0n b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>My grandmother takes a walk every day.<\/p>\n24. \u6d17\u6fa1 (x\u01d0 z\u01ceo)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a shower\/bath<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5df2\u7ecf\u6d17\u6fa1\u4e86\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u01d0 j\u012bng x\u01d0 z\u01ceo le.)
\n<\/em>I’ve already had a bath.<\/p>\n25. \u8d70\u8def (z\u01d2u l\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to walk (go on foot)<\/h2>\n\u4f60\u4eec\u662f\u5750\u8f66\u53bb\u8fd8\u662f\u8d70\u8def\u53bb\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(n\u01d0 men sh\u00ec zu\u00f2 ch\u0113 q\u00f9 h\u00e1i sh\u00ec z\u01d2u l\u00f9 q\u00f9?)
\n<\/em>Are you going by car or on foot?<\/p>\n26. \u8dd1\u6b65 (p\u01ceo b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to run<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5f88\u7d2f\uff0c\u4e0d\u60f3\u8dd1\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u011bn l\u00e8i, b\u00f9 xi\u01ceng p\u01ceo b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>I am very tired. I don’t want to run.<\/p>\n27. \u5f00\u59cb (k\u0101i sh\u01d0)<\/em> \u2014 to start<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4eec\u5f00\u59cb\u5427\uff01
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 men k\u0101i sh\u01d0 ba!)
\n<\/em>Let’s get started! \/ Here we go!<\/p>\n28. \u660e\u767d (m\u00edng bai)<\/em> \u2014 to understand<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u660e\u767d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00f9 m\u00edng bai.)
\n<\/em>I don’t understand.<\/p>\n29. \u77e5\u9053 (zh\u012b d\u00e0o)<\/em> \u2014 to know<\/h2>\n\u6211\u77e5\u9053\u5b66\u6821\u5728\u54ea\u91cc\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 zh\u012b d\u00e0o xu\u00e9 xi\u00e0o z\u00e0i n\u01ce l\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>I know where the school is.<\/p>\n30. \u89c9\u5f97 (ju\u00e9 de)<\/em> \u2014 to feel<\/h2>\n\u6211\u89c9\u5f97\u51b7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 ju\u00e9 de l\u011bng.)
\n<\/em>I feel cold.<\/p>\nHow Verbs Work in Chinese<\/h2>\nChinese Verb Placement<\/h3>\n
To be able to express statements of action, you should keep in mind the basic structure for any sentence in Chinese:<\/p>\n
\u00a0Subject + Verb + Object<\/strong><\/p>\nA very important aspect of this structure is the fact that the Subject uses the Verb to act upon the Object, like so:<\/p>\n
\u5988\u5988\u5403<\/strong>\u725b\u8089\u3002<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma ch\u012b ni\u00fa r\u00f2u.) \u2014<\/em> Mother eats beef.<\/p>\nMakes sense, right? If we switched the Subject’s position with the Object’s, we’d get a sentence that looks like this:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u725b\u8089\u5403<\/strong>\u5988\u5988\u3002<\/strong>(ni\u00fa r\u00f2u ch\u012b m\u0101 m\u0101.) \u2014<\/em> Beef eats Mother.<\/p>\nThat’s not quite right, obviously.\u00a0So, the noun that comes after the Verb will be the target of its action.<\/p>\n
Easy and logical, no?<\/p>\n
Chinese Verb Conjugations<\/h3>\n
In Chinese, verbs don’t have conjugations<\/b>.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe basic form of any verb is the infinitive, and that’s what we could say is used in Chinese. Every Chinese verb can be considered an infinitive because it doesn’t have any conjugation, and it certainly doesn’t change according to the person or number of people performing the action.<\/p>\n
Further, the forms of Chinese verbs never change,<\/strong> regardless of present, past or future tense. That’s good news, because it means you won’t have to memorize different forms for participles or tenses.<\/p>\nOf course, there are some rules<\/a> about how to express the fact that an action already took place or will happen in the future. When you’re just starting out, it’s best to keep things super simple, and to see lots of examples of verbs in use. You can do this on FluentU<\/a>, which has hundreds of videos to show you how native Chinese speakers use verbs in context.<\/p>\nSimple Verbs vs. Compound Verbs in Chinese<\/h2>\n
You may have noticed that there are two types of Chinese verbs on our list:<\/p>\n
\n- simple verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of only one character, and<\/li>\n
- compound verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of two characters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Simple verbs are just that\u2014very simple to use. Put the word into the sentence as your verb, and you’re good to go.<\/p>\n
Compound verbs are a bit more complex. These character groups can form a single word in some situations, but they can also be separated in other situations.<\/p>\n
Why can compound verbs be split? Well, sometimes the characters within the compound verb all mean the same thing. In these cases, you can choose to use the entire verb or<\/em> just one of the characters (usually the first character), and they’ll express the same meaning.<\/p>\nFor example, you can use either of the following sentences to mean “I am learning Chinese”:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u6211\u5b66\u4e60<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(<\/em>w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u5b66<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\nSome compound verbs can also be split to give more information, like quantifiers. For instance, both of the following examples separate the compound verb \u8dd1\u6b65, and both sentences mean “Yesterday I ran for two hours”:<\/p>\n
\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u6b65<\/strong>\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed b\u00f9.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed.)<\/em><\/p>\nIt’s probably a good idea to use the entire compound verb at the beginning of your Chinese studies, though. That’s because splitting compound verbs is typically only possible when both characters have the same meaning.<\/strong><\/p>\nOnce you have more experience with Chinese verbs, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to experiment with them more!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now you can use these common Chinese verbs to start making some sentences. So, how about you go out there and put the skills you’ve just learned to the test?<\/p>\n
Don’t be scared to make mistakes. We’re all human, and mistakes are good, because you always learn from them!
\n\u00a0
\n<\/p>\n
And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n
\r\nIf you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nFluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\nFluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos\u2014like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
<\/a>FluentU App Browse Screen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>Interactive Transcripts on FluentU<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU's Learn Mode<\/strong> turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 chu\u0101n w\u01d2 m\u00e8i mei de y\u012b fu.)
\n<\/em>I wear my sister’s clothes.<\/p>\n
10. \u542c\u00a0(t\u012bng) <\/em>\u2014\u00a0to hear\/listen<\/h2>\n\u7238\u7238\u5728\u542c\u5e7f\u64ad\u3002
\n<\/strong>(b\u00e0 ba z\u00e0i t\u012bng gu\u01ceng b\u00f2.)
\n<\/em>Dad is listening to the radio.<\/p>\n11. \u8bf4 (shu\u014d)<\/em> \u2014 to speak<\/h2>\n\u6211\u8ddf\u8001\u5e08\u8bf4\u4e2d\u6587\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 g\u0113n l\u01ceo sh\u012b shu\u014d zh\u014dng w\u00e9n.)
\n<\/em>I speak Chinese with the teacher.<\/p>\n12. \u95ee (w\u00e8n)<\/em> \u2014 to ask<\/h2>\n\u00a0\u6211\u60f3\u95ee\u4f60\u4e00\u4ef6\u4e8b\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 xi\u01ceng w\u00e8n n\u01d0 y\u00ed ji\u00e0n sh\u00ec.)
\n<\/em>I want to ask you one thing.<\/p>\n13. \u5403 (ch\u012b)<\/em> \u2014 to eat<\/h2>\n\u6211\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u5403\u65e9\u996d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du ch\u012b z\u01ceo f\u00e0n.)
\n<\/em>I eat breakfast every day.<\/p>\n14. \u559d (h\u0113)<\/em> \u2014 to drink<\/h2>\n\u5988\u5988\u5728\u559d\u8336\u3002
\n<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma z\u00e0i h\u0113 ch\u00e1.)
\n<\/em>Mom is drinking tea.<\/p>\n15. \u4e70 (m\u01cei)<\/em> \u2014 to buy<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e70\u4e86\u6c34\u679c\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 m\u01cei le shu\u01d0 gu\u01d2.)
\n<\/em>I bought fruit.<\/p>\n16. \u7528 (y\u00f2ng)<\/em> \u2014 to use<\/h2>\n\u8bf7\u7528\u9ed1\u8272\u7684\u7b14\u3002
\n<\/strong>(q\u01d0ng y\u00f2ng h\u0113i s\u00e8 de b\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>Please use a black pen.<\/p>\n17. \u6e38\u6cf3 (y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to swim<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u4f1a\u6e38\u6cf3\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00fa hu\u00ec y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng.)
\n<\/em>I can’t swim.<\/p>\n18. \u5b66\u4e60 (xu\u00e9 x\u00ed)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to study\/learn<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5b66\u4e60\u7684\u4e0d\u662f\u897f\u73ed\u7259\u8bed\uff0c\u800c\u662f\u6cd5\u8bed\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed de b\u00fa sh\u00ec x\u012b b\u0101n y\u00e1 y\u01d4, \u00e9r sh\u00ec f\u01ce y\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>I am not studying Spanish but French.<\/p>\n19. \u5bb3\u6015 (h\u00e0i p\u00e0)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to be afraid<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5bb3\u6015\u72d7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u00e0i p\u00e0 g\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I am afraid of dogs.<\/p>\n20. \u8df3\u821e (ti\u00e0o w\u01d4)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to dance<\/h2>\n\u8fd9\u4e2a\u5468\u672b\u6211\u8981\u8df3\u821e\u3002
\n<\/strong>(zh\u00e8 ge zh\u014du m\u00f2 w\u01d2 y\u00e0o ti\u00e0o w\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>This weekend I want to dance.<\/p>\n21. \u51c6\u5907 (zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to prepare\/get ready<\/h2>\n\u660e\u5929\u6211\u4eec\u4e00\u8d77\u53bb\u5317\u4eac\u3002\u4f60\u51c6\u5907\u597d\u4e86\u5417\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(m\u00edng ti\u0101n w\u01d2 men y\u00ec q\u01d0 q\u00f9 b\u011bi j\u012bng. n\u01d0 zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i h\u01ceo le ma?)
\n<\/em>Tomorrow we are going together to Beijing. Are you ready?<\/p>\n22. \u559c\u6b22 (x\u01d0 hu\u0101n)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to like<\/h2>\n\u6211\u559c\u6b22\u4f60\u7684\u670b\u53cb\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 x\u01d0 hu\u0101n n\u01d0 de p\u00e9ng y\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I like your friend.<\/p>\n23. \u6563\u6b65 (s\u00e0n b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a walk<\/h2>\n\u6211\u7684\u5916\u5a46\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u53bb\u6563\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 de w\u00e0i p\u00f3 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du q\u00f9 s\u00e0n b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>My grandmother takes a walk every day.<\/p>\n24. \u6d17\u6fa1 (x\u01d0 z\u01ceo)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a shower\/bath<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5df2\u7ecf\u6d17\u6fa1\u4e86\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u01d0 j\u012bng x\u01d0 z\u01ceo le.)
\n<\/em>I’ve already had a bath.<\/p>\n25. \u8d70\u8def (z\u01d2u l\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to walk (go on foot)<\/h2>\n\u4f60\u4eec\u662f\u5750\u8f66\u53bb\u8fd8\u662f\u8d70\u8def\u53bb\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(n\u01d0 men sh\u00ec zu\u00f2 ch\u0113 q\u00f9 h\u00e1i sh\u00ec z\u01d2u l\u00f9 q\u00f9?)
\n<\/em>Are you going by car or on foot?<\/p>\n26. \u8dd1\u6b65 (p\u01ceo b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to run<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5f88\u7d2f\uff0c\u4e0d\u60f3\u8dd1\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u011bn l\u00e8i, b\u00f9 xi\u01ceng p\u01ceo b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>I am very tired. I don’t want to run.<\/p>\n27. \u5f00\u59cb (k\u0101i sh\u01d0)<\/em> \u2014 to start<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4eec\u5f00\u59cb\u5427\uff01
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 men k\u0101i sh\u01d0 ba!)
\n<\/em>Let’s get started! \/ Here we go!<\/p>\n28. \u660e\u767d (m\u00edng bai)<\/em> \u2014 to understand<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u660e\u767d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00f9 m\u00edng bai.)
\n<\/em>I don’t understand.<\/p>\n29. \u77e5\u9053 (zh\u012b d\u00e0o)<\/em> \u2014 to know<\/h2>\n\u6211\u77e5\u9053\u5b66\u6821\u5728\u54ea\u91cc\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 zh\u012b d\u00e0o xu\u00e9 xi\u00e0o z\u00e0i n\u01ce l\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>I know where the school is.<\/p>\n30. \u89c9\u5f97 (ju\u00e9 de)<\/em> \u2014 to feel<\/h2>\n\u6211\u89c9\u5f97\u51b7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 ju\u00e9 de l\u011bng.)
\n<\/em>I feel cold.<\/p>\nHow Verbs Work in Chinese<\/h2>\nChinese Verb Placement<\/h3>\n
To be able to express statements of action, you should keep in mind the basic structure for any sentence in Chinese:<\/p>\n
\u00a0Subject + Verb + Object<\/strong><\/p>\nA very important aspect of this structure is the fact that the Subject uses the Verb to act upon the Object, like so:<\/p>\n
\u5988\u5988\u5403<\/strong>\u725b\u8089\u3002<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma ch\u012b ni\u00fa r\u00f2u.) \u2014<\/em> Mother eats beef.<\/p>\nMakes sense, right? If we switched the Subject’s position with the Object’s, we’d get a sentence that looks like this:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u725b\u8089\u5403<\/strong>\u5988\u5988\u3002<\/strong>(ni\u00fa r\u00f2u ch\u012b m\u0101 m\u0101.) \u2014<\/em> Beef eats Mother.<\/p>\nThat’s not quite right, obviously.\u00a0So, the noun that comes after the Verb will be the target of its action.<\/p>\n
Easy and logical, no?<\/p>\n
Chinese Verb Conjugations<\/h3>\n
In Chinese, verbs don’t have conjugations<\/b>.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe basic form of any verb is the infinitive, and that’s what we could say is used in Chinese. Every Chinese verb can be considered an infinitive because it doesn’t have any conjugation, and it certainly doesn’t change according to the person or number of people performing the action.<\/p>\n
Further, the forms of Chinese verbs never change,<\/strong> regardless of present, past or future tense. That’s good news, because it means you won’t have to memorize different forms for participles or tenses.<\/p>\nOf course, there are some rules<\/a> about how to express the fact that an action already took place or will happen in the future. When you’re just starting out, it’s best to keep things super simple, and to see lots of examples of verbs in use. You can do this on FluentU<\/a>, which has hundreds of videos to show you how native Chinese speakers use verbs in context.<\/p>\nSimple Verbs vs. Compound Verbs in Chinese<\/h2>\n
You may have noticed that there are two types of Chinese verbs on our list:<\/p>\n
\n- simple verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of only one character, and<\/li>\n
- compound verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of two characters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Simple verbs are just that\u2014very simple to use. Put the word into the sentence as your verb, and you’re good to go.<\/p>\n
Compound verbs are a bit more complex. These character groups can form a single word in some situations, but they can also be separated in other situations.<\/p>\n
Why can compound verbs be split? Well, sometimes the characters within the compound verb all mean the same thing. In these cases, you can choose to use the entire verb or<\/em> just one of the characters (usually the first character), and they’ll express the same meaning.<\/p>\nFor example, you can use either of the following sentences to mean “I am learning Chinese”:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u6211\u5b66\u4e60<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(<\/em>w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u5b66<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\nSome compound verbs can also be split to give more information, like quantifiers. For instance, both of the following examples separate the compound verb \u8dd1\u6b65, and both sentences mean “Yesterday I ran for two hours”:<\/p>\n
\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u6b65<\/strong>\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed b\u00f9.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed.)<\/em><\/p>\nIt’s probably a good idea to use the entire compound verb at the beginning of your Chinese studies, though. That’s because splitting compound verbs is typically only possible when both characters have the same meaning.<\/strong><\/p>\nOnce you have more experience with Chinese verbs, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to experiment with them more!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now you can use these common Chinese verbs to start making some sentences. So, how about you go out there and put the skills you’ve just learned to the test?<\/p>\n
Don’t be scared to make mistakes. We’re all human, and mistakes are good, because you always learn from them!
\n\u00a0
\n<\/p>\n
And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n
\r\nIf you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nFluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\nFluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos\u2014like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
<\/a>FluentU App Browse Screen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>Interactive Transcripts on FluentU<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU's Learn Mode<\/strong> turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>
\n<\/strong>(b\u00e0 ba z\u00e0i t\u012bng gu\u01ceng b\u00f2.)
\n<\/em>Dad is listening to the radio.<\/p>\n
11. \u8bf4 (shu\u014d)<\/em> \u2014 to speak<\/h2>\n\u6211\u8ddf\u8001\u5e08\u8bf4\u4e2d\u6587\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 g\u0113n l\u01ceo sh\u012b shu\u014d zh\u014dng w\u00e9n.)
\n<\/em>I speak Chinese with the teacher.<\/p>\n12. \u95ee (w\u00e8n)<\/em> \u2014 to ask<\/h2>\n\u00a0\u6211\u60f3\u95ee\u4f60\u4e00\u4ef6\u4e8b\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 xi\u01ceng w\u00e8n n\u01d0 y\u00ed ji\u00e0n sh\u00ec.)
\n<\/em>I want to ask you one thing.<\/p>\n13. \u5403 (ch\u012b)<\/em> \u2014 to eat<\/h2>\n\u6211\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u5403\u65e9\u996d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du ch\u012b z\u01ceo f\u00e0n.)
\n<\/em>I eat breakfast every day.<\/p>\n14. \u559d (h\u0113)<\/em> \u2014 to drink<\/h2>\n\u5988\u5988\u5728\u559d\u8336\u3002
\n<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma z\u00e0i h\u0113 ch\u00e1.)
\n<\/em>Mom is drinking tea.<\/p>\n15. \u4e70 (m\u01cei)<\/em> \u2014 to buy<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e70\u4e86\u6c34\u679c\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 m\u01cei le shu\u01d0 gu\u01d2.)
\n<\/em>I bought fruit.<\/p>\n16. \u7528 (y\u00f2ng)<\/em> \u2014 to use<\/h2>\n\u8bf7\u7528\u9ed1\u8272\u7684\u7b14\u3002
\n<\/strong>(q\u01d0ng y\u00f2ng h\u0113i s\u00e8 de b\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>Please use a black pen.<\/p>\n17. \u6e38\u6cf3 (y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to swim<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u4f1a\u6e38\u6cf3\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00fa hu\u00ec y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng.)
\n<\/em>I can’t swim.<\/p>\n18. \u5b66\u4e60 (xu\u00e9 x\u00ed)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to study\/learn<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5b66\u4e60\u7684\u4e0d\u662f\u897f\u73ed\u7259\u8bed\uff0c\u800c\u662f\u6cd5\u8bed\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed de b\u00fa sh\u00ec x\u012b b\u0101n y\u00e1 y\u01d4, \u00e9r sh\u00ec f\u01ce y\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>I am not studying Spanish but French.<\/p>\n19. \u5bb3\u6015 (h\u00e0i p\u00e0)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to be afraid<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5bb3\u6015\u72d7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u00e0i p\u00e0 g\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I am afraid of dogs.<\/p>\n20. \u8df3\u821e (ti\u00e0o w\u01d4)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to dance<\/h2>\n\u8fd9\u4e2a\u5468\u672b\u6211\u8981\u8df3\u821e\u3002
\n<\/strong>(zh\u00e8 ge zh\u014du m\u00f2 w\u01d2 y\u00e0o ti\u00e0o w\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>This weekend I want to dance.<\/p>\n21. \u51c6\u5907 (zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to prepare\/get ready<\/h2>\n\u660e\u5929\u6211\u4eec\u4e00\u8d77\u53bb\u5317\u4eac\u3002\u4f60\u51c6\u5907\u597d\u4e86\u5417\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(m\u00edng ti\u0101n w\u01d2 men y\u00ec q\u01d0 q\u00f9 b\u011bi j\u012bng. n\u01d0 zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i h\u01ceo le ma?)
\n<\/em>Tomorrow we are going together to Beijing. Are you ready?<\/p>\n22. \u559c\u6b22 (x\u01d0 hu\u0101n)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to like<\/h2>\n\u6211\u559c\u6b22\u4f60\u7684\u670b\u53cb\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 x\u01d0 hu\u0101n n\u01d0 de p\u00e9ng y\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I like your friend.<\/p>\n23. \u6563\u6b65 (s\u00e0n b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a walk<\/h2>\n\u6211\u7684\u5916\u5a46\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u53bb\u6563\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 de w\u00e0i p\u00f3 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du q\u00f9 s\u00e0n b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>My grandmother takes a walk every day.<\/p>\n24. \u6d17\u6fa1 (x\u01d0 z\u01ceo)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a shower\/bath<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5df2\u7ecf\u6d17\u6fa1\u4e86\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u01d0 j\u012bng x\u01d0 z\u01ceo le.)
\n<\/em>I’ve already had a bath.<\/p>\n25. \u8d70\u8def (z\u01d2u l\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to walk (go on foot)<\/h2>\n\u4f60\u4eec\u662f\u5750\u8f66\u53bb\u8fd8\u662f\u8d70\u8def\u53bb\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(n\u01d0 men sh\u00ec zu\u00f2 ch\u0113 q\u00f9 h\u00e1i sh\u00ec z\u01d2u l\u00f9 q\u00f9?)
\n<\/em>Are you going by car or on foot?<\/p>\n26. \u8dd1\u6b65 (p\u01ceo b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to run<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5f88\u7d2f\uff0c\u4e0d\u60f3\u8dd1\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u011bn l\u00e8i, b\u00f9 xi\u01ceng p\u01ceo b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>I am very tired. I don’t want to run.<\/p>\n27. \u5f00\u59cb (k\u0101i sh\u01d0)<\/em> \u2014 to start<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4eec\u5f00\u59cb\u5427\uff01
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 men k\u0101i sh\u01d0 ba!)
\n<\/em>Let’s get started! \/ Here we go!<\/p>\n28. \u660e\u767d (m\u00edng bai)<\/em> \u2014 to understand<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u660e\u767d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00f9 m\u00edng bai.)
\n<\/em>I don’t understand.<\/p>\n29. \u77e5\u9053 (zh\u012b d\u00e0o)<\/em> \u2014 to know<\/h2>\n\u6211\u77e5\u9053\u5b66\u6821\u5728\u54ea\u91cc\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 zh\u012b d\u00e0o xu\u00e9 xi\u00e0o z\u00e0i n\u01ce l\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>I know where the school is.<\/p>\n30. \u89c9\u5f97 (ju\u00e9 de)<\/em> \u2014 to feel<\/h2>\n\u6211\u89c9\u5f97\u51b7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 ju\u00e9 de l\u011bng.)
\n<\/em>I feel cold.<\/p>\nHow Verbs Work in Chinese<\/h2>\nChinese Verb Placement<\/h3>\n
To be able to express statements of action, you should keep in mind the basic structure for any sentence in Chinese:<\/p>\n
\u00a0Subject + Verb + Object<\/strong><\/p>\nA very important aspect of this structure is the fact that the Subject uses the Verb to act upon the Object, like so:<\/p>\n
\u5988\u5988\u5403<\/strong>\u725b\u8089\u3002<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma ch\u012b ni\u00fa r\u00f2u.) \u2014<\/em> Mother eats beef.<\/p>\nMakes sense, right? If we switched the Subject’s position with the Object’s, we’d get a sentence that looks like this:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u725b\u8089\u5403<\/strong>\u5988\u5988\u3002<\/strong>(ni\u00fa r\u00f2u ch\u012b m\u0101 m\u0101.) \u2014<\/em> Beef eats Mother.<\/p>\nThat’s not quite right, obviously.\u00a0So, the noun that comes after the Verb will be the target of its action.<\/p>\n
Easy and logical, no?<\/p>\n
Chinese Verb Conjugations<\/h3>\n
In Chinese, verbs don’t have conjugations<\/b>.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe basic form of any verb is the infinitive, and that’s what we could say is used in Chinese. Every Chinese verb can be considered an infinitive because it doesn’t have any conjugation, and it certainly doesn’t change according to the person or number of people performing the action.<\/p>\n
Further, the forms of Chinese verbs never change,<\/strong> regardless of present, past or future tense. That’s good news, because it means you won’t have to memorize different forms for participles or tenses.<\/p>\nOf course, there are some rules<\/a> about how to express the fact that an action already took place or will happen in the future. When you’re just starting out, it’s best to keep things super simple, and to see lots of examples of verbs in use. You can do this on FluentU<\/a>, which has hundreds of videos to show you how native Chinese speakers use verbs in context.<\/p>\nSimple Verbs vs. Compound Verbs in Chinese<\/h2>\n
You may have noticed that there are two types of Chinese verbs on our list:<\/p>\n
\n- simple verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of only one character, and<\/li>\n
- compound verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of two characters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Simple verbs are just that\u2014very simple to use. Put the word into the sentence as your verb, and you’re good to go.<\/p>\n
Compound verbs are a bit more complex. These character groups can form a single word in some situations, but they can also be separated in other situations.<\/p>\n
Why can compound verbs be split? Well, sometimes the characters within the compound verb all mean the same thing. In these cases, you can choose to use the entire verb or<\/em> just one of the characters (usually the first character), and they’ll express the same meaning.<\/p>\nFor example, you can use either of the following sentences to mean “I am learning Chinese”:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u6211\u5b66\u4e60<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(<\/em>w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u5b66<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\nSome compound verbs can also be split to give more information, like quantifiers. For instance, both of the following examples separate the compound verb \u8dd1\u6b65, and both sentences mean “Yesterday I ran for two hours”:<\/p>\n
\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u6b65<\/strong>\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed b\u00f9.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed.)<\/em><\/p>\nIt’s probably a good idea to use the entire compound verb at the beginning of your Chinese studies, though. That’s because splitting compound verbs is typically only possible when both characters have the same meaning.<\/strong><\/p>\nOnce you have more experience with Chinese verbs, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to experiment with them more!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now you can use these common Chinese verbs to start making some sentences. So, how about you go out there and put the skills you’ve just learned to the test?<\/p>\n
Don’t be scared to make mistakes. We’re all human, and mistakes are good, because you always learn from them!
\n\u00a0
\n<\/p>\n
And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n
\r\nIf you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nFluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\nFluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos\u2014like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
<\/a>FluentU App Browse Screen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>Interactive Transcripts on FluentU<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU's Learn Mode<\/strong> turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 g\u0113n l\u01ceo sh\u012b shu\u014d zh\u014dng w\u00e9n.)
\n<\/em>I speak Chinese with the teacher.<\/p>\n
12. \u95ee (w\u00e8n)<\/em> \u2014 to ask<\/h2>\n\u00a0\u6211\u60f3\u95ee\u4f60\u4e00\u4ef6\u4e8b\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 xi\u01ceng w\u00e8n n\u01d0 y\u00ed ji\u00e0n sh\u00ec.)
\n<\/em>I want to ask you one thing.<\/p>\n13. \u5403 (ch\u012b)<\/em> \u2014 to eat<\/h2>\n\u6211\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u5403\u65e9\u996d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du ch\u012b z\u01ceo f\u00e0n.)
\n<\/em>I eat breakfast every day.<\/p>\n14. \u559d (h\u0113)<\/em> \u2014 to drink<\/h2>\n\u5988\u5988\u5728\u559d\u8336\u3002
\n<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma z\u00e0i h\u0113 ch\u00e1.)
\n<\/em>Mom is drinking tea.<\/p>\n15. \u4e70 (m\u01cei)<\/em> \u2014 to buy<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e70\u4e86\u6c34\u679c\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 m\u01cei le shu\u01d0 gu\u01d2.)
\n<\/em>I bought fruit.<\/p>\n16. \u7528 (y\u00f2ng)<\/em> \u2014 to use<\/h2>\n\u8bf7\u7528\u9ed1\u8272\u7684\u7b14\u3002
\n<\/strong>(q\u01d0ng y\u00f2ng h\u0113i s\u00e8 de b\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>Please use a black pen.<\/p>\n17. \u6e38\u6cf3 (y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to swim<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u4f1a\u6e38\u6cf3\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00fa hu\u00ec y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng.)
\n<\/em>I can’t swim.<\/p>\n18. \u5b66\u4e60 (xu\u00e9 x\u00ed)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to study\/learn<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5b66\u4e60\u7684\u4e0d\u662f\u897f\u73ed\u7259\u8bed\uff0c\u800c\u662f\u6cd5\u8bed\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed de b\u00fa sh\u00ec x\u012b b\u0101n y\u00e1 y\u01d4, \u00e9r sh\u00ec f\u01ce y\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>I am not studying Spanish but French.<\/p>\n19. \u5bb3\u6015 (h\u00e0i p\u00e0)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to be afraid<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5bb3\u6015\u72d7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u00e0i p\u00e0 g\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I am afraid of dogs.<\/p>\n20. \u8df3\u821e (ti\u00e0o w\u01d4)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to dance<\/h2>\n\u8fd9\u4e2a\u5468\u672b\u6211\u8981\u8df3\u821e\u3002
\n<\/strong>(zh\u00e8 ge zh\u014du m\u00f2 w\u01d2 y\u00e0o ti\u00e0o w\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>This weekend I want to dance.<\/p>\n21. \u51c6\u5907 (zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to prepare\/get ready<\/h2>\n\u660e\u5929\u6211\u4eec\u4e00\u8d77\u53bb\u5317\u4eac\u3002\u4f60\u51c6\u5907\u597d\u4e86\u5417\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(m\u00edng ti\u0101n w\u01d2 men y\u00ec q\u01d0 q\u00f9 b\u011bi j\u012bng. n\u01d0 zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i h\u01ceo le ma?)
\n<\/em>Tomorrow we are going together to Beijing. Are you ready?<\/p>\n22. \u559c\u6b22 (x\u01d0 hu\u0101n)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to like<\/h2>\n\u6211\u559c\u6b22\u4f60\u7684\u670b\u53cb\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 x\u01d0 hu\u0101n n\u01d0 de p\u00e9ng y\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I like your friend.<\/p>\n23. \u6563\u6b65 (s\u00e0n b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a walk<\/h2>\n\u6211\u7684\u5916\u5a46\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u53bb\u6563\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 de w\u00e0i p\u00f3 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du q\u00f9 s\u00e0n b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>My grandmother takes a walk every day.<\/p>\n24. \u6d17\u6fa1 (x\u01d0 z\u01ceo)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a shower\/bath<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5df2\u7ecf\u6d17\u6fa1\u4e86\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u01d0 j\u012bng x\u01d0 z\u01ceo le.)
\n<\/em>I’ve already had a bath.<\/p>\n25. \u8d70\u8def (z\u01d2u l\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to walk (go on foot)<\/h2>\n\u4f60\u4eec\u662f\u5750\u8f66\u53bb\u8fd8\u662f\u8d70\u8def\u53bb\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(n\u01d0 men sh\u00ec zu\u00f2 ch\u0113 q\u00f9 h\u00e1i sh\u00ec z\u01d2u l\u00f9 q\u00f9?)
\n<\/em>Are you going by car or on foot?<\/p>\n26. \u8dd1\u6b65 (p\u01ceo b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to run<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5f88\u7d2f\uff0c\u4e0d\u60f3\u8dd1\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u011bn l\u00e8i, b\u00f9 xi\u01ceng p\u01ceo b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>I am very tired. I don’t want to run.<\/p>\n27. \u5f00\u59cb (k\u0101i sh\u01d0)<\/em> \u2014 to start<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4eec\u5f00\u59cb\u5427\uff01
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 men k\u0101i sh\u01d0 ba!)
\n<\/em>Let’s get started! \/ Here we go!<\/p>\n28. \u660e\u767d (m\u00edng bai)<\/em> \u2014 to understand<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u660e\u767d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00f9 m\u00edng bai.)
\n<\/em>I don’t understand.<\/p>\n29. \u77e5\u9053 (zh\u012b d\u00e0o)<\/em> \u2014 to know<\/h2>\n\u6211\u77e5\u9053\u5b66\u6821\u5728\u54ea\u91cc\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 zh\u012b d\u00e0o xu\u00e9 xi\u00e0o z\u00e0i n\u01ce l\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>I know where the school is.<\/p>\n30. \u89c9\u5f97 (ju\u00e9 de)<\/em> \u2014 to feel<\/h2>\n\u6211\u89c9\u5f97\u51b7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 ju\u00e9 de l\u011bng.)
\n<\/em>I feel cold.<\/p>\nHow Verbs Work in Chinese<\/h2>\nChinese Verb Placement<\/h3>\n
To be able to express statements of action, you should keep in mind the basic structure for any sentence in Chinese:<\/p>\n
\u00a0Subject + Verb + Object<\/strong><\/p>\nA very important aspect of this structure is the fact that the Subject uses the Verb to act upon the Object, like so:<\/p>\n
\u5988\u5988\u5403<\/strong>\u725b\u8089\u3002<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma ch\u012b ni\u00fa r\u00f2u.) \u2014<\/em> Mother eats beef.<\/p>\nMakes sense, right? If we switched the Subject’s position with the Object’s, we’d get a sentence that looks like this:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u725b\u8089\u5403<\/strong>\u5988\u5988\u3002<\/strong>(ni\u00fa r\u00f2u ch\u012b m\u0101 m\u0101.) \u2014<\/em> Beef eats Mother.<\/p>\nThat’s not quite right, obviously.\u00a0So, the noun that comes after the Verb will be the target of its action.<\/p>\n
Easy and logical, no?<\/p>\n
Chinese Verb Conjugations<\/h3>\n
In Chinese, verbs don’t have conjugations<\/b>.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe basic form of any verb is the infinitive, and that’s what we could say is used in Chinese. Every Chinese verb can be considered an infinitive because it doesn’t have any conjugation, and it certainly doesn’t change according to the person or number of people performing the action.<\/p>\n
Further, the forms of Chinese verbs never change,<\/strong> regardless of present, past or future tense. That’s good news, because it means you won’t have to memorize different forms for participles or tenses.<\/p>\nOf course, there are some rules<\/a> about how to express the fact that an action already took place or will happen in the future. When you’re just starting out, it’s best to keep things super simple, and to see lots of examples of verbs in use. You can do this on FluentU<\/a>, which has hundreds of videos to show you how native Chinese speakers use verbs in context.<\/p>\nSimple Verbs vs. Compound Verbs in Chinese<\/h2>\n
You may have noticed that there are two types of Chinese verbs on our list:<\/p>\n
\n- simple verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of only one character, and<\/li>\n
- compound verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of two characters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Simple verbs are just that\u2014very simple to use. Put the word into the sentence as your verb, and you’re good to go.<\/p>\n
Compound verbs are a bit more complex. These character groups can form a single word in some situations, but they can also be separated in other situations.<\/p>\n
Why can compound verbs be split? Well, sometimes the characters within the compound verb all mean the same thing. In these cases, you can choose to use the entire verb or<\/em> just one of the characters (usually the first character), and they’ll express the same meaning.<\/p>\nFor example, you can use either of the following sentences to mean “I am learning Chinese”:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u6211\u5b66\u4e60<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(<\/em>w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u5b66<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\nSome compound verbs can also be split to give more information, like quantifiers. For instance, both of the following examples separate the compound verb \u8dd1\u6b65, and both sentences mean “Yesterday I ran for two hours”:<\/p>\n
\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u6b65<\/strong>\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed b\u00f9.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed.)<\/em><\/p>\nIt’s probably a good idea to use the entire compound verb at the beginning of your Chinese studies, though. That’s because splitting compound verbs is typically only possible when both characters have the same meaning.<\/strong><\/p>\nOnce you have more experience with Chinese verbs, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to experiment with them more!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now you can use these common Chinese verbs to start making some sentences. So, how about you go out there and put the skills you’ve just learned to the test?<\/p>\n
Don’t be scared to make mistakes. We’re all human, and mistakes are good, because you always learn from them!
\n\u00a0
\n<\/p>\n
And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n
\r\nIf you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nFluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\nFluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos\u2014like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
<\/a>FluentU App Browse Screen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>Interactive Transcripts on FluentU<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU's Learn Mode<\/strong> turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 xi\u01ceng w\u00e8n n\u01d0 y\u00ed ji\u00e0n sh\u00ec.)
\n<\/em>I want to ask you one thing.<\/p>\n
13. \u5403 (ch\u012b)<\/em> \u2014 to eat<\/h2>\n\u6211\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u5403\u65e9\u996d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du ch\u012b z\u01ceo f\u00e0n.)
\n<\/em>I eat breakfast every day.<\/p>\n14. \u559d (h\u0113)<\/em> \u2014 to drink<\/h2>\n\u5988\u5988\u5728\u559d\u8336\u3002
\n<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma z\u00e0i h\u0113 ch\u00e1.)
\n<\/em>Mom is drinking tea.<\/p>\n15. \u4e70 (m\u01cei)<\/em> \u2014 to buy<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e70\u4e86\u6c34\u679c\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 m\u01cei le shu\u01d0 gu\u01d2.)
\n<\/em>I bought fruit.<\/p>\n16. \u7528 (y\u00f2ng)<\/em> \u2014 to use<\/h2>\n\u8bf7\u7528\u9ed1\u8272\u7684\u7b14\u3002
\n<\/strong>(q\u01d0ng y\u00f2ng h\u0113i s\u00e8 de b\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>Please use a black pen.<\/p>\n17. \u6e38\u6cf3 (y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to swim<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u4f1a\u6e38\u6cf3\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00fa hu\u00ec y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng.)
\n<\/em>I can’t swim.<\/p>\n18. \u5b66\u4e60 (xu\u00e9 x\u00ed)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to study\/learn<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5b66\u4e60\u7684\u4e0d\u662f\u897f\u73ed\u7259\u8bed\uff0c\u800c\u662f\u6cd5\u8bed\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed de b\u00fa sh\u00ec x\u012b b\u0101n y\u00e1 y\u01d4, \u00e9r sh\u00ec f\u01ce y\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>I am not studying Spanish but French.<\/p>\n19. \u5bb3\u6015 (h\u00e0i p\u00e0)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to be afraid<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5bb3\u6015\u72d7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u00e0i p\u00e0 g\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I am afraid of dogs.<\/p>\n20. \u8df3\u821e (ti\u00e0o w\u01d4)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to dance<\/h2>\n\u8fd9\u4e2a\u5468\u672b\u6211\u8981\u8df3\u821e\u3002
\n<\/strong>(zh\u00e8 ge zh\u014du m\u00f2 w\u01d2 y\u00e0o ti\u00e0o w\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>This weekend I want to dance.<\/p>\n21. \u51c6\u5907 (zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to prepare\/get ready<\/h2>\n\u660e\u5929\u6211\u4eec\u4e00\u8d77\u53bb\u5317\u4eac\u3002\u4f60\u51c6\u5907\u597d\u4e86\u5417\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(m\u00edng ti\u0101n w\u01d2 men y\u00ec q\u01d0 q\u00f9 b\u011bi j\u012bng. n\u01d0 zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i h\u01ceo le ma?)
\n<\/em>Tomorrow we are going together to Beijing. Are you ready?<\/p>\n22. \u559c\u6b22 (x\u01d0 hu\u0101n)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to like<\/h2>\n\u6211\u559c\u6b22\u4f60\u7684\u670b\u53cb\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 x\u01d0 hu\u0101n n\u01d0 de p\u00e9ng y\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I like your friend.<\/p>\n23. \u6563\u6b65 (s\u00e0n b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a walk<\/h2>\n\u6211\u7684\u5916\u5a46\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u53bb\u6563\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 de w\u00e0i p\u00f3 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du q\u00f9 s\u00e0n b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>My grandmother takes a walk every day.<\/p>\n24. \u6d17\u6fa1 (x\u01d0 z\u01ceo)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a shower\/bath<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5df2\u7ecf\u6d17\u6fa1\u4e86\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u01d0 j\u012bng x\u01d0 z\u01ceo le.)
\n<\/em>I’ve already had a bath.<\/p>\n25. \u8d70\u8def (z\u01d2u l\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to walk (go on foot)<\/h2>\n\u4f60\u4eec\u662f\u5750\u8f66\u53bb\u8fd8\u662f\u8d70\u8def\u53bb\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(n\u01d0 men sh\u00ec zu\u00f2 ch\u0113 q\u00f9 h\u00e1i sh\u00ec z\u01d2u l\u00f9 q\u00f9?)
\n<\/em>Are you going by car or on foot?<\/p>\n26. \u8dd1\u6b65 (p\u01ceo b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to run<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5f88\u7d2f\uff0c\u4e0d\u60f3\u8dd1\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u011bn l\u00e8i, b\u00f9 xi\u01ceng p\u01ceo b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>I am very tired. I don’t want to run.<\/p>\n27. \u5f00\u59cb (k\u0101i sh\u01d0)<\/em> \u2014 to start<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4eec\u5f00\u59cb\u5427\uff01
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 men k\u0101i sh\u01d0 ba!)
\n<\/em>Let’s get started! \/ Here we go!<\/p>\n28. \u660e\u767d (m\u00edng bai)<\/em> \u2014 to understand<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u660e\u767d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00f9 m\u00edng bai.)
\n<\/em>I don’t understand.<\/p>\n29. \u77e5\u9053 (zh\u012b d\u00e0o)<\/em> \u2014 to know<\/h2>\n\u6211\u77e5\u9053\u5b66\u6821\u5728\u54ea\u91cc\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 zh\u012b d\u00e0o xu\u00e9 xi\u00e0o z\u00e0i n\u01ce l\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>I know where the school is.<\/p>\n30. \u89c9\u5f97 (ju\u00e9 de)<\/em> \u2014 to feel<\/h2>\n\u6211\u89c9\u5f97\u51b7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 ju\u00e9 de l\u011bng.)
\n<\/em>I feel cold.<\/p>\nHow Verbs Work in Chinese<\/h2>\nChinese Verb Placement<\/h3>\n
To be able to express statements of action, you should keep in mind the basic structure for any sentence in Chinese:<\/p>\n
\u00a0Subject + Verb + Object<\/strong><\/p>\nA very important aspect of this structure is the fact that the Subject uses the Verb to act upon the Object, like so:<\/p>\n
\u5988\u5988\u5403<\/strong>\u725b\u8089\u3002<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma ch\u012b ni\u00fa r\u00f2u.) \u2014<\/em> Mother eats beef.<\/p>\nMakes sense, right? If we switched the Subject’s position with the Object’s, we’d get a sentence that looks like this:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u725b\u8089\u5403<\/strong>\u5988\u5988\u3002<\/strong>(ni\u00fa r\u00f2u ch\u012b m\u0101 m\u0101.) \u2014<\/em> Beef eats Mother.<\/p>\nThat’s not quite right, obviously.\u00a0So, the noun that comes after the Verb will be the target of its action.<\/p>\n
Easy and logical, no?<\/p>\n
Chinese Verb Conjugations<\/h3>\n
In Chinese, verbs don’t have conjugations<\/b>.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe basic form of any verb is the infinitive, and that’s what we could say is used in Chinese. Every Chinese verb can be considered an infinitive because it doesn’t have any conjugation, and it certainly doesn’t change according to the person or number of people performing the action.<\/p>\n
Further, the forms of Chinese verbs never change,<\/strong> regardless of present, past or future tense. That’s good news, because it means you won’t have to memorize different forms for participles or tenses.<\/p>\nOf course, there are some rules<\/a> about how to express the fact that an action already took place or will happen in the future. When you’re just starting out, it’s best to keep things super simple, and to see lots of examples of verbs in use. You can do this on FluentU<\/a>, which has hundreds of videos to show you how native Chinese speakers use verbs in context.<\/p>\nSimple Verbs vs. Compound Verbs in Chinese<\/h2>\n
You may have noticed that there are two types of Chinese verbs on our list:<\/p>\n
\n- simple verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of only one character, and<\/li>\n
- compound verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of two characters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Simple verbs are just that\u2014very simple to use. Put the word into the sentence as your verb, and you’re good to go.<\/p>\n
Compound verbs are a bit more complex. These character groups can form a single word in some situations, but they can also be separated in other situations.<\/p>\n
Why can compound verbs be split? Well, sometimes the characters within the compound verb all mean the same thing. In these cases, you can choose to use the entire verb or<\/em> just one of the characters (usually the first character), and they’ll express the same meaning.<\/p>\nFor example, you can use either of the following sentences to mean “I am learning Chinese”:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u6211\u5b66\u4e60<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(<\/em>w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u5b66<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\nSome compound verbs can also be split to give more information, like quantifiers. For instance, both of the following examples separate the compound verb \u8dd1\u6b65, and both sentences mean “Yesterday I ran for two hours”:<\/p>\n
\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u6b65<\/strong>\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed b\u00f9.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed.)<\/em><\/p>\nIt’s probably a good idea to use the entire compound verb at the beginning of your Chinese studies, though. That’s because splitting compound verbs is typically only possible when both characters have the same meaning.<\/strong><\/p>\nOnce you have more experience with Chinese verbs, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to experiment with them more!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now you can use these common Chinese verbs to start making some sentences. So, how about you go out there and put the skills you’ve just learned to the test?<\/p>\n
Don’t be scared to make mistakes. We’re all human, and mistakes are good, because you always learn from them!
\n\u00a0
\n<\/p>\n
And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n
\r\nIf you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nFluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\nFluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos\u2014like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
<\/a>FluentU App Browse Screen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>Interactive Transcripts on FluentU<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU's Learn Mode<\/strong> turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du ch\u012b z\u01ceo f\u00e0n.)
\n<\/em>I eat breakfast every day.<\/p>\n
14. \u559d (h\u0113)<\/em> \u2014 to drink<\/h2>\n\u5988\u5988\u5728\u559d\u8336\u3002
\n<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma z\u00e0i h\u0113 ch\u00e1.)
\n<\/em>Mom is drinking tea.<\/p>\n15. \u4e70 (m\u01cei)<\/em> \u2014 to buy<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e70\u4e86\u6c34\u679c\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 m\u01cei le shu\u01d0 gu\u01d2.)
\n<\/em>I bought fruit.<\/p>\n16. \u7528 (y\u00f2ng)<\/em> \u2014 to use<\/h2>\n\u8bf7\u7528\u9ed1\u8272\u7684\u7b14\u3002
\n<\/strong>(q\u01d0ng y\u00f2ng h\u0113i s\u00e8 de b\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>Please use a black pen.<\/p>\n17. \u6e38\u6cf3 (y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to swim<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u4f1a\u6e38\u6cf3\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00fa hu\u00ec y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng.)
\n<\/em>I can’t swim.<\/p>\n18. \u5b66\u4e60 (xu\u00e9 x\u00ed)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to study\/learn<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5b66\u4e60\u7684\u4e0d\u662f\u897f\u73ed\u7259\u8bed\uff0c\u800c\u662f\u6cd5\u8bed\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed de b\u00fa sh\u00ec x\u012b b\u0101n y\u00e1 y\u01d4, \u00e9r sh\u00ec f\u01ce y\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>I am not studying Spanish but French.<\/p>\n19. \u5bb3\u6015 (h\u00e0i p\u00e0)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to be afraid<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5bb3\u6015\u72d7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u00e0i p\u00e0 g\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I am afraid of dogs.<\/p>\n20. \u8df3\u821e (ti\u00e0o w\u01d4)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to dance<\/h2>\n\u8fd9\u4e2a\u5468\u672b\u6211\u8981\u8df3\u821e\u3002
\n<\/strong>(zh\u00e8 ge zh\u014du m\u00f2 w\u01d2 y\u00e0o ti\u00e0o w\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>This weekend I want to dance.<\/p>\n21. \u51c6\u5907 (zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to prepare\/get ready<\/h2>\n\u660e\u5929\u6211\u4eec\u4e00\u8d77\u53bb\u5317\u4eac\u3002\u4f60\u51c6\u5907\u597d\u4e86\u5417\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(m\u00edng ti\u0101n w\u01d2 men y\u00ec q\u01d0 q\u00f9 b\u011bi j\u012bng. n\u01d0 zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i h\u01ceo le ma?)
\n<\/em>Tomorrow we are going together to Beijing. Are you ready?<\/p>\n22. \u559c\u6b22 (x\u01d0 hu\u0101n)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to like<\/h2>\n\u6211\u559c\u6b22\u4f60\u7684\u670b\u53cb\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 x\u01d0 hu\u0101n n\u01d0 de p\u00e9ng y\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I like your friend.<\/p>\n23. \u6563\u6b65 (s\u00e0n b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a walk<\/h2>\n\u6211\u7684\u5916\u5a46\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u53bb\u6563\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 de w\u00e0i p\u00f3 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du q\u00f9 s\u00e0n b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>My grandmother takes a walk every day.<\/p>\n24. \u6d17\u6fa1 (x\u01d0 z\u01ceo)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a shower\/bath<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5df2\u7ecf\u6d17\u6fa1\u4e86\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u01d0 j\u012bng x\u01d0 z\u01ceo le.)
\n<\/em>I’ve already had a bath.<\/p>\n25. \u8d70\u8def (z\u01d2u l\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to walk (go on foot)<\/h2>\n\u4f60\u4eec\u662f\u5750\u8f66\u53bb\u8fd8\u662f\u8d70\u8def\u53bb\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(n\u01d0 men sh\u00ec zu\u00f2 ch\u0113 q\u00f9 h\u00e1i sh\u00ec z\u01d2u l\u00f9 q\u00f9?)
\n<\/em>Are you going by car or on foot?<\/p>\n26. \u8dd1\u6b65 (p\u01ceo b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to run<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5f88\u7d2f\uff0c\u4e0d\u60f3\u8dd1\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u011bn l\u00e8i, b\u00f9 xi\u01ceng p\u01ceo b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>I am very tired. I don’t want to run.<\/p>\n27. \u5f00\u59cb (k\u0101i sh\u01d0)<\/em> \u2014 to start<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4eec\u5f00\u59cb\u5427\uff01
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 men k\u0101i sh\u01d0 ba!)
\n<\/em>Let’s get started! \/ Here we go!<\/p>\n28. \u660e\u767d (m\u00edng bai)<\/em> \u2014 to understand<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u660e\u767d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00f9 m\u00edng bai.)
\n<\/em>I don’t understand.<\/p>\n29. \u77e5\u9053 (zh\u012b d\u00e0o)<\/em> \u2014 to know<\/h2>\n\u6211\u77e5\u9053\u5b66\u6821\u5728\u54ea\u91cc\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 zh\u012b d\u00e0o xu\u00e9 xi\u00e0o z\u00e0i n\u01ce l\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>I know where the school is.<\/p>\n30. \u89c9\u5f97 (ju\u00e9 de)<\/em> \u2014 to feel<\/h2>\n\u6211\u89c9\u5f97\u51b7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 ju\u00e9 de l\u011bng.)
\n<\/em>I feel cold.<\/p>\nHow Verbs Work in Chinese<\/h2>\nChinese Verb Placement<\/h3>\n
To be able to express statements of action, you should keep in mind the basic structure for any sentence in Chinese:<\/p>\n
\u00a0Subject + Verb + Object<\/strong><\/p>\nA very important aspect of this structure is the fact that the Subject uses the Verb to act upon the Object, like so:<\/p>\n
\u5988\u5988\u5403<\/strong>\u725b\u8089\u3002<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma ch\u012b ni\u00fa r\u00f2u.) \u2014<\/em> Mother eats beef.<\/p>\nMakes sense, right? If we switched the Subject’s position with the Object’s, we’d get a sentence that looks like this:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u725b\u8089\u5403<\/strong>\u5988\u5988\u3002<\/strong>(ni\u00fa r\u00f2u ch\u012b m\u0101 m\u0101.) \u2014<\/em> Beef eats Mother.<\/p>\nThat’s not quite right, obviously.\u00a0So, the noun that comes after the Verb will be the target of its action.<\/p>\n
Easy and logical, no?<\/p>\n
Chinese Verb Conjugations<\/h3>\n
In Chinese, verbs don’t have conjugations<\/b>.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe basic form of any verb is the infinitive, and that’s what we could say is used in Chinese. Every Chinese verb can be considered an infinitive because it doesn’t have any conjugation, and it certainly doesn’t change according to the person or number of people performing the action.<\/p>\n
Further, the forms of Chinese verbs never change,<\/strong> regardless of present, past or future tense. That’s good news, because it means you won’t have to memorize different forms for participles or tenses.<\/p>\nOf course, there are some rules<\/a> about how to express the fact that an action already took place or will happen in the future. When you’re just starting out, it’s best to keep things super simple, and to see lots of examples of verbs in use. You can do this on FluentU<\/a>, which has hundreds of videos to show you how native Chinese speakers use verbs in context.<\/p>\nSimple Verbs vs. Compound Verbs in Chinese<\/h2>\n
You may have noticed that there are two types of Chinese verbs on our list:<\/p>\n
\n- simple verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of only one character, and<\/li>\n
- compound verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of two characters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Simple verbs are just that\u2014very simple to use. Put the word into the sentence as your verb, and you’re good to go.<\/p>\n
Compound verbs are a bit more complex. These character groups can form a single word in some situations, but they can also be separated in other situations.<\/p>\n
Why can compound verbs be split? Well, sometimes the characters within the compound verb all mean the same thing. In these cases, you can choose to use the entire verb or<\/em> just one of the characters (usually the first character), and they’ll express the same meaning.<\/p>\nFor example, you can use either of the following sentences to mean “I am learning Chinese”:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u6211\u5b66\u4e60<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(<\/em>w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u5b66<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\nSome compound verbs can also be split to give more information, like quantifiers. For instance, both of the following examples separate the compound verb \u8dd1\u6b65, and both sentences mean “Yesterday I ran for two hours”:<\/p>\n
\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u6b65<\/strong>\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed b\u00f9.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed.)<\/em><\/p>\nIt’s probably a good idea to use the entire compound verb at the beginning of your Chinese studies, though. That’s because splitting compound verbs is typically only possible when both characters have the same meaning.<\/strong><\/p>\nOnce you have more experience with Chinese verbs, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to experiment with them more!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now you can use these common Chinese verbs to start making some sentences. So, how about you go out there and put the skills you’ve just learned to the test?<\/p>\n
Don’t be scared to make mistakes. We’re all human, and mistakes are good, because you always learn from them!
\n\u00a0
\n<\/p>\n
And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n
\r\nIf you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nFluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\nFluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos\u2014like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
<\/a>FluentU App Browse Screen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>Interactive Transcripts on FluentU<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU's Learn Mode<\/strong> turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>
\n<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma z\u00e0i h\u0113 ch\u00e1.)
\n<\/em>Mom is drinking tea.<\/p>\n
15. \u4e70 (m\u01cei)<\/em> \u2014 to buy<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e70\u4e86\u6c34\u679c\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 m\u01cei le shu\u01d0 gu\u01d2.)
\n<\/em>I bought fruit.<\/p>\n16. \u7528 (y\u00f2ng)<\/em> \u2014 to use<\/h2>\n\u8bf7\u7528\u9ed1\u8272\u7684\u7b14\u3002
\n<\/strong>(q\u01d0ng y\u00f2ng h\u0113i s\u00e8 de b\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>Please use a black pen.<\/p>\n17. \u6e38\u6cf3 (y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to swim<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u4f1a\u6e38\u6cf3\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00fa hu\u00ec y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng.)
\n<\/em>I can’t swim.<\/p>\n18. \u5b66\u4e60 (xu\u00e9 x\u00ed)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to study\/learn<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5b66\u4e60\u7684\u4e0d\u662f\u897f\u73ed\u7259\u8bed\uff0c\u800c\u662f\u6cd5\u8bed\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed de b\u00fa sh\u00ec x\u012b b\u0101n y\u00e1 y\u01d4, \u00e9r sh\u00ec f\u01ce y\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>I am not studying Spanish but French.<\/p>\n19. \u5bb3\u6015 (h\u00e0i p\u00e0)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to be afraid<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5bb3\u6015\u72d7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u00e0i p\u00e0 g\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I am afraid of dogs.<\/p>\n20. \u8df3\u821e (ti\u00e0o w\u01d4)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to dance<\/h2>\n\u8fd9\u4e2a\u5468\u672b\u6211\u8981\u8df3\u821e\u3002
\n<\/strong>(zh\u00e8 ge zh\u014du m\u00f2 w\u01d2 y\u00e0o ti\u00e0o w\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>This weekend I want to dance.<\/p>\n21. \u51c6\u5907 (zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to prepare\/get ready<\/h2>\n\u660e\u5929\u6211\u4eec\u4e00\u8d77\u53bb\u5317\u4eac\u3002\u4f60\u51c6\u5907\u597d\u4e86\u5417\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(m\u00edng ti\u0101n w\u01d2 men y\u00ec q\u01d0 q\u00f9 b\u011bi j\u012bng. n\u01d0 zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i h\u01ceo le ma?)
\n<\/em>Tomorrow we are going together to Beijing. Are you ready?<\/p>\n22. \u559c\u6b22 (x\u01d0 hu\u0101n)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to like<\/h2>\n\u6211\u559c\u6b22\u4f60\u7684\u670b\u53cb\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 x\u01d0 hu\u0101n n\u01d0 de p\u00e9ng y\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I like your friend.<\/p>\n23. \u6563\u6b65 (s\u00e0n b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a walk<\/h2>\n\u6211\u7684\u5916\u5a46\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u53bb\u6563\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 de w\u00e0i p\u00f3 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du q\u00f9 s\u00e0n b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>My grandmother takes a walk every day.<\/p>\n24. \u6d17\u6fa1 (x\u01d0 z\u01ceo)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a shower\/bath<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5df2\u7ecf\u6d17\u6fa1\u4e86\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u01d0 j\u012bng x\u01d0 z\u01ceo le.)
\n<\/em>I’ve already had a bath.<\/p>\n25. \u8d70\u8def (z\u01d2u l\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to walk (go on foot)<\/h2>\n\u4f60\u4eec\u662f\u5750\u8f66\u53bb\u8fd8\u662f\u8d70\u8def\u53bb\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(n\u01d0 men sh\u00ec zu\u00f2 ch\u0113 q\u00f9 h\u00e1i sh\u00ec z\u01d2u l\u00f9 q\u00f9?)
\n<\/em>Are you going by car or on foot?<\/p>\n26. \u8dd1\u6b65 (p\u01ceo b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to run<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5f88\u7d2f\uff0c\u4e0d\u60f3\u8dd1\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u011bn l\u00e8i, b\u00f9 xi\u01ceng p\u01ceo b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>I am very tired. I don’t want to run.<\/p>\n27. \u5f00\u59cb (k\u0101i sh\u01d0)<\/em> \u2014 to start<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4eec\u5f00\u59cb\u5427\uff01
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 men k\u0101i sh\u01d0 ba!)
\n<\/em>Let’s get started! \/ Here we go!<\/p>\n28. \u660e\u767d (m\u00edng bai)<\/em> \u2014 to understand<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u660e\u767d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00f9 m\u00edng bai.)
\n<\/em>I don’t understand.<\/p>\n29. \u77e5\u9053 (zh\u012b d\u00e0o)<\/em> \u2014 to know<\/h2>\n\u6211\u77e5\u9053\u5b66\u6821\u5728\u54ea\u91cc\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 zh\u012b d\u00e0o xu\u00e9 xi\u00e0o z\u00e0i n\u01ce l\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>I know where the school is.<\/p>\n30. \u89c9\u5f97 (ju\u00e9 de)<\/em> \u2014 to feel<\/h2>\n\u6211\u89c9\u5f97\u51b7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 ju\u00e9 de l\u011bng.)
\n<\/em>I feel cold.<\/p>\nHow Verbs Work in Chinese<\/h2>\nChinese Verb Placement<\/h3>\n
To be able to express statements of action, you should keep in mind the basic structure for any sentence in Chinese:<\/p>\n
\u00a0Subject + Verb + Object<\/strong><\/p>\nA very important aspect of this structure is the fact that the Subject uses the Verb to act upon the Object, like so:<\/p>\n
\u5988\u5988\u5403<\/strong>\u725b\u8089\u3002<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma ch\u012b ni\u00fa r\u00f2u.) \u2014<\/em> Mother eats beef.<\/p>\nMakes sense, right? If we switched the Subject’s position with the Object’s, we’d get a sentence that looks like this:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u725b\u8089\u5403<\/strong>\u5988\u5988\u3002<\/strong>(ni\u00fa r\u00f2u ch\u012b m\u0101 m\u0101.) \u2014<\/em> Beef eats Mother.<\/p>\nThat’s not quite right, obviously.\u00a0So, the noun that comes after the Verb will be the target of its action.<\/p>\n
Easy and logical, no?<\/p>\n
Chinese Verb Conjugations<\/h3>\n
In Chinese, verbs don’t have conjugations<\/b>.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe basic form of any verb is the infinitive, and that’s what we could say is used in Chinese. Every Chinese verb can be considered an infinitive because it doesn’t have any conjugation, and it certainly doesn’t change according to the person or number of people performing the action.<\/p>\n
Further, the forms of Chinese verbs never change,<\/strong> regardless of present, past or future tense. That’s good news, because it means you won’t have to memorize different forms for participles or tenses.<\/p>\nOf course, there are some rules<\/a> about how to express the fact that an action already took place or will happen in the future. When you’re just starting out, it’s best to keep things super simple, and to see lots of examples of verbs in use. You can do this on FluentU<\/a>, which has hundreds of videos to show you how native Chinese speakers use verbs in context.<\/p>\nSimple Verbs vs. Compound Verbs in Chinese<\/h2>\n
You may have noticed that there are two types of Chinese verbs on our list:<\/p>\n
\n- simple verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of only one character, and<\/li>\n
- compound verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of two characters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Simple verbs are just that\u2014very simple to use. Put the word into the sentence as your verb, and you’re good to go.<\/p>\n
Compound verbs are a bit more complex. These character groups can form a single word in some situations, but they can also be separated in other situations.<\/p>\n
Why can compound verbs be split? Well, sometimes the characters within the compound verb all mean the same thing. In these cases, you can choose to use the entire verb or<\/em> just one of the characters (usually the first character), and they’ll express the same meaning.<\/p>\nFor example, you can use either of the following sentences to mean “I am learning Chinese”:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u6211\u5b66\u4e60<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(<\/em>w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u5b66<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\nSome compound verbs can also be split to give more information, like quantifiers. For instance, both of the following examples separate the compound verb \u8dd1\u6b65, and both sentences mean “Yesterday I ran for two hours”:<\/p>\n
\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u6b65<\/strong>\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed b\u00f9.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed.)<\/em><\/p>\nIt’s probably a good idea to use the entire compound verb at the beginning of your Chinese studies, though. That’s because splitting compound verbs is typically only possible when both characters have the same meaning.<\/strong><\/p>\nOnce you have more experience with Chinese verbs, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to experiment with them more!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now you can use these common Chinese verbs to start making some sentences. So, how about you go out there and put the skills you’ve just learned to the test?<\/p>\n
Don’t be scared to make mistakes. We’re all human, and mistakes are good, because you always learn from them!
\n\u00a0
\n<\/p>\n
And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n
\r\nIf you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nFluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\nFluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos\u2014like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
<\/a>FluentU App Browse Screen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>Interactive Transcripts on FluentU<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU's Learn Mode<\/strong> turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 m\u01cei le shu\u01d0 gu\u01d2.)
\n<\/em>I bought fruit.<\/p>\n
16. \u7528 (y\u00f2ng)<\/em> \u2014 to use<\/h2>\n\u8bf7\u7528\u9ed1\u8272\u7684\u7b14\u3002
\n<\/strong>(q\u01d0ng y\u00f2ng h\u0113i s\u00e8 de b\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>Please use a black pen.<\/p>\n17. \u6e38\u6cf3 (y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to swim<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u4f1a\u6e38\u6cf3\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00fa hu\u00ec y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng.)
\n<\/em>I can’t swim.<\/p>\n18. \u5b66\u4e60 (xu\u00e9 x\u00ed)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to study\/learn<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5b66\u4e60\u7684\u4e0d\u662f\u897f\u73ed\u7259\u8bed\uff0c\u800c\u662f\u6cd5\u8bed\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed de b\u00fa sh\u00ec x\u012b b\u0101n y\u00e1 y\u01d4, \u00e9r sh\u00ec f\u01ce y\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>I am not studying Spanish but French.<\/p>\n19. \u5bb3\u6015 (h\u00e0i p\u00e0)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to be afraid<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5bb3\u6015\u72d7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u00e0i p\u00e0 g\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I am afraid of dogs.<\/p>\n20. \u8df3\u821e (ti\u00e0o w\u01d4)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to dance<\/h2>\n\u8fd9\u4e2a\u5468\u672b\u6211\u8981\u8df3\u821e\u3002
\n<\/strong>(zh\u00e8 ge zh\u014du m\u00f2 w\u01d2 y\u00e0o ti\u00e0o w\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>This weekend I want to dance.<\/p>\n21. \u51c6\u5907 (zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to prepare\/get ready<\/h2>\n\u660e\u5929\u6211\u4eec\u4e00\u8d77\u53bb\u5317\u4eac\u3002\u4f60\u51c6\u5907\u597d\u4e86\u5417\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(m\u00edng ti\u0101n w\u01d2 men y\u00ec q\u01d0 q\u00f9 b\u011bi j\u012bng. n\u01d0 zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i h\u01ceo le ma?)
\n<\/em>Tomorrow we are going together to Beijing. Are you ready?<\/p>\n22. \u559c\u6b22 (x\u01d0 hu\u0101n)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to like<\/h2>\n\u6211\u559c\u6b22\u4f60\u7684\u670b\u53cb\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 x\u01d0 hu\u0101n n\u01d0 de p\u00e9ng y\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I like your friend.<\/p>\n23. \u6563\u6b65 (s\u00e0n b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a walk<\/h2>\n\u6211\u7684\u5916\u5a46\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u53bb\u6563\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 de w\u00e0i p\u00f3 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du q\u00f9 s\u00e0n b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>My grandmother takes a walk every day.<\/p>\n24. \u6d17\u6fa1 (x\u01d0 z\u01ceo)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a shower\/bath<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5df2\u7ecf\u6d17\u6fa1\u4e86\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u01d0 j\u012bng x\u01d0 z\u01ceo le.)
\n<\/em>I’ve already had a bath.<\/p>\n25. \u8d70\u8def (z\u01d2u l\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to walk (go on foot)<\/h2>\n\u4f60\u4eec\u662f\u5750\u8f66\u53bb\u8fd8\u662f\u8d70\u8def\u53bb\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(n\u01d0 men sh\u00ec zu\u00f2 ch\u0113 q\u00f9 h\u00e1i sh\u00ec z\u01d2u l\u00f9 q\u00f9?)
\n<\/em>Are you going by car or on foot?<\/p>\n26. \u8dd1\u6b65 (p\u01ceo b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to run<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5f88\u7d2f\uff0c\u4e0d\u60f3\u8dd1\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u011bn l\u00e8i, b\u00f9 xi\u01ceng p\u01ceo b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>I am very tired. I don’t want to run.<\/p>\n27. \u5f00\u59cb (k\u0101i sh\u01d0)<\/em> \u2014 to start<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4eec\u5f00\u59cb\u5427\uff01
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 men k\u0101i sh\u01d0 ba!)
\n<\/em>Let’s get started! \/ Here we go!<\/p>\n28. \u660e\u767d (m\u00edng bai)<\/em> \u2014 to understand<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u660e\u767d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00f9 m\u00edng bai.)
\n<\/em>I don’t understand.<\/p>\n29. \u77e5\u9053 (zh\u012b d\u00e0o)<\/em> \u2014 to know<\/h2>\n\u6211\u77e5\u9053\u5b66\u6821\u5728\u54ea\u91cc\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 zh\u012b d\u00e0o xu\u00e9 xi\u00e0o z\u00e0i n\u01ce l\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>I know where the school is.<\/p>\n30. \u89c9\u5f97 (ju\u00e9 de)<\/em> \u2014 to feel<\/h2>\n\u6211\u89c9\u5f97\u51b7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 ju\u00e9 de l\u011bng.)
\n<\/em>I feel cold.<\/p>\nHow Verbs Work in Chinese<\/h2>\nChinese Verb Placement<\/h3>\n
To be able to express statements of action, you should keep in mind the basic structure for any sentence in Chinese:<\/p>\n
\u00a0Subject + Verb + Object<\/strong><\/p>\nA very important aspect of this structure is the fact that the Subject uses the Verb to act upon the Object, like so:<\/p>\n
\u5988\u5988\u5403<\/strong>\u725b\u8089\u3002<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma ch\u012b ni\u00fa r\u00f2u.) \u2014<\/em> Mother eats beef.<\/p>\nMakes sense, right? If we switched the Subject’s position with the Object’s, we’d get a sentence that looks like this:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u725b\u8089\u5403<\/strong>\u5988\u5988\u3002<\/strong>(ni\u00fa r\u00f2u ch\u012b m\u0101 m\u0101.) \u2014<\/em> Beef eats Mother.<\/p>\nThat’s not quite right, obviously.\u00a0So, the noun that comes after the Verb will be the target of its action.<\/p>\n
Easy and logical, no?<\/p>\n
Chinese Verb Conjugations<\/h3>\n
In Chinese, verbs don’t have conjugations<\/b>.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe basic form of any verb is the infinitive, and that’s what we could say is used in Chinese. Every Chinese verb can be considered an infinitive because it doesn’t have any conjugation, and it certainly doesn’t change according to the person or number of people performing the action.<\/p>\n
Further, the forms of Chinese verbs never change,<\/strong> regardless of present, past or future tense. That’s good news, because it means you won’t have to memorize different forms for participles or tenses.<\/p>\nOf course, there are some rules<\/a> about how to express the fact that an action already took place or will happen in the future. When you’re just starting out, it’s best to keep things super simple, and to see lots of examples of verbs in use. You can do this on FluentU<\/a>, which has hundreds of videos to show you how native Chinese speakers use verbs in context.<\/p>\nSimple Verbs vs. Compound Verbs in Chinese<\/h2>\n
You may have noticed that there are two types of Chinese verbs on our list:<\/p>\n
\n- simple verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of only one character, and<\/li>\n
- compound verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of two characters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Simple verbs are just that\u2014very simple to use. Put the word into the sentence as your verb, and you’re good to go.<\/p>\n
Compound verbs are a bit more complex. These character groups can form a single word in some situations, but they can also be separated in other situations.<\/p>\n
Why can compound verbs be split? Well, sometimes the characters within the compound verb all mean the same thing. In these cases, you can choose to use the entire verb or<\/em> just one of the characters (usually the first character), and they’ll express the same meaning.<\/p>\nFor example, you can use either of the following sentences to mean “I am learning Chinese”:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u6211\u5b66\u4e60<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(<\/em>w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u5b66<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\nSome compound verbs can also be split to give more information, like quantifiers. For instance, both of the following examples separate the compound verb \u8dd1\u6b65, and both sentences mean “Yesterday I ran for two hours”:<\/p>\n
\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u6b65<\/strong>\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed b\u00f9.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed.)<\/em><\/p>\nIt’s probably a good idea to use the entire compound verb at the beginning of your Chinese studies, though. That’s because splitting compound verbs is typically only possible when both characters have the same meaning.<\/strong><\/p>\nOnce you have more experience with Chinese verbs, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to experiment with them more!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now you can use these common Chinese verbs to start making some sentences. So, how about you go out there and put the skills you’ve just learned to the test?<\/p>\n
Don’t be scared to make mistakes. We’re all human, and mistakes are good, because you always learn from them!
\n\u00a0
\n<\/p>\n
And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n
\r\nIf you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nFluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\nFluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos\u2014like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
<\/a>FluentU App Browse Screen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>Interactive Transcripts on FluentU<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU's Learn Mode<\/strong> turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>
\n<\/strong>(q\u01d0ng y\u00f2ng h\u0113i s\u00e8 de b\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>Please use a black pen.<\/p>\n
17. \u6e38\u6cf3 (y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to swim<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u4f1a\u6e38\u6cf3\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00fa hu\u00ec y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng.)
\n<\/em>I can’t swim.<\/p>\n18. \u5b66\u4e60 (xu\u00e9 x\u00ed)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to study\/learn<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5b66\u4e60\u7684\u4e0d\u662f\u897f\u73ed\u7259\u8bed\uff0c\u800c\u662f\u6cd5\u8bed\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed de b\u00fa sh\u00ec x\u012b b\u0101n y\u00e1 y\u01d4, \u00e9r sh\u00ec f\u01ce y\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>I am not studying Spanish but French.<\/p>\n19. \u5bb3\u6015 (h\u00e0i p\u00e0)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to be afraid<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5bb3\u6015\u72d7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u00e0i p\u00e0 g\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I am afraid of dogs.<\/p>\n20. \u8df3\u821e (ti\u00e0o w\u01d4)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to dance<\/h2>\n\u8fd9\u4e2a\u5468\u672b\u6211\u8981\u8df3\u821e\u3002
\n<\/strong>(zh\u00e8 ge zh\u014du m\u00f2 w\u01d2 y\u00e0o ti\u00e0o w\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>This weekend I want to dance.<\/p>\n21. \u51c6\u5907 (zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to prepare\/get ready<\/h2>\n\u660e\u5929\u6211\u4eec\u4e00\u8d77\u53bb\u5317\u4eac\u3002\u4f60\u51c6\u5907\u597d\u4e86\u5417\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(m\u00edng ti\u0101n w\u01d2 men y\u00ec q\u01d0 q\u00f9 b\u011bi j\u012bng. n\u01d0 zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i h\u01ceo le ma?)
\n<\/em>Tomorrow we are going together to Beijing. Are you ready?<\/p>\n22. \u559c\u6b22 (x\u01d0 hu\u0101n)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to like<\/h2>\n\u6211\u559c\u6b22\u4f60\u7684\u670b\u53cb\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 x\u01d0 hu\u0101n n\u01d0 de p\u00e9ng y\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I like your friend.<\/p>\n23. \u6563\u6b65 (s\u00e0n b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a walk<\/h2>\n\u6211\u7684\u5916\u5a46\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u53bb\u6563\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 de w\u00e0i p\u00f3 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du q\u00f9 s\u00e0n b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>My grandmother takes a walk every day.<\/p>\n24. \u6d17\u6fa1 (x\u01d0 z\u01ceo)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a shower\/bath<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5df2\u7ecf\u6d17\u6fa1\u4e86\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u01d0 j\u012bng x\u01d0 z\u01ceo le.)
\n<\/em>I’ve already had a bath.<\/p>\n25. \u8d70\u8def (z\u01d2u l\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to walk (go on foot)<\/h2>\n\u4f60\u4eec\u662f\u5750\u8f66\u53bb\u8fd8\u662f\u8d70\u8def\u53bb\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(n\u01d0 men sh\u00ec zu\u00f2 ch\u0113 q\u00f9 h\u00e1i sh\u00ec z\u01d2u l\u00f9 q\u00f9?)
\n<\/em>Are you going by car or on foot?<\/p>\n26. \u8dd1\u6b65 (p\u01ceo b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to run<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5f88\u7d2f\uff0c\u4e0d\u60f3\u8dd1\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u011bn l\u00e8i, b\u00f9 xi\u01ceng p\u01ceo b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>I am very tired. I don’t want to run.<\/p>\n27. \u5f00\u59cb (k\u0101i sh\u01d0)<\/em> \u2014 to start<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4eec\u5f00\u59cb\u5427\uff01
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 men k\u0101i sh\u01d0 ba!)
\n<\/em>Let’s get started! \/ Here we go!<\/p>\n28. \u660e\u767d (m\u00edng bai)<\/em> \u2014 to understand<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u660e\u767d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00f9 m\u00edng bai.)
\n<\/em>I don’t understand.<\/p>\n29. \u77e5\u9053 (zh\u012b d\u00e0o)<\/em> \u2014 to know<\/h2>\n\u6211\u77e5\u9053\u5b66\u6821\u5728\u54ea\u91cc\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 zh\u012b d\u00e0o xu\u00e9 xi\u00e0o z\u00e0i n\u01ce l\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>I know where the school is.<\/p>\n30. \u89c9\u5f97 (ju\u00e9 de)<\/em> \u2014 to feel<\/h2>\n\u6211\u89c9\u5f97\u51b7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 ju\u00e9 de l\u011bng.)
\n<\/em>I feel cold.<\/p>\nHow Verbs Work in Chinese<\/h2>\nChinese Verb Placement<\/h3>\n
To be able to express statements of action, you should keep in mind the basic structure for any sentence in Chinese:<\/p>\n
\u00a0Subject + Verb + Object<\/strong><\/p>\nA very important aspect of this structure is the fact that the Subject uses the Verb to act upon the Object, like so:<\/p>\n
\u5988\u5988\u5403<\/strong>\u725b\u8089\u3002<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma ch\u012b ni\u00fa r\u00f2u.) \u2014<\/em> Mother eats beef.<\/p>\nMakes sense, right? If we switched the Subject’s position with the Object’s, we’d get a sentence that looks like this:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u725b\u8089\u5403<\/strong>\u5988\u5988\u3002<\/strong>(ni\u00fa r\u00f2u ch\u012b m\u0101 m\u0101.) \u2014<\/em> Beef eats Mother.<\/p>\nThat’s not quite right, obviously.\u00a0So, the noun that comes after the Verb will be the target of its action.<\/p>\n
Easy and logical, no?<\/p>\n
Chinese Verb Conjugations<\/h3>\n
In Chinese, verbs don’t have conjugations<\/b>.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe basic form of any verb is the infinitive, and that’s what we could say is used in Chinese. Every Chinese verb can be considered an infinitive because it doesn’t have any conjugation, and it certainly doesn’t change according to the person or number of people performing the action.<\/p>\n
Further, the forms of Chinese verbs never change,<\/strong> regardless of present, past or future tense. That’s good news, because it means you won’t have to memorize different forms for participles or tenses.<\/p>\nOf course, there are some rules<\/a> about how to express the fact that an action already took place or will happen in the future. When you’re just starting out, it’s best to keep things super simple, and to see lots of examples of verbs in use. You can do this on FluentU<\/a>, which has hundreds of videos to show you how native Chinese speakers use verbs in context.<\/p>\nSimple Verbs vs. Compound Verbs in Chinese<\/h2>\n
You may have noticed that there are two types of Chinese verbs on our list:<\/p>\n
\n- simple verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of only one character, and<\/li>\n
- compound verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of two characters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Simple verbs are just that\u2014very simple to use. Put the word into the sentence as your verb, and you’re good to go.<\/p>\n
Compound verbs are a bit more complex. These character groups can form a single word in some situations, but they can also be separated in other situations.<\/p>\n
Why can compound verbs be split? Well, sometimes the characters within the compound verb all mean the same thing. In these cases, you can choose to use the entire verb or<\/em> just one of the characters (usually the first character), and they’ll express the same meaning.<\/p>\nFor example, you can use either of the following sentences to mean “I am learning Chinese”:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u6211\u5b66\u4e60<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(<\/em>w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u5b66<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\nSome compound verbs can also be split to give more information, like quantifiers. For instance, both of the following examples separate the compound verb \u8dd1\u6b65, and both sentences mean “Yesterday I ran for two hours”:<\/p>\n
\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u6b65<\/strong>\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed b\u00f9.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed.)<\/em><\/p>\nIt’s probably a good idea to use the entire compound verb at the beginning of your Chinese studies, though. That’s because splitting compound verbs is typically only possible when both characters have the same meaning.<\/strong><\/p>\nOnce you have more experience with Chinese verbs, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to experiment with them more!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now you can use these common Chinese verbs to start making some sentences. So, how about you go out there and put the skills you’ve just learned to the test?<\/p>\n
Don’t be scared to make mistakes. We’re all human, and mistakes are good, because you always learn from them!
\n\u00a0
\n<\/p>\n
And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n
\r\nIf you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nFluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\nFluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos\u2014like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
<\/a>FluentU App Browse Screen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>Interactive Transcripts on FluentU<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU's Learn Mode<\/strong> turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00fa hu\u00ec y\u00f3u y\u01d2ng.)
\n<\/em>I can’t swim.<\/p>\n
18. \u5b66\u4e60 (xu\u00e9 x\u00ed)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to study\/learn<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5b66\u4e60\u7684\u4e0d\u662f\u897f\u73ed\u7259\u8bed\uff0c\u800c\u662f\u6cd5\u8bed\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed de b\u00fa sh\u00ec x\u012b b\u0101n y\u00e1 y\u01d4, \u00e9r sh\u00ec f\u01ce y\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>I am not studying Spanish but French.<\/p>\n19. \u5bb3\u6015 (h\u00e0i p\u00e0)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to be afraid<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5bb3\u6015\u72d7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u00e0i p\u00e0 g\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I am afraid of dogs.<\/p>\n20. \u8df3\u821e (ti\u00e0o w\u01d4)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to dance<\/h2>\n\u8fd9\u4e2a\u5468\u672b\u6211\u8981\u8df3\u821e\u3002
\n<\/strong>(zh\u00e8 ge zh\u014du m\u00f2 w\u01d2 y\u00e0o ti\u00e0o w\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>This weekend I want to dance.<\/p>\n21. \u51c6\u5907 (zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to prepare\/get ready<\/h2>\n\u660e\u5929\u6211\u4eec\u4e00\u8d77\u53bb\u5317\u4eac\u3002\u4f60\u51c6\u5907\u597d\u4e86\u5417\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(m\u00edng ti\u0101n w\u01d2 men y\u00ec q\u01d0 q\u00f9 b\u011bi j\u012bng. n\u01d0 zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i h\u01ceo le ma?)
\n<\/em>Tomorrow we are going together to Beijing. Are you ready?<\/p>\n22. \u559c\u6b22 (x\u01d0 hu\u0101n)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to like<\/h2>\n\u6211\u559c\u6b22\u4f60\u7684\u670b\u53cb\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 x\u01d0 hu\u0101n n\u01d0 de p\u00e9ng y\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I like your friend.<\/p>\n23. \u6563\u6b65 (s\u00e0n b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a walk<\/h2>\n\u6211\u7684\u5916\u5a46\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u53bb\u6563\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 de w\u00e0i p\u00f3 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du q\u00f9 s\u00e0n b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>My grandmother takes a walk every day.<\/p>\n24. \u6d17\u6fa1 (x\u01d0 z\u01ceo)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a shower\/bath<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5df2\u7ecf\u6d17\u6fa1\u4e86\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u01d0 j\u012bng x\u01d0 z\u01ceo le.)
\n<\/em>I’ve already had a bath.<\/p>\n25. \u8d70\u8def (z\u01d2u l\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to walk (go on foot)<\/h2>\n\u4f60\u4eec\u662f\u5750\u8f66\u53bb\u8fd8\u662f\u8d70\u8def\u53bb\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(n\u01d0 men sh\u00ec zu\u00f2 ch\u0113 q\u00f9 h\u00e1i sh\u00ec z\u01d2u l\u00f9 q\u00f9?)
\n<\/em>Are you going by car or on foot?<\/p>\n26. \u8dd1\u6b65 (p\u01ceo b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to run<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5f88\u7d2f\uff0c\u4e0d\u60f3\u8dd1\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u011bn l\u00e8i, b\u00f9 xi\u01ceng p\u01ceo b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>I am very tired. I don’t want to run.<\/p>\n27. \u5f00\u59cb (k\u0101i sh\u01d0)<\/em> \u2014 to start<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4eec\u5f00\u59cb\u5427\uff01
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 men k\u0101i sh\u01d0 ba!)
\n<\/em>Let’s get started! \/ Here we go!<\/p>\n28. \u660e\u767d (m\u00edng bai)<\/em> \u2014 to understand<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u660e\u767d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00f9 m\u00edng bai.)
\n<\/em>I don’t understand.<\/p>\n29. \u77e5\u9053 (zh\u012b d\u00e0o)<\/em> \u2014 to know<\/h2>\n\u6211\u77e5\u9053\u5b66\u6821\u5728\u54ea\u91cc\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 zh\u012b d\u00e0o xu\u00e9 xi\u00e0o z\u00e0i n\u01ce l\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>I know where the school is.<\/p>\n30. \u89c9\u5f97 (ju\u00e9 de)<\/em> \u2014 to feel<\/h2>\n\u6211\u89c9\u5f97\u51b7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 ju\u00e9 de l\u011bng.)
\n<\/em>I feel cold.<\/p>\nHow Verbs Work in Chinese<\/h2>\nChinese Verb Placement<\/h3>\n
To be able to express statements of action, you should keep in mind the basic structure for any sentence in Chinese:<\/p>\n
\u00a0Subject + Verb + Object<\/strong><\/p>\nA very important aspect of this structure is the fact that the Subject uses the Verb to act upon the Object, like so:<\/p>\n
\u5988\u5988\u5403<\/strong>\u725b\u8089\u3002<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma ch\u012b ni\u00fa r\u00f2u.) \u2014<\/em> Mother eats beef.<\/p>\nMakes sense, right? If we switched the Subject’s position with the Object’s, we’d get a sentence that looks like this:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u725b\u8089\u5403<\/strong>\u5988\u5988\u3002<\/strong>(ni\u00fa r\u00f2u ch\u012b m\u0101 m\u0101.) \u2014<\/em> Beef eats Mother.<\/p>\nThat’s not quite right, obviously.\u00a0So, the noun that comes after the Verb will be the target of its action.<\/p>\n
Easy and logical, no?<\/p>\n
Chinese Verb Conjugations<\/h3>\n
In Chinese, verbs don’t have conjugations<\/b>.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe basic form of any verb is the infinitive, and that’s what we could say is used in Chinese. Every Chinese verb can be considered an infinitive because it doesn’t have any conjugation, and it certainly doesn’t change according to the person or number of people performing the action.<\/p>\n
Further, the forms of Chinese verbs never change,<\/strong> regardless of present, past or future tense. That’s good news, because it means you won’t have to memorize different forms for participles or tenses.<\/p>\nOf course, there are some rules<\/a> about how to express the fact that an action already took place or will happen in the future. When you’re just starting out, it’s best to keep things super simple, and to see lots of examples of verbs in use. You can do this on FluentU<\/a>, which has hundreds of videos to show you how native Chinese speakers use verbs in context.<\/p>\nSimple Verbs vs. Compound Verbs in Chinese<\/h2>\n
You may have noticed that there are two types of Chinese verbs on our list:<\/p>\n
\n- simple verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of only one character, and<\/li>\n
- compound verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of two characters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Simple verbs are just that\u2014very simple to use. Put the word into the sentence as your verb, and you’re good to go.<\/p>\n
Compound verbs are a bit more complex. These character groups can form a single word in some situations, but they can also be separated in other situations.<\/p>\n
Why can compound verbs be split? Well, sometimes the characters within the compound verb all mean the same thing. In these cases, you can choose to use the entire verb or<\/em> just one of the characters (usually the first character), and they’ll express the same meaning.<\/p>\nFor example, you can use either of the following sentences to mean “I am learning Chinese”:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u6211\u5b66\u4e60<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(<\/em>w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u5b66<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\nSome compound verbs can also be split to give more information, like quantifiers. For instance, both of the following examples separate the compound verb \u8dd1\u6b65, and both sentences mean “Yesterday I ran for two hours”:<\/p>\n
\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u6b65<\/strong>\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed b\u00f9.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed.)<\/em><\/p>\nIt’s probably a good idea to use the entire compound verb at the beginning of your Chinese studies, though. That’s because splitting compound verbs is typically only possible when both characters have the same meaning.<\/strong><\/p>\nOnce you have more experience with Chinese verbs, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to experiment with them more!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now you can use these common Chinese verbs to start making some sentences. So, how about you go out there and put the skills you’ve just learned to the test?<\/p>\n
Don’t be scared to make mistakes. We’re all human, and mistakes are good, because you always learn from them!
\n\u00a0
\n<\/p>\n
And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n
\r\nIf you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nFluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\nFluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos\u2014like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
<\/a>FluentU App Browse Screen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>Interactive Transcripts on FluentU<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU's Learn Mode<\/strong> turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed de b\u00fa sh\u00ec x\u012b b\u0101n y\u00e1 y\u01d4, \u00e9r sh\u00ec f\u01ce y\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>I am not studying Spanish but French.<\/p>\n
19. \u5bb3\u6015 (h\u00e0i p\u00e0)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to be afraid<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5bb3\u6015\u72d7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u00e0i p\u00e0 g\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I am afraid of dogs.<\/p>\n20. \u8df3\u821e (ti\u00e0o w\u01d4)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to dance<\/h2>\n\u8fd9\u4e2a\u5468\u672b\u6211\u8981\u8df3\u821e\u3002
\n<\/strong>(zh\u00e8 ge zh\u014du m\u00f2 w\u01d2 y\u00e0o ti\u00e0o w\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>This weekend I want to dance.<\/p>\n21. \u51c6\u5907 (zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to prepare\/get ready<\/h2>\n\u660e\u5929\u6211\u4eec\u4e00\u8d77\u53bb\u5317\u4eac\u3002\u4f60\u51c6\u5907\u597d\u4e86\u5417\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(m\u00edng ti\u0101n w\u01d2 men y\u00ec q\u01d0 q\u00f9 b\u011bi j\u012bng. n\u01d0 zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i h\u01ceo le ma?)
\n<\/em>Tomorrow we are going together to Beijing. Are you ready?<\/p>\n22. \u559c\u6b22 (x\u01d0 hu\u0101n)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to like<\/h2>\n\u6211\u559c\u6b22\u4f60\u7684\u670b\u53cb\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 x\u01d0 hu\u0101n n\u01d0 de p\u00e9ng y\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I like your friend.<\/p>\n23. \u6563\u6b65 (s\u00e0n b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a walk<\/h2>\n\u6211\u7684\u5916\u5a46\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u53bb\u6563\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 de w\u00e0i p\u00f3 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du q\u00f9 s\u00e0n b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>My grandmother takes a walk every day.<\/p>\n24. \u6d17\u6fa1 (x\u01d0 z\u01ceo)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a shower\/bath<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5df2\u7ecf\u6d17\u6fa1\u4e86\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u01d0 j\u012bng x\u01d0 z\u01ceo le.)
\n<\/em>I’ve already had a bath.<\/p>\n25. \u8d70\u8def (z\u01d2u l\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to walk (go on foot)<\/h2>\n\u4f60\u4eec\u662f\u5750\u8f66\u53bb\u8fd8\u662f\u8d70\u8def\u53bb\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(n\u01d0 men sh\u00ec zu\u00f2 ch\u0113 q\u00f9 h\u00e1i sh\u00ec z\u01d2u l\u00f9 q\u00f9?)
\n<\/em>Are you going by car or on foot?<\/p>\n26. \u8dd1\u6b65 (p\u01ceo b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to run<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5f88\u7d2f\uff0c\u4e0d\u60f3\u8dd1\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u011bn l\u00e8i, b\u00f9 xi\u01ceng p\u01ceo b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>I am very tired. I don’t want to run.<\/p>\n27. \u5f00\u59cb (k\u0101i sh\u01d0)<\/em> \u2014 to start<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4eec\u5f00\u59cb\u5427\uff01
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 men k\u0101i sh\u01d0 ba!)
\n<\/em>Let’s get started! \/ Here we go!<\/p>\n28. \u660e\u767d (m\u00edng bai)<\/em> \u2014 to understand<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u660e\u767d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00f9 m\u00edng bai.)
\n<\/em>I don’t understand.<\/p>\n29. \u77e5\u9053 (zh\u012b d\u00e0o)<\/em> \u2014 to know<\/h2>\n\u6211\u77e5\u9053\u5b66\u6821\u5728\u54ea\u91cc\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 zh\u012b d\u00e0o xu\u00e9 xi\u00e0o z\u00e0i n\u01ce l\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>I know where the school is.<\/p>\n30. \u89c9\u5f97 (ju\u00e9 de)<\/em> \u2014 to feel<\/h2>\n\u6211\u89c9\u5f97\u51b7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 ju\u00e9 de l\u011bng.)
\n<\/em>I feel cold.<\/p>\nHow Verbs Work in Chinese<\/h2>\nChinese Verb Placement<\/h3>\n
To be able to express statements of action, you should keep in mind the basic structure for any sentence in Chinese:<\/p>\n
\u00a0Subject + Verb + Object<\/strong><\/p>\nA very important aspect of this structure is the fact that the Subject uses the Verb to act upon the Object, like so:<\/p>\n
\u5988\u5988\u5403<\/strong>\u725b\u8089\u3002<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma ch\u012b ni\u00fa r\u00f2u.) \u2014<\/em> Mother eats beef.<\/p>\nMakes sense, right? If we switched the Subject’s position with the Object’s, we’d get a sentence that looks like this:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u725b\u8089\u5403<\/strong>\u5988\u5988\u3002<\/strong>(ni\u00fa r\u00f2u ch\u012b m\u0101 m\u0101.) \u2014<\/em> Beef eats Mother.<\/p>\nThat’s not quite right, obviously.\u00a0So, the noun that comes after the Verb will be the target of its action.<\/p>\n
Easy and logical, no?<\/p>\n
Chinese Verb Conjugations<\/h3>\n
In Chinese, verbs don’t have conjugations<\/b>.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe basic form of any verb is the infinitive, and that’s what we could say is used in Chinese. Every Chinese verb can be considered an infinitive because it doesn’t have any conjugation, and it certainly doesn’t change according to the person or number of people performing the action.<\/p>\n
Further, the forms of Chinese verbs never change,<\/strong> regardless of present, past or future tense. That’s good news, because it means you won’t have to memorize different forms for participles or tenses.<\/p>\nOf course, there are some rules<\/a> about how to express the fact that an action already took place or will happen in the future. When you’re just starting out, it’s best to keep things super simple, and to see lots of examples of verbs in use. You can do this on FluentU<\/a>, which has hundreds of videos to show you how native Chinese speakers use verbs in context.<\/p>\nSimple Verbs vs. Compound Verbs in Chinese<\/h2>\n
You may have noticed that there are two types of Chinese verbs on our list:<\/p>\n
\n- simple verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of only one character, and<\/li>\n
- compound verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of two characters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Simple verbs are just that\u2014very simple to use. Put the word into the sentence as your verb, and you’re good to go.<\/p>\n
Compound verbs are a bit more complex. These character groups can form a single word in some situations, but they can also be separated in other situations.<\/p>\n
Why can compound verbs be split? Well, sometimes the characters within the compound verb all mean the same thing. In these cases, you can choose to use the entire verb or<\/em> just one of the characters (usually the first character), and they’ll express the same meaning.<\/p>\nFor example, you can use either of the following sentences to mean “I am learning Chinese”:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u6211\u5b66\u4e60<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(<\/em>w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u5b66<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\nSome compound verbs can also be split to give more information, like quantifiers. For instance, both of the following examples separate the compound verb \u8dd1\u6b65, and both sentences mean “Yesterday I ran for two hours”:<\/p>\n
\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u6b65<\/strong>\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed b\u00f9.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed.)<\/em><\/p>\nIt’s probably a good idea to use the entire compound verb at the beginning of your Chinese studies, though. That’s because splitting compound verbs is typically only possible when both characters have the same meaning.<\/strong><\/p>\nOnce you have more experience with Chinese verbs, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to experiment with them more!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now you can use these common Chinese verbs to start making some sentences. So, how about you go out there and put the skills you’ve just learned to the test?<\/p>\n
Don’t be scared to make mistakes. We’re all human, and mistakes are good, because you always learn from them!
\n\u00a0
\n<\/p>\n
And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n
\r\nIf you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nFluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\nFluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos\u2014like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
<\/a>FluentU App Browse Screen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>Interactive Transcripts on FluentU<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU's Learn Mode<\/strong> turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u00e0i p\u00e0 g\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I am afraid of dogs.<\/p>\n
20. \u8df3\u821e (ti\u00e0o w\u01d4)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to dance<\/h2>\n\u8fd9\u4e2a\u5468\u672b\u6211\u8981\u8df3\u821e\u3002
\n<\/strong>(zh\u00e8 ge zh\u014du m\u00f2 w\u01d2 y\u00e0o ti\u00e0o w\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>This weekend I want to dance.<\/p>\n21. \u51c6\u5907 (zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to prepare\/get ready<\/h2>\n\u660e\u5929\u6211\u4eec\u4e00\u8d77\u53bb\u5317\u4eac\u3002\u4f60\u51c6\u5907\u597d\u4e86\u5417\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(m\u00edng ti\u0101n w\u01d2 men y\u00ec q\u01d0 q\u00f9 b\u011bi j\u012bng. n\u01d0 zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i h\u01ceo le ma?)
\n<\/em>Tomorrow we are going together to Beijing. Are you ready?<\/p>\n22. \u559c\u6b22 (x\u01d0 hu\u0101n)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to like<\/h2>\n\u6211\u559c\u6b22\u4f60\u7684\u670b\u53cb\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 x\u01d0 hu\u0101n n\u01d0 de p\u00e9ng y\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I like your friend.<\/p>\n23. \u6563\u6b65 (s\u00e0n b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a walk<\/h2>\n\u6211\u7684\u5916\u5a46\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u53bb\u6563\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 de w\u00e0i p\u00f3 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du q\u00f9 s\u00e0n b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>My grandmother takes a walk every day.<\/p>\n24. \u6d17\u6fa1 (x\u01d0 z\u01ceo)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a shower\/bath<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5df2\u7ecf\u6d17\u6fa1\u4e86\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u01d0 j\u012bng x\u01d0 z\u01ceo le.)
\n<\/em>I’ve already had a bath.<\/p>\n25. \u8d70\u8def (z\u01d2u l\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to walk (go on foot)<\/h2>\n\u4f60\u4eec\u662f\u5750\u8f66\u53bb\u8fd8\u662f\u8d70\u8def\u53bb\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(n\u01d0 men sh\u00ec zu\u00f2 ch\u0113 q\u00f9 h\u00e1i sh\u00ec z\u01d2u l\u00f9 q\u00f9?)
\n<\/em>Are you going by car or on foot?<\/p>\n26. \u8dd1\u6b65 (p\u01ceo b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to run<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5f88\u7d2f\uff0c\u4e0d\u60f3\u8dd1\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u011bn l\u00e8i, b\u00f9 xi\u01ceng p\u01ceo b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>I am very tired. I don’t want to run.<\/p>\n27. \u5f00\u59cb (k\u0101i sh\u01d0)<\/em> \u2014 to start<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4eec\u5f00\u59cb\u5427\uff01
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 men k\u0101i sh\u01d0 ba!)
\n<\/em>Let’s get started! \/ Here we go!<\/p>\n28. \u660e\u767d (m\u00edng bai)<\/em> \u2014 to understand<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u660e\u767d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00f9 m\u00edng bai.)
\n<\/em>I don’t understand.<\/p>\n29. \u77e5\u9053 (zh\u012b d\u00e0o)<\/em> \u2014 to know<\/h2>\n\u6211\u77e5\u9053\u5b66\u6821\u5728\u54ea\u91cc\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 zh\u012b d\u00e0o xu\u00e9 xi\u00e0o z\u00e0i n\u01ce l\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>I know where the school is.<\/p>\n30. \u89c9\u5f97 (ju\u00e9 de)<\/em> \u2014 to feel<\/h2>\n\u6211\u89c9\u5f97\u51b7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 ju\u00e9 de l\u011bng.)
\n<\/em>I feel cold.<\/p>\nHow Verbs Work in Chinese<\/h2>\nChinese Verb Placement<\/h3>\n
To be able to express statements of action, you should keep in mind the basic structure for any sentence in Chinese:<\/p>\n
\u00a0Subject + Verb + Object<\/strong><\/p>\nA very important aspect of this structure is the fact that the Subject uses the Verb to act upon the Object, like so:<\/p>\n
\u5988\u5988\u5403<\/strong>\u725b\u8089\u3002<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma ch\u012b ni\u00fa r\u00f2u.) \u2014<\/em> Mother eats beef.<\/p>\nMakes sense, right? If we switched the Subject’s position with the Object’s, we’d get a sentence that looks like this:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u725b\u8089\u5403<\/strong>\u5988\u5988\u3002<\/strong>(ni\u00fa r\u00f2u ch\u012b m\u0101 m\u0101.) \u2014<\/em> Beef eats Mother.<\/p>\nThat’s not quite right, obviously.\u00a0So, the noun that comes after the Verb will be the target of its action.<\/p>\n
Easy and logical, no?<\/p>\n
Chinese Verb Conjugations<\/h3>\n
In Chinese, verbs don’t have conjugations<\/b>.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe basic form of any verb is the infinitive, and that’s what we could say is used in Chinese. Every Chinese verb can be considered an infinitive because it doesn’t have any conjugation, and it certainly doesn’t change according to the person or number of people performing the action.<\/p>\n
Further, the forms of Chinese verbs never change,<\/strong> regardless of present, past or future tense. That’s good news, because it means you won’t have to memorize different forms for participles or tenses.<\/p>\nOf course, there are some rules<\/a> about how to express the fact that an action already took place or will happen in the future. When you’re just starting out, it’s best to keep things super simple, and to see lots of examples of verbs in use. You can do this on FluentU<\/a>, which has hundreds of videos to show you how native Chinese speakers use verbs in context.<\/p>\nSimple Verbs vs. Compound Verbs in Chinese<\/h2>\n
You may have noticed that there are two types of Chinese verbs on our list:<\/p>\n
\n- simple verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of only one character, and<\/li>\n
- compound verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of two characters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Simple verbs are just that\u2014very simple to use. Put the word into the sentence as your verb, and you’re good to go.<\/p>\n
Compound verbs are a bit more complex. These character groups can form a single word in some situations, but they can also be separated in other situations.<\/p>\n
Why can compound verbs be split? Well, sometimes the characters within the compound verb all mean the same thing. In these cases, you can choose to use the entire verb or<\/em> just one of the characters (usually the first character), and they’ll express the same meaning.<\/p>\nFor example, you can use either of the following sentences to mean “I am learning Chinese”:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u6211\u5b66\u4e60<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(<\/em>w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u5b66<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\nSome compound verbs can also be split to give more information, like quantifiers. For instance, both of the following examples separate the compound verb \u8dd1\u6b65, and both sentences mean “Yesterday I ran for two hours”:<\/p>\n
\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u6b65<\/strong>\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed b\u00f9.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed.)<\/em><\/p>\nIt’s probably a good idea to use the entire compound verb at the beginning of your Chinese studies, though. That’s because splitting compound verbs is typically only possible when both characters have the same meaning.<\/strong><\/p>\nOnce you have more experience with Chinese verbs, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to experiment with them more!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now you can use these common Chinese verbs to start making some sentences. So, how about you go out there and put the skills you’ve just learned to the test?<\/p>\n
Don’t be scared to make mistakes. We’re all human, and mistakes are good, because you always learn from them!
\n\u00a0
\n<\/p>\n
And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n
\r\nIf you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nFluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\nFluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos\u2014like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
<\/a>FluentU App Browse Screen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>Interactive Transcripts on FluentU<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU's Learn Mode<\/strong> turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>
\n<\/strong>(zh\u00e8 ge zh\u014du m\u00f2 w\u01d2 y\u00e0o ti\u00e0o w\u01d4.)
\n<\/em>This weekend I want to dance.<\/p>\n
21. \u51c6\u5907 (zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to prepare\/get ready<\/h2>\n\u660e\u5929\u6211\u4eec\u4e00\u8d77\u53bb\u5317\u4eac\u3002\u4f60\u51c6\u5907\u597d\u4e86\u5417\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(m\u00edng ti\u0101n w\u01d2 men y\u00ec q\u01d0 q\u00f9 b\u011bi j\u012bng. n\u01d0 zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i h\u01ceo le ma?)
\n<\/em>Tomorrow we are going together to Beijing. Are you ready?<\/p>\n22. \u559c\u6b22 (x\u01d0 hu\u0101n)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to like<\/h2>\n\u6211\u559c\u6b22\u4f60\u7684\u670b\u53cb\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 x\u01d0 hu\u0101n n\u01d0 de p\u00e9ng y\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I like your friend.<\/p>\n23. \u6563\u6b65 (s\u00e0n b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a walk<\/h2>\n\u6211\u7684\u5916\u5a46\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u53bb\u6563\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 de w\u00e0i p\u00f3 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du q\u00f9 s\u00e0n b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>My grandmother takes a walk every day.<\/p>\n24. \u6d17\u6fa1 (x\u01d0 z\u01ceo)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a shower\/bath<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5df2\u7ecf\u6d17\u6fa1\u4e86\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u01d0 j\u012bng x\u01d0 z\u01ceo le.)
\n<\/em>I’ve already had a bath.<\/p>\n25. \u8d70\u8def (z\u01d2u l\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to walk (go on foot)<\/h2>\n\u4f60\u4eec\u662f\u5750\u8f66\u53bb\u8fd8\u662f\u8d70\u8def\u53bb\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(n\u01d0 men sh\u00ec zu\u00f2 ch\u0113 q\u00f9 h\u00e1i sh\u00ec z\u01d2u l\u00f9 q\u00f9?)
\n<\/em>Are you going by car or on foot?<\/p>\n26. \u8dd1\u6b65 (p\u01ceo b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to run<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5f88\u7d2f\uff0c\u4e0d\u60f3\u8dd1\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u011bn l\u00e8i, b\u00f9 xi\u01ceng p\u01ceo b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>I am very tired. I don’t want to run.<\/p>\n27. \u5f00\u59cb (k\u0101i sh\u01d0)<\/em> \u2014 to start<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4eec\u5f00\u59cb\u5427\uff01
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 men k\u0101i sh\u01d0 ba!)
\n<\/em>Let’s get started! \/ Here we go!<\/p>\n28. \u660e\u767d (m\u00edng bai)<\/em> \u2014 to understand<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u660e\u767d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00f9 m\u00edng bai.)
\n<\/em>I don’t understand.<\/p>\n29. \u77e5\u9053 (zh\u012b d\u00e0o)<\/em> \u2014 to know<\/h2>\n\u6211\u77e5\u9053\u5b66\u6821\u5728\u54ea\u91cc\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 zh\u012b d\u00e0o xu\u00e9 xi\u00e0o z\u00e0i n\u01ce l\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>I know where the school is.<\/p>\n30. \u89c9\u5f97 (ju\u00e9 de)<\/em> \u2014 to feel<\/h2>\n\u6211\u89c9\u5f97\u51b7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 ju\u00e9 de l\u011bng.)
\n<\/em>I feel cold.<\/p>\nHow Verbs Work in Chinese<\/h2>\nChinese Verb Placement<\/h3>\n
To be able to express statements of action, you should keep in mind the basic structure for any sentence in Chinese:<\/p>\n
\u00a0Subject + Verb + Object<\/strong><\/p>\nA very important aspect of this structure is the fact that the Subject uses the Verb to act upon the Object, like so:<\/p>\n
\u5988\u5988\u5403<\/strong>\u725b\u8089\u3002<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma ch\u012b ni\u00fa r\u00f2u.) \u2014<\/em> Mother eats beef.<\/p>\nMakes sense, right? If we switched the Subject’s position with the Object’s, we’d get a sentence that looks like this:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u725b\u8089\u5403<\/strong>\u5988\u5988\u3002<\/strong>(ni\u00fa r\u00f2u ch\u012b m\u0101 m\u0101.) \u2014<\/em> Beef eats Mother.<\/p>\nThat’s not quite right, obviously.\u00a0So, the noun that comes after the Verb will be the target of its action.<\/p>\n
Easy and logical, no?<\/p>\n
Chinese Verb Conjugations<\/h3>\n
In Chinese, verbs don’t have conjugations<\/b>.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe basic form of any verb is the infinitive, and that’s what we could say is used in Chinese. Every Chinese verb can be considered an infinitive because it doesn’t have any conjugation, and it certainly doesn’t change according to the person or number of people performing the action.<\/p>\n
Further, the forms of Chinese verbs never change,<\/strong> regardless of present, past or future tense. That’s good news, because it means you won’t have to memorize different forms for participles or tenses.<\/p>\nOf course, there are some rules<\/a> about how to express the fact that an action already took place or will happen in the future. When you’re just starting out, it’s best to keep things super simple, and to see lots of examples of verbs in use. You can do this on FluentU<\/a>, which has hundreds of videos to show you how native Chinese speakers use verbs in context.<\/p>\nSimple Verbs vs. Compound Verbs in Chinese<\/h2>\n
You may have noticed that there are two types of Chinese verbs on our list:<\/p>\n
\n- simple verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of only one character, and<\/li>\n
- compound verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of two characters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Simple verbs are just that\u2014very simple to use. Put the word into the sentence as your verb, and you’re good to go.<\/p>\n
Compound verbs are a bit more complex. These character groups can form a single word in some situations, but they can also be separated in other situations.<\/p>\n
Why can compound verbs be split? Well, sometimes the characters within the compound verb all mean the same thing. In these cases, you can choose to use the entire verb or<\/em> just one of the characters (usually the first character), and they’ll express the same meaning.<\/p>\nFor example, you can use either of the following sentences to mean “I am learning Chinese”:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u6211\u5b66\u4e60<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(<\/em>w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u5b66<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\nSome compound verbs can also be split to give more information, like quantifiers. For instance, both of the following examples separate the compound verb \u8dd1\u6b65, and both sentences mean “Yesterday I ran for two hours”:<\/p>\n
\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u6b65<\/strong>\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed b\u00f9.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed.)<\/em><\/p>\nIt’s probably a good idea to use the entire compound verb at the beginning of your Chinese studies, though. That’s because splitting compound verbs is typically only possible when both characters have the same meaning.<\/strong><\/p>\nOnce you have more experience with Chinese verbs, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to experiment with them more!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now you can use these common Chinese verbs to start making some sentences. So, how about you go out there and put the skills you’ve just learned to the test?<\/p>\n
Don’t be scared to make mistakes. We’re all human, and mistakes are good, because you always learn from them!
\n\u00a0
\n<\/p>\n
And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n
\r\nIf you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nFluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\nFluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos\u2014like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
<\/a>FluentU App Browse Screen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>Interactive Transcripts on FluentU<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU's Learn Mode<\/strong> turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>
\n<\/strong>(m\u00edng ti\u0101n w\u01d2 men y\u00ec q\u01d0 q\u00f9 b\u011bi j\u012bng. n\u01d0 zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i h\u01ceo le ma?)
\n<\/em>Tomorrow we are going together to Beijing. Are you ready?<\/p>\n
22. \u559c\u6b22 (x\u01d0 hu\u0101n)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to like<\/h2>\n\u6211\u559c\u6b22\u4f60\u7684\u670b\u53cb\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 x\u01d0 hu\u0101n n\u01d0 de p\u00e9ng y\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I like your friend.<\/p>\n23. \u6563\u6b65 (s\u00e0n b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a walk<\/h2>\n\u6211\u7684\u5916\u5a46\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u53bb\u6563\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 de w\u00e0i p\u00f3 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du q\u00f9 s\u00e0n b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>My grandmother takes a walk every day.<\/p>\n24. \u6d17\u6fa1 (x\u01d0 z\u01ceo)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a shower\/bath<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5df2\u7ecf\u6d17\u6fa1\u4e86\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u01d0 j\u012bng x\u01d0 z\u01ceo le.)
\n<\/em>I’ve already had a bath.<\/p>\n25. \u8d70\u8def (z\u01d2u l\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to walk (go on foot)<\/h2>\n\u4f60\u4eec\u662f\u5750\u8f66\u53bb\u8fd8\u662f\u8d70\u8def\u53bb\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(n\u01d0 men sh\u00ec zu\u00f2 ch\u0113 q\u00f9 h\u00e1i sh\u00ec z\u01d2u l\u00f9 q\u00f9?)
\n<\/em>Are you going by car or on foot?<\/p>\n26. \u8dd1\u6b65 (p\u01ceo b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to run<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5f88\u7d2f\uff0c\u4e0d\u60f3\u8dd1\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u011bn l\u00e8i, b\u00f9 xi\u01ceng p\u01ceo b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>I am very tired. I don’t want to run.<\/p>\n27. \u5f00\u59cb (k\u0101i sh\u01d0)<\/em> \u2014 to start<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4eec\u5f00\u59cb\u5427\uff01
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 men k\u0101i sh\u01d0 ba!)
\n<\/em>Let’s get started! \/ Here we go!<\/p>\n28. \u660e\u767d (m\u00edng bai)<\/em> \u2014 to understand<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u660e\u767d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00f9 m\u00edng bai.)
\n<\/em>I don’t understand.<\/p>\n29. \u77e5\u9053 (zh\u012b d\u00e0o)<\/em> \u2014 to know<\/h2>\n\u6211\u77e5\u9053\u5b66\u6821\u5728\u54ea\u91cc\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 zh\u012b d\u00e0o xu\u00e9 xi\u00e0o z\u00e0i n\u01ce l\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>I know where the school is.<\/p>\n30. \u89c9\u5f97 (ju\u00e9 de)<\/em> \u2014 to feel<\/h2>\n\u6211\u89c9\u5f97\u51b7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 ju\u00e9 de l\u011bng.)
\n<\/em>I feel cold.<\/p>\nHow Verbs Work in Chinese<\/h2>\nChinese Verb Placement<\/h3>\n
To be able to express statements of action, you should keep in mind the basic structure for any sentence in Chinese:<\/p>\n
\u00a0Subject + Verb + Object<\/strong><\/p>\nA very important aspect of this structure is the fact that the Subject uses the Verb to act upon the Object, like so:<\/p>\n
\u5988\u5988\u5403<\/strong>\u725b\u8089\u3002<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma ch\u012b ni\u00fa r\u00f2u.) \u2014<\/em> Mother eats beef.<\/p>\nMakes sense, right? If we switched the Subject’s position with the Object’s, we’d get a sentence that looks like this:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u725b\u8089\u5403<\/strong>\u5988\u5988\u3002<\/strong>(ni\u00fa r\u00f2u ch\u012b m\u0101 m\u0101.) \u2014<\/em> Beef eats Mother.<\/p>\nThat’s not quite right, obviously.\u00a0So, the noun that comes after the Verb will be the target of its action.<\/p>\n
Easy and logical, no?<\/p>\n
Chinese Verb Conjugations<\/h3>\n
In Chinese, verbs don’t have conjugations<\/b>.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe basic form of any verb is the infinitive, and that’s what we could say is used in Chinese. Every Chinese verb can be considered an infinitive because it doesn’t have any conjugation, and it certainly doesn’t change according to the person or number of people performing the action.<\/p>\n
Further, the forms of Chinese verbs never change,<\/strong> regardless of present, past or future tense. That’s good news, because it means you won’t have to memorize different forms for participles or tenses.<\/p>\nOf course, there are some rules<\/a> about how to express the fact that an action already took place or will happen in the future. When you’re just starting out, it’s best to keep things super simple, and to see lots of examples of verbs in use. You can do this on FluentU<\/a>, which has hundreds of videos to show you how native Chinese speakers use verbs in context.<\/p>\nSimple Verbs vs. Compound Verbs in Chinese<\/h2>\n
You may have noticed that there are two types of Chinese verbs on our list:<\/p>\n
\n- simple verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of only one character, and<\/li>\n
- compound verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of two characters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Simple verbs are just that\u2014very simple to use. Put the word into the sentence as your verb, and you’re good to go.<\/p>\n
Compound verbs are a bit more complex. These character groups can form a single word in some situations, but they can also be separated in other situations.<\/p>\n
Why can compound verbs be split? Well, sometimes the characters within the compound verb all mean the same thing. In these cases, you can choose to use the entire verb or<\/em> just one of the characters (usually the first character), and they’ll express the same meaning.<\/p>\nFor example, you can use either of the following sentences to mean “I am learning Chinese”:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u6211\u5b66\u4e60<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(<\/em>w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u5b66<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\nSome compound verbs can also be split to give more information, like quantifiers. For instance, both of the following examples separate the compound verb \u8dd1\u6b65, and both sentences mean “Yesterday I ran for two hours”:<\/p>\n
\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u6b65<\/strong>\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed b\u00f9.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed.)<\/em><\/p>\nIt’s probably a good idea to use the entire compound verb at the beginning of your Chinese studies, though. That’s because splitting compound verbs is typically only possible when both characters have the same meaning.<\/strong><\/p>\nOnce you have more experience with Chinese verbs, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to experiment with them more!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now you can use these common Chinese verbs to start making some sentences. So, how about you go out there and put the skills you’ve just learned to the test?<\/p>\n
Don’t be scared to make mistakes. We’re all human, and mistakes are good, because you always learn from them!
\n\u00a0
\n<\/p>\n
And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n
\r\nIf you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nFluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\nFluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos\u2014like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
<\/a>FluentU App Browse Screen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>Interactive Transcripts on FluentU<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU's Learn Mode<\/strong> turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 x\u01d0 hu\u0101n n\u01d0 de p\u00e9ng y\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I like your friend.<\/p>\n
23. \u6563\u6b65 (s\u00e0n b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a walk<\/h2>\n\u6211\u7684\u5916\u5a46\u6bcf\u5929\u90fd\u53bb\u6563\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 de w\u00e0i p\u00f3 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du q\u00f9 s\u00e0n b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>My grandmother takes a walk every day.<\/p>\n24. \u6d17\u6fa1 (x\u01d0 z\u01ceo)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a shower\/bath<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5df2\u7ecf\u6d17\u6fa1\u4e86\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u01d0 j\u012bng x\u01d0 z\u01ceo le.)
\n<\/em>I’ve already had a bath.<\/p>\n25. \u8d70\u8def (z\u01d2u l\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to walk (go on foot)<\/h2>\n\u4f60\u4eec\u662f\u5750\u8f66\u53bb\u8fd8\u662f\u8d70\u8def\u53bb\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(n\u01d0 men sh\u00ec zu\u00f2 ch\u0113 q\u00f9 h\u00e1i sh\u00ec z\u01d2u l\u00f9 q\u00f9?)
\n<\/em>Are you going by car or on foot?<\/p>\n26. \u8dd1\u6b65 (p\u01ceo b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to run<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5f88\u7d2f\uff0c\u4e0d\u60f3\u8dd1\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u011bn l\u00e8i, b\u00f9 xi\u01ceng p\u01ceo b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>I am very tired. I don’t want to run.<\/p>\n27. \u5f00\u59cb (k\u0101i sh\u01d0)<\/em> \u2014 to start<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4eec\u5f00\u59cb\u5427\uff01
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 men k\u0101i sh\u01d0 ba!)
\n<\/em>Let’s get started! \/ Here we go!<\/p>\n28. \u660e\u767d (m\u00edng bai)<\/em> \u2014 to understand<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u660e\u767d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00f9 m\u00edng bai.)
\n<\/em>I don’t understand.<\/p>\n29. \u77e5\u9053 (zh\u012b d\u00e0o)<\/em> \u2014 to know<\/h2>\n\u6211\u77e5\u9053\u5b66\u6821\u5728\u54ea\u91cc\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 zh\u012b d\u00e0o xu\u00e9 xi\u00e0o z\u00e0i n\u01ce l\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>I know where the school is.<\/p>\n30. \u89c9\u5f97 (ju\u00e9 de)<\/em> \u2014 to feel<\/h2>\n\u6211\u89c9\u5f97\u51b7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 ju\u00e9 de l\u011bng.)
\n<\/em>I feel cold.<\/p>\nHow Verbs Work in Chinese<\/h2>\nChinese Verb Placement<\/h3>\n
To be able to express statements of action, you should keep in mind the basic structure for any sentence in Chinese:<\/p>\n
\u00a0Subject + Verb + Object<\/strong><\/p>\nA very important aspect of this structure is the fact that the Subject uses the Verb to act upon the Object, like so:<\/p>\n
\u5988\u5988\u5403<\/strong>\u725b\u8089\u3002<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma ch\u012b ni\u00fa r\u00f2u.) \u2014<\/em> Mother eats beef.<\/p>\nMakes sense, right? If we switched the Subject’s position with the Object’s, we’d get a sentence that looks like this:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u725b\u8089\u5403<\/strong>\u5988\u5988\u3002<\/strong>(ni\u00fa r\u00f2u ch\u012b m\u0101 m\u0101.) \u2014<\/em> Beef eats Mother.<\/p>\nThat’s not quite right, obviously.\u00a0So, the noun that comes after the Verb will be the target of its action.<\/p>\n
Easy and logical, no?<\/p>\n
Chinese Verb Conjugations<\/h3>\n
In Chinese, verbs don’t have conjugations<\/b>.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe basic form of any verb is the infinitive, and that’s what we could say is used in Chinese. Every Chinese verb can be considered an infinitive because it doesn’t have any conjugation, and it certainly doesn’t change according to the person or number of people performing the action.<\/p>\n
Further, the forms of Chinese verbs never change,<\/strong> regardless of present, past or future tense. That’s good news, because it means you won’t have to memorize different forms for participles or tenses.<\/p>\nOf course, there are some rules<\/a> about how to express the fact that an action already took place or will happen in the future. When you’re just starting out, it’s best to keep things super simple, and to see lots of examples of verbs in use. You can do this on FluentU<\/a>, which has hundreds of videos to show you how native Chinese speakers use verbs in context.<\/p>\nSimple Verbs vs. Compound Verbs in Chinese<\/h2>\n
You may have noticed that there are two types of Chinese verbs on our list:<\/p>\n
\n- simple verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of only one character, and<\/li>\n
- compound verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of two characters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Simple verbs are just that\u2014very simple to use. Put the word into the sentence as your verb, and you’re good to go.<\/p>\n
Compound verbs are a bit more complex. These character groups can form a single word in some situations, but they can also be separated in other situations.<\/p>\n
Why can compound verbs be split? Well, sometimes the characters within the compound verb all mean the same thing. In these cases, you can choose to use the entire verb or<\/em> just one of the characters (usually the first character), and they’ll express the same meaning.<\/p>\nFor example, you can use either of the following sentences to mean “I am learning Chinese”:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u6211\u5b66\u4e60<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(<\/em>w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u5b66<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\nSome compound verbs can also be split to give more information, like quantifiers. For instance, both of the following examples separate the compound verb \u8dd1\u6b65, and both sentences mean “Yesterday I ran for two hours”:<\/p>\n
\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u6b65<\/strong>\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed b\u00f9.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed.)<\/em><\/p>\nIt’s probably a good idea to use the entire compound verb at the beginning of your Chinese studies, though. That’s because splitting compound verbs is typically only possible when both characters have the same meaning.<\/strong><\/p>\nOnce you have more experience with Chinese verbs, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to experiment with them more!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now you can use these common Chinese verbs to start making some sentences. So, how about you go out there and put the skills you’ve just learned to the test?<\/p>\n
Don’t be scared to make mistakes. We’re all human, and mistakes are good, because you always learn from them!
\n\u00a0
\n<\/p>\n
And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n
\r\nIf you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nFluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\nFluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos\u2014like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
<\/a>FluentU App Browse Screen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>Interactive Transcripts on FluentU<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU's Learn Mode<\/strong> turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 de w\u00e0i p\u00f3 m\u011bi ti\u0101n d\u014du q\u00f9 s\u00e0n b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>My grandmother takes a walk every day.<\/p>\n
24. \u6d17\u6fa1 (x\u01d0 z\u01ceo)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to take a shower\/bath<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5df2\u7ecf\u6d17\u6fa1\u4e86\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u01d0 j\u012bng x\u01d0 z\u01ceo le.)
\n<\/em>I’ve already had a bath.<\/p>\n25. \u8d70\u8def (z\u01d2u l\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to walk (go on foot)<\/h2>\n\u4f60\u4eec\u662f\u5750\u8f66\u53bb\u8fd8\u662f\u8d70\u8def\u53bb\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(n\u01d0 men sh\u00ec zu\u00f2 ch\u0113 q\u00f9 h\u00e1i sh\u00ec z\u01d2u l\u00f9 q\u00f9?)
\n<\/em>Are you going by car or on foot?<\/p>\n26. \u8dd1\u6b65 (p\u01ceo b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to run<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5f88\u7d2f\uff0c\u4e0d\u60f3\u8dd1\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u011bn l\u00e8i, b\u00f9 xi\u01ceng p\u01ceo b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>I am very tired. I don’t want to run.<\/p>\n27. \u5f00\u59cb (k\u0101i sh\u01d0)<\/em> \u2014 to start<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4eec\u5f00\u59cb\u5427\uff01
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 men k\u0101i sh\u01d0 ba!)
\n<\/em>Let’s get started! \/ Here we go!<\/p>\n28. \u660e\u767d (m\u00edng bai)<\/em> \u2014 to understand<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u660e\u767d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00f9 m\u00edng bai.)
\n<\/em>I don’t understand.<\/p>\n29. \u77e5\u9053 (zh\u012b d\u00e0o)<\/em> \u2014 to know<\/h2>\n\u6211\u77e5\u9053\u5b66\u6821\u5728\u54ea\u91cc\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 zh\u012b d\u00e0o xu\u00e9 xi\u00e0o z\u00e0i n\u01ce l\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>I know where the school is.<\/p>\n30. \u89c9\u5f97 (ju\u00e9 de)<\/em> \u2014 to feel<\/h2>\n\u6211\u89c9\u5f97\u51b7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 ju\u00e9 de l\u011bng.)
\n<\/em>I feel cold.<\/p>\nHow Verbs Work in Chinese<\/h2>\nChinese Verb Placement<\/h3>\n
To be able to express statements of action, you should keep in mind the basic structure for any sentence in Chinese:<\/p>\n
\u00a0Subject + Verb + Object<\/strong><\/p>\nA very important aspect of this structure is the fact that the Subject uses the Verb to act upon the Object, like so:<\/p>\n
\u5988\u5988\u5403<\/strong>\u725b\u8089\u3002<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma ch\u012b ni\u00fa r\u00f2u.) \u2014<\/em> Mother eats beef.<\/p>\nMakes sense, right? If we switched the Subject’s position with the Object’s, we’d get a sentence that looks like this:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u725b\u8089\u5403<\/strong>\u5988\u5988\u3002<\/strong>(ni\u00fa r\u00f2u ch\u012b m\u0101 m\u0101.) \u2014<\/em> Beef eats Mother.<\/p>\nThat’s not quite right, obviously.\u00a0So, the noun that comes after the Verb will be the target of its action.<\/p>\n
Easy and logical, no?<\/p>\n
Chinese Verb Conjugations<\/h3>\n
In Chinese, verbs don’t have conjugations<\/b>.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe basic form of any verb is the infinitive, and that’s what we could say is used in Chinese. Every Chinese verb can be considered an infinitive because it doesn’t have any conjugation, and it certainly doesn’t change according to the person or number of people performing the action.<\/p>\n
Further, the forms of Chinese verbs never change,<\/strong> regardless of present, past or future tense. That’s good news, because it means you won’t have to memorize different forms for participles or tenses.<\/p>\nOf course, there are some rules<\/a> about how to express the fact that an action already took place or will happen in the future. When you’re just starting out, it’s best to keep things super simple, and to see lots of examples of verbs in use. You can do this on FluentU<\/a>, which has hundreds of videos to show you how native Chinese speakers use verbs in context.<\/p>\nSimple Verbs vs. Compound Verbs in Chinese<\/h2>\n
You may have noticed that there are two types of Chinese verbs on our list:<\/p>\n
\n- simple verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of only one character, and<\/li>\n
- compound verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of two characters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Simple verbs are just that\u2014very simple to use. Put the word into the sentence as your verb, and you’re good to go.<\/p>\n
Compound verbs are a bit more complex. These character groups can form a single word in some situations, but they can also be separated in other situations.<\/p>\n
Why can compound verbs be split? Well, sometimes the characters within the compound verb all mean the same thing. In these cases, you can choose to use the entire verb or<\/em> just one of the characters (usually the first character), and they’ll express the same meaning.<\/p>\nFor example, you can use either of the following sentences to mean “I am learning Chinese”:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u6211\u5b66\u4e60<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(<\/em>w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u5b66<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\nSome compound verbs can also be split to give more information, like quantifiers. For instance, both of the following examples separate the compound verb \u8dd1\u6b65, and both sentences mean “Yesterday I ran for two hours”:<\/p>\n
\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u6b65<\/strong>\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed b\u00f9.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed.)<\/em><\/p>\nIt’s probably a good idea to use the entire compound verb at the beginning of your Chinese studies, though. That’s because splitting compound verbs is typically only possible when both characters have the same meaning.<\/strong><\/p>\nOnce you have more experience with Chinese verbs, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to experiment with them more!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now you can use these common Chinese verbs to start making some sentences. So, how about you go out there and put the skills you’ve just learned to the test?<\/p>\n
Don’t be scared to make mistakes. We’re all human, and mistakes are good, because you always learn from them!
\n\u00a0
\n<\/p>\n
And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n
\r\nIf you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nFluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\nFluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos\u2014like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
<\/a>FluentU App Browse Screen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>Interactive Transcripts on FluentU<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU's Learn Mode<\/strong> turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 y\u01d0 j\u012bng x\u01d0 z\u01ceo le.)
\n<\/em>I’ve already had a bath.<\/p>\n
25. \u8d70\u8def (z\u01d2u l\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to walk (go on foot)<\/h2>\n\u4f60\u4eec\u662f\u5750\u8f66\u53bb\u8fd8\u662f\u8d70\u8def\u53bb\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(n\u01d0 men sh\u00ec zu\u00f2 ch\u0113 q\u00f9 h\u00e1i sh\u00ec z\u01d2u l\u00f9 q\u00f9?)
\n<\/em>Are you going by car or on foot?<\/p>\n26. \u8dd1\u6b65 (p\u01ceo b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to run<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5f88\u7d2f\uff0c\u4e0d\u60f3\u8dd1\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u011bn l\u00e8i, b\u00f9 xi\u01ceng p\u01ceo b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>I am very tired. I don’t want to run.<\/p>\n27. \u5f00\u59cb (k\u0101i sh\u01d0)<\/em> \u2014 to start<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4eec\u5f00\u59cb\u5427\uff01
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 men k\u0101i sh\u01d0 ba!)
\n<\/em>Let’s get started! \/ Here we go!<\/p>\n28. \u660e\u767d (m\u00edng bai)<\/em> \u2014 to understand<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u660e\u767d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00f9 m\u00edng bai.)
\n<\/em>I don’t understand.<\/p>\n29. \u77e5\u9053 (zh\u012b d\u00e0o)<\/em> \u2014 to know<\/h2>\n\u6211\u77e5\u9053\u5b66\u6821\u5728\u54ea\u91cc\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 zh\u012b d\u00e0o xu\u00e9 xi\u00e0o z\u00e0i n\u01ce l\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>I know where the school is.<\/p>\n30. \u89c9\u5f97 (ju\u00e9 de)<\/em> \u2014 to feel<\/h2>\n\u6211\u89c9\u5f97\u51b7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 ju\u00e9 de l\u011bng.)
\n<\/em>I feel cold.<\/p>\nHow Verbs Work in Chinese<\/h2>\nChinese Verb Placement<\/h3>\n
To be able to express statements of action, you should keep in mind the basic structure for any sentence in Chinese:<\/p>\n
\u00a0Subject + Verb + Object<\/strong><\/p>\nA very important aspect of this structure is the fact that the Subject uses the Verb to act upon the Object, like so:<\/p>\n
\u5988\u5988\u5403<\/strong>\u725b\u8089\u3002<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma ch\u012b ni\u00fa r\u00f2u.) \u2014<\/em> Mother eats beef.<\/p>\nMakes sense, right? If we switched the Subject’s position with the Object’s, we’d get a sentence that looks like this:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u725b\u8089\u5403<\/strong>\u5988\u5988\u3002<\/strong>(ni\u00fa r\u00f2u ch\u012b m\u0101 m\u0101.) \u2014<\/em> Beef eats Mother.<\/p>\nThat’s not quite right, obviously.\u00a0So, the noun that comes after the Verb will be the target of its action.<\/p>\n
Easy and logical, no?<\/p>\n
Chinese Verb Conjugations<\/h3>\n
In Chinese, verbs don’t have conjugations<\/b>.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe basic form of any verb is the infinitive, and that’s what we could say is used in Chinese. Every Chinese verb can be considered an infinitive because it doesn’t have any conjugation, and it certainly doesn’t change according to the person or number of people performing the action.<\/p>\n
Further, the forms of Chinese verbs never change,<\/strong> regardless of present, past or future tense. That’s good news, because it means you won’t have to memorize different forms for participles or tenses.<\/p>\nOf course, there are some rules<\/a> about how to express the fact that an action already took place or will happen in the future. When you’re just starting out, it’s best to keep things super simple, and to see lots of examples of verbs in use. You can do this on FluentU<\/a>, which has hundreds of videos to show you how native Chinese speakers use verbs in context.<\/p>\nSimple Verbs vs. Compound Verbs in Chinese<\/h2>\n
You may have noticed that there are two types of Chinese verbs on our list:<\/p>\n
\n- simple verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of only one character, and<\/li>\n
- compound verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of two characters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Simple verbs are just that\u2014very simple to use. Put the word into the sentence as your verb, and you’re good to go.<\/p>\n
Compound verbs are a bit more complex. These character groups can form a single word in some situations, but they can also be separated in other situations.<\/p>\n
Why can compound verbs be split? Well, sometimes the characters within the compound verb all mean the same thing. In these cases, you can choose to use the entire verb or<\/em> just one of the characters (usually the first character), and they’ll express the same meaning.<\/p>\nFor example, you can use either of the following sentences to mean “I am learning Chinese”:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u6211\u5b66\u4e60<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(<\/em>w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u5b66<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\nSome compound verbs can also be split to give more information, like quantifiers. For instance, both of the following examples separate the compound verb \u8dd1\u6b65, and both sentences mean “Yesterday I ran for two hours”:<\/p>\n
\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u6b65<\/strong>\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed b\u00f9.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed.)<\/em><\/p>\nIt’s probably a good idea to use the entire compound verb at the beginning of your Chinese studies, though. That’s because splitting compound verbs is typically only possible when both characters have the same meaning.<\/strong><\/p>\nOnce you have more experience with Chinese verbs, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to experiment with them more!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now you can use these common Chinese verbs to start making some sentences. So, how about you go out there and put the skills you’ve just learned to the test?<\/p>\n
Don’t be scared to make mistakes. We’re all human, and mistakes are good, because you always learn from them!
\n\u00a0
\n<\/p>\n
And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n
\r\nIf you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nFluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\nFluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos\u2014like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
<\/a>FluentU App Browse Screen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>Interactive Transcripts on FluentU<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU's Learn Mode<\/strong> turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>
\n<\/strong>(n\u01d0 men sh\u00ec zu\u00f2 ch\u0113 q\u00f9 h\u00e1i sh\u00ec z\u01d2u l\u00f9 q\u00f9?)
\n<\/em>Are you going by car or on foot?<\/p>\n
26. \u8dd1\u6b65 (p\u01ceo b\u00f9)<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 to run<\/h2>\n\u6211\u5f88\u7d2f\uff0c\u4e0d\u60f3\u8dd1\u6b65\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u011bn l\u00e8i, b\u00f9 xi\u01ceng p\u01ceo b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>I am very tired. I don’t want to run.<\/p>\n27. \u5f00\u59cb (k\u0101i sh\u01d0)<\/em> \u2014 to start<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4eec\u5f00\u59cb\u5427\uff01
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 men k\u0101i sh\u01d0 ba!)
\n<\/em>Let’s get started! \/ Here we go!<\/p>\n28. \u660e\u767d (m\u00edng bai)<\/em> \u2014 to understand<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u660e\u767d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00f9 m\u00edng bai.)
\n<\/em>I don’t understand.<\/p>\n29. \u77e5\u9053 (zh\u012b d\u00e0o)<\/em> \u2014 to know<\/h2>\n\u6211\u77e5\u9053\u5b66\u6821\u5728\u54ea\u91cc\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 zh\u012b d\u00e0o xu\u00e9 xi\u00e0o z\u00e0i n\u01ce l\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>I know where the school is.<\/p>\n30. \u89c9\u5f97 (ju\u00e9 de)<\/em> \u2014 to feel<\/h2>\n\u6211\u89c9\u5f97\u51b7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 ju\u00e9 de l\u011bng.)
\n<\/em>I feel cold.<\/p>\nHow Verbs Work in Chinese<\/h2>\nChinese Verb Placement<\/h3>\n
To be able to express statements of action, you should keep in mind the basic structure for any sentence in Chinese:<\/p>\n
\u00a0Subject + Verb + Object<\/strong><\/p>\nA very important aspect of this structure is the fact that the Subject uses the Verb to act upon the Object, like so:<\/p>\n
\u5988\u5988\u5403<\/strong>\u725b\u8089\u3002<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma ch\u012b ni\u00fa r\u00f2u.) \u2014<\/em> Mother eats beef.<\/p>\nMakes sense, right? If we switched the Subject’s position with the Object’s, we’d get a sentence that looks like this:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u725b\u8089\u5403<\/strong>\u5988\u5988\u3002<\/strong>(ni\u00fa r\u00f2u ch\u012b m\u0101 m\u0101.) \u2014<\/em> Beef eats Mother.<\/p>\nThat’s not quite right, obviously.\u00a0So, the noun that comes after the Verb will be the target of its action.<\/p>\n
Easy and logical, no?<\/p>\n
Chinese Verb Conjugations<\/h3>\n
In Chinese, verbs don’t have conjugations<\/b>.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe basic form of any verb is the infinitive, and that’s what we could say is used in Chinese. Every Chinese verb can be considered an infinitive because it doesn’t have any conjugation, and it certainly doesn’t change according to the person or number of people performing the action.<\/p>\n
Further, the forms of Chinese verbs never change,<\/strong> regardless of present, past or future tense. That’s good news, because it means you won’t have to memorize different forms for participles or tenses.<\/p>\nOf course, there are some rules<\/a> about how to express the fact that an action already took place or will happen in the future. When you’re just starting out, it’s best to keep things super simple, and to see lots of examples of verbs in use. You can do this on FluentU<\/a>, which has hundreds of videos to show you how native Chinese speakers use verbs in context.<\/p>\nSimple Verbs vs. Compound Verbs in Chinese<\/h2>\n
You may have noticed that there are two types of Chinese verbs on our list:<\/p>\n
\n- simple verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of only one character, and<\/li>\n
- compound verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of two characters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Simple verbs are just that\u2014very simple to use. Put the word into the sentence as your verb, and you’re good to go.<\/p>\n
Compound verbs are a bit more complex. These character groups can form a single word in some situations, but they can also be separated in other situations.<\/p>\n
Why can compound verbs be split? Well, sometimes the characters within the compound verb all mean the same thing. In these cases, you can choose to use the entire verb or<\/em> just one of the characters (usually the first character), and they’ll express the same meaning.<\/p>\nFor example, you can use either of the following sentences to mean “I am learning Chinese”:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u6211\u5b66\u4e60<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(<\/em>w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u5b66<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\nSome compound verbs can also be split to give more information, like quantifiers. For instance, both of the following examples separate the compound verb \u8dd1\u6b65, and both sentences mean “Yesterday I ran for two hours”:<\/p>\n
\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u6b65<\/strong>\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed b\u00f9.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed.)<\/em><\/p>\nIt’s probably a good idea to use the entire compound verb at the beginning of your Chinese studies, though. That’s because splitting compound verbs is typically only possible when both characters have the same meaning.<\/strong><\/p>\nOnce you have more experience with Chinese verbs, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to experiment with them more!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now you can use these common Chinese verbs to start making some sentences. So, how about you go out there and put the skills you’ve just learned to the test?<\/p>\n
Don’t be scared to make mistakes. We’re all human, and mistakes are good, because you always learn from them!
\n\u00a0
\n<\/p>\n
And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n
\r\nIf you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nFluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\nFluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos\u2014like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
<\/a>FluentU App Browse Screen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>Interactive Transcripts on FluentU<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU's Learn Mode<\/strong> turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 h\u011bn l\u00e8i, b\u00f9 xi\u01ceng p\u01ceo b\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>I am very tired. I don’t want to run.<\/p>\n
27. \u5f00\u59cb (k\u0101i sh\u01d0)<\/em> \u2014 to start<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4eec\u5f00\u59cb\u5427\uff01
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 men k\u0101i sh\u01d0 ba!)
\n<\/em>Let’s get started! \/ Here we go!<\/p>\n28. \u660e\u767d (m\u00edng bai)<\/em> \u2014 to understand<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u660e\u767d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00f9 m\u00edng bai.)
\n<\/em>I don’t understand.<\/p>\n29. \u77e5\u9053 (zh\u012b d\u00e0o)<\/em> \u2014 to know<\/h2>\n\u6211\u77e5\u9053\u5b66\u6821\u5728\u54ea\u91cc\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 zh\u012b d\u00e0o xu\u00e9 xi\u00e0o z\u00e0i n\u01ce l\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>I know where the school is.<\/p>\n30. \u89c9\u5f97 (ju\u00e9 de)<\/em> \u2014 to feel<\/h2>\n\u6211\u89c9\u5f97\u51b7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 ju\u00e9 de l\u011bng.)
\n<\/em>I feel cold.<\/p>\nHow Verbs Work in Chinese<\/h2>\nChinese Verb Placement<\/h3>\n
To be able to express statements of action, you should keep in mind the basic structure for any sentence in Chinese:<\/p>\n
\u00a0Subject + Verb + Object<\/strong><\/p>\nA very important aspect of this structure is the fact that the Subject uses the Verb to act upon the Object, like so:<\/p>\n
\u5988\u5988\u5403<\/strong>\u725b\u8089\u3002<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma ch\u012b ni\u00fa r\u00f2u.) \u2014<\/em> Mother eats beef.<\/p>\nMakes sense, right? If we switched the Subject’s position with the Object’s, we’d get a sentence that looks like this:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u725b\u8089\u5403<\/strong>\u5988\u5988\u3002<\/strong>(ni\u00fa r\u00f2u ch\u012b m\u0101 m\u0101.) \u2014<\/em> Beef eats Mother.<\/p>\nThat’s not quite right, obviously.\u00a0So, the noun that comes after the Verb will be the target of its action.<\/p>\n
Easy and logical, no?<\/p>\n
Chinese Verb Conjugations<\/h3>\n
In Chinese, verbs don’t have conjugations<\/b>.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe basic form of any verb is the infinitive, and that’s what we could say is used in Chinese. Every Chinese verb can be considered an infinitive because it doesn’t have any conjugation, and it certainly doesn’t change according to the person or number of people performing the action.<\/p>\n
Further, the forms of Chinese verbs never change,<\/strong> regardless of present, past or future tense. That’s good news, because it means you won’t have to memorize different forms for participles or tenses.<\/p>\nOf course, there are some rules<\/a> about how to express the fact that an action already took place or will happen in the future. When you’re just starting out, it’s best to keep things super simple, and to see lots of examples of verbs in use. You can do this on FluentU<\/a>, which has hundreds of videos to show you how native Chinese speakers use verbs in context.<\/p>\nSimple Verbs vs. Compound Verbs in Chinese<\/h2>\n
You may have noticed that there are two types of Chinese verbs on our list:<\/p>\n
\n- simple verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of only one character, and<\/li>\n
- compound verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of two characters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Simple verbs are just that\u2014very simple to use. Put the word into the sentence as your verb, and you’re good to go.<\/p>\n
Compound verbs are a bit more complex. These character groups can form a single word in some situations, but they can also be separated in other situations.<\/p>\n
Why can compound verbs be split? Well, sometimes the characters within the compound verb all mean the same thing. In these cases, you can choose to use the entire verb or<\/em> just one of the characters (usually the first character), and they’ll express the same meaning.<\/p>\nFor example, you can use either of the following sentences to mean “I am learning Chinese”:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u6211\u5b66\u4e60<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(<\/em>w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u5b66<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\nSome compound verbs can also be split to give more information, like quantifiers. For instance, both of the following examples separate the compound verb \u8dd1\u6b65, and both sentences mean “Yesterday I ran for two hours”:<\/p>\n
\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u6b65<\/strong>\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed b\u00f9.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed.)<\/em><\/p>\nIt’s probably a good idea to use the entire compound verb at the beginning of your Chinese studies, though. That’s because splitting compound verbs is typically only possible when both characters have the same meaning.<\/strong><\/p>\nOnce you have more experience with Chinese verbs, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to experiment with them more!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now you can use these common Chinese verbs to start making some sentences. So, how about you go out there and put the skills you’ve just learned to the test?<\/p>\n
Don’t be scared to make mistakes. We’re all human, and mistakes are good, because you always learn from them!
\n\u00a0
\n<\/p>\n
And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n
\r\nIf you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nFluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\nFluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos\u2014like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
<\/a>FluentU App Browse Screen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>Interactive Transcripts on FluentU<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU's Learn Mode<\/strong> turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 men k\u0101i sh\u01d0 ba!)
\n<\/em>Let’s get started! \/ Here we go!<\/p>\n
28. \u660e\u767d (m\u00edng bai)<\/em> \u2014 to understand<\/h2>\n\u6211\u4e0d\u660e\u767d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00f9 m\u00edng bai.)
\n<\/em>I don’t understand.<\/p>\n29. \u77e5\u9053 (zh\u012b d\u00e0o)<\/em> \u2014 to know<\/h2>\n\u6211\u77e5\u9053\u5b66\u6821\u5728\u54ea\u91cc\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 zh\u012b d\u00e0o xu\u00e9 xi\u00e0o z\u00e0i n\u01ce l\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>I know where the school is.<\/p>\n30. \u89c9\u5f97 (ju\u00e9 de)<\/em> \u2014 to feel<\/h2>\n\u6211\u89c9\u5f97\u51b7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 ju\u00e9 de l\u011bng.)
\n<\/em>I feel cold.<\/p>\nHow Verbs Work in Chinese<\/h2>\nChinese Verb Placement<\/h3>\n
To be able to express statements of action, you should keep in mind the basic structure for any sentence in Chinese:<\/p>\n
\u00a0Subject + Verb + Object<\/strong><\/p>\nA very important aspect of this structure is the fact that the Subject uses the Verb to act upon the Object, like so:<\/p>\n
\u5988\u5988\u5403<\/strong>\u725b\u8089\u3002<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma ch\u012b ni\u00fa r\u00f2u.) \u2014<\/em> Mother eats beef.<\/p>\nMakes sense, right? If we switched the Subject’s position with the Object’s, we’d get a sentence that looks like this:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u725b\u8089\u5403<\/strong>\u5988\u5988\u3002<\/strong>(ni\u00fa r\u00f2u ch\u012b m\u0101 m\u0101.) \u2014<\/em> Beef eats Mother.<\/p>\nThat’s not quite right, obviously.\u00a0So, the noun that comes after the Verb will be the target of its action.<\/p>\n
Easy and logical, no?<\/p>\n
Chinese Verb Conjugations<\/h3>\n
In Chinese, verbs don’t have conjugations<\/b>.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe basic form of any verb is the infinitive, and that’s what we could say is used in Chinese. Every Chinese verb can be considered an infinitive because it doesn’t have any conjugation, and it certainly doesn’t change according to the person or number of people performing the action.<\/p>\n
Further, the forms of Chinese verbs never change,<\/strong> regardless of present, past or future tense. That’s good news, because it means you won’t have to memorize different forms for participles or tenses.<\/p>\nOf course, there are some rules<\/a> about how to express the fact that an action already took place or will happen in the future. When you’re just starting out, it’s best to keep things super simple, and to see lots of examples of verbs in use. You can do this on FluentU<\/a>, which has hundreds of videos to show you how native Chinese speakers use verbs in context.<\/p>\nSimple Verbs vs. Compound Verbs in Chinese<\/h2>\n
You may have noticed that there are two types of Chinese verbs on our list:<\/p>\n
\n- simple verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of only one character, and<\/li>\n
- compound verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of two characters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Simple verbs are just that\u2014very simple to use. Put the word into the sentence as your verb, and you’re good to go.<\/p>\n
Compound verbs are a bit more complex. These character groups can form a single word in some situations, but they can also be separated in other situations.<\/p>\n
Why can compound verbs be split? Well, sometimes the characters within the compound verb all mean the same thing. In these cases, you can choose to use the entire verb or<\/em> just one of the characters (usually the first character), and they’ll express the same meaning.<\/p>\nFor example, you can use either of the following sentences to mean “I am learning Chinese”:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u6211\u5b66\u4e60<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(<\/em>w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u5b66<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\nSome compound verbs can also be split to give more information, like quantifiers. For instance, both of the following examples separate the compound verb \u8dd1\u6b65, and both sentences mean “Yesterday I ran for two hours”:<\/p>\n
\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u6b65<\/strong>\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed b\u00f9.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed.)<\/em><\/p>\nIt’s probably a good idea to use the entire compound verb at the beginning of your Chinese studies, though. That’s because splitting compound verbs is typically only possible when both characters have the same meaning.<\/strong><\/p>\nOnce you have more experience with Chinese verbs, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to experiment with them more!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now you can use these common Chinese verbs to start making some sentences. So, how about you go out there and put the skills you’ve just learned to the test?<\/p>\n
Don’t be scared to make mistakes. We’re all human, and mistakes are good, because you always learn from them!
\n\u00a0
\n<\/p>\n
And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n
\r\nIf you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nFluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\nFluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos\u2014like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
<\/a>FluentU App Browse Screen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>Interactive Transcripts on FluentU<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU's Learn Mode<\/strong> turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 b\u00f9 m\u00edng bai.)
\n<\/em>I don’t understand.<\/p>\n
29. \u77e5\u9053 (zh\u012b d\u00e0o)<\/em> \u2014 to know<\/h2>\n\u6211\u77e5\u9053\u5b66\u6821\u5728\u54ea\u91cc\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 zh\u012b d\u00e0o xu\u00e9 xi\u00e0o z\u00e0i n\u01ce l\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>I know where the school is.<\/p>\n30. \u89c9\u5f97 (ju\u00e9 de)<\/em> \u2014 to feel<\/h2>\n\u6211\u89c9\u5f97\u51b7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 ju\u00e9 de l\u011bng.)
\n<\/em>I feel cold.<\/p>\nHow Verbs Work in Chinese<\/h2>\nChinese Verb Placement<\/h3>\n
To be able to express statements of action, you should keep in mind the basic structure for any sentence in Chinese:<\/p>\n
\u00a0Subject + Verb + Object<\/strong><\/p>\nA very important aspect of this structure is the fact that the Subject uses the Verb to act upon the Object, like so:<\/p>\n
\u5988\u5988\u5403<\/strong>\u725b\u8089\u3002<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma ch\u012b ni\u00fa r\u00f2u.) \u2014<\/em> Mother eats beef.<\/p>\nMakes sense, right? If we switched the Subject’s position with the Object’s, we’d get a sentence that looks like this:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u725b\u8089\u5403<\/strong>\u5988\u5988\u3002<\/strong>(ni\u00fa r\u00f2u ch\u012b m\u0101 m\u0101.) \u2014<\/em> Beef eats Mother.<\/p>\nThat’s not quite right, obviously.\u00a0So, the noun that comes after the Verb will be the target of its action.<\/p>\n
Easy and logical, no?<\/p>\n
Chinese Verb Conjugations<\/h3>\n
In Chinese, verbs don’t have conjugations<\/b>.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe basic form of any verb is the infinitive, and that’s what we could say is used in Chinese. Every Chinese verb can be considered an infinitive because it doesn’t have any conjugation, and it certainly doesn’t change according to the person or number of people performing the action.<\/p>\n
Further, the forms of Chinese verbs never change,<\/strong> regardless of present, past or future tense. That’s good news, because it means you won’t have to memorize different forms for participles or tenses.<\/p>\nOf course, there are some rules<\/a> about how to express the fact that an action already took place or will happen in the future. When you’re just starting out, it’s best to keep things super simple, and to see lots of examples of verbs in use. You can do this on FluentU<\/a>, which has hundreds of videos to show you how native Chinese speakers use verbs in context.<\/p>\nSimple Verbs vs. Compound Verbs in Chinese<\/h2>\n
You may have noticed that there are two types of Chinese verbs on our list:<\/p>\n
\n- simple verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of only one character, and<\/li>\n
- compound verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of two characters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Simple verbs are just that\u2014very simple to use. Put the word into the sentence as your verb, and you’re good to go.<\/p>\n
Compound verbs are a bit more complex. These character groups can form a single word in some situations, but they can also be separated in other situations.<\/p>\n
Why can compound verbs be split? Well, sometimes the characters within the compound verb all mean the same thing. In these cases, you can choose to use the entire verb or<\/em> just one of the characters (usually the first character), and they’ll express the same meaning.<\/p>\nFor example, you can use either of the following sentences to mean “I am learning Chinese”:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u6211\u5b66\u4e60<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(<\/em>w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u5b66<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\nSome compound verbs can also be split to give more information, like quantifiers. For instance, both of the following examples separate the compound verb \u8dd1\u6b65, and both sentences mean “Yesterday I ran for two hours”:<\/p>\n
\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u6b65<\/strong>\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed b\u00f9.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed.)<\/em><\/p>\nIt’s probably a good idea to use the entire compound verb at the beginning of your Chinese studies, though. That’s because splitting compound verbs is typically only possible when both characters have the same meaning.<\/strong><\/p>\nOnce you have more experience with Chinese verbs, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to experiment with them more!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now you can use these common Chinese verbs to start making some sentences. So, how about you go out there and put the skills you’ve just learned to the test?<\/p>\n
Don’t be scared to make mistakes. We’re all human, and mistakes are good, because you always learn from them!
\n\u00a0
\n<\/p>\n
And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n
\r\nIf you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nFluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\nFluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos\u2014like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
<\/a>FluentU App Browse Screen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>Interactive Transcripts on FluentU<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU's Learn Mode<\/strong> turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 zh\u012b d\u00e0o xu\u00e9 xi\u00e0o z\u00e0i n\u01ce l\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>I know where the school is.<\/p>\n
30. \u89c9\u5f97 (ju\u00e9 de)<\/em> \u2014 to feel<\/h2>\n\u6211\u89c9\u5f97\u51b7\u3002
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 ju\u00e9 de l\u011bng.)
\n<\/em>I feel cold.<\/p>\nHow Verbs Work in Chinese<\/h2>\nChinese Verb Placement<\/h3>\n
To be able to express statements of action, you should keep in mind the basic structure for any sentence in Chinese:<\/p>\n
\u00a0Subject + Verb + Object<\/strong><\/p>\nA very important aspect of this structure is the fact that the Subject uses the Verb to act upon the Object, like so:<\/p>\n
\u5988\u5988\u5403<\/strong>\u725b\u8089\u3002<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma ch\u012b ni\u00fa r\u00f2u.) \u2014<\/em> Mother eats beef.<\/p>\nMakes sense, right? If we switched the Subject’s position with the Object’s, we’d get a sentence that looks like this:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u725b\u8089\u5403<\/strong>\u5988\u5988\u3002<\/strong>(ni\u00fa r\u00f2u ch\u012b m\u0101 m\u0101.) \u2014<\/em> Beef eats Mother.<\/p>\nThat’s not quite right, obviously.\u00a0So, the noun that comes after the Verb will be the target of its action.<\/p>\n
Easy and logical, no?<\/p>\n
Chinese Verb Conjugations<\/h3>\n
In Chinese, verbs don’t have conjugations<\/b>.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe basic form of any verb is the infinitive, and that’s what we could say is used in Chinese. Every Chinese verb can be considered an infinitive because it doesn’t have any conjugation, and it certainly doesn’t change according to the person or number of people performing the action.<\/p>\n
Further, the forms of Chinese verbs never change,<\/strong> regardless of present, past or future tense. That’s good news, because it means you won’t have to memorize different forms for participles or tenses.<\/p>\nOf course, there are some rules<\/a> about how to express the fact that an action already took place or will happen in the future. When you’re just starting out, it’s best to keep things super simple, and to see lots of examples of verbs in use. You can do this on FluentU<\/a>, which has hundreds of videos to show you how native Chinese speakers use verbs in context.<\/p>\nSimple Verbs vs. Compound Verbs in Chinese<\/h2>\n
You may have noticed that there are two types of Chinese verbs on our list:<\/p>\n
\n- simple verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of only one character, and<\/li>\n
- compound verbs,<\/strong> which are made up of two characters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Simple verbs are just that\u2014very simple to use. Put the word into the sentence as your verb, and you’re good to go.<\/p>\n
Compound verbs are a bit more complex. These character groups can form a single word in some situations, but they can also be separated in other situations.<\/p>\n
Why can compound verbs be split? Well, sometimes the characters within the compound verb all mean the same thing. In these cases, you can choose to use the entire verb or<\/em> just one of the characters (usually the first character), and they’ll express the same meaning.<\/p>\nFor example, you can use either of the following sentences to mean “I am learning Chinese”:<\/p>\n
[fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u6211\u5b66\u4e60<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(<\/em>w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u5b66<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\nSome compound verbs can also be split to give more information, like quantifiers. For instance, both of the following examples separate the compound verb \u8dd1\u6b65, and both sentences mean “Yesterday I ran for two hours”:<\/p>\n
\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u6b65<\/strong>\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed b\u00f9.)<\/em><\/p>\n\u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed.)<\/em><\/p>\nIt’s probably a good idea to use the entire compound verb at the beginning of your Chinese studies, though. That’s because splitting compound verbs is typically only possible when both characters have the same meaning.<\/strong><\/p>\nOnce you have more experience with Chinese verbs, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to experiment with them more!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now you can use these common Chinese verbs to start making some sentences. So, how about you go out there and put the skills you’ve just learned to the test?<\/p>\n
Don’t be scared to make mistakes. We’re all human, and mistakes are good, because you always learn from them!
\n\u00a0
\n<\/p>\n
And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n
\r\nIf you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nFluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\nFluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos\u2014like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
<\/a>FluentU App Browse Screen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>Interactive Transcripts on FluentU<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\nFluentU's Learn Mode<\/strong> turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>
\n<\/strong>(w\u01d2 ju\u00e9 de l\u011bng.)
\n<\/em>I feel cold.<\/p>\n
How Verbs Work in Chinese<\/h2>\nChinese Verb Placement<\/h3>\n
To be able to express statements of action, you should keep in mind the basic structure for any sentence in Chinese:<\/p>\n
\u00a0Subject + Verb + Object<\/strong><\/p>\n A very important aspect of this structure is the fact that the Subject uses the Verb to act upon the Object, like so:<\/p>\n \u5988\u5988\u5403<\/strong>\u725b\u8089\u3002<\/strong>(m\u0101 ma ch\u012b ni\u00fa r\u00f2u.) \u2014<\/em> Mother eats beef.<\/p>\n Makes sense, right? If we switched the Subject’s position with the Object’s, we’d get a sentence that looks like this:<\/p>\n [fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u725b\u8089\u5403<\/strong>\u5988\u5988\u3002<\/strong>(ni\u00fa r\u00f2u ch\u012b m\u0101 m\u0101.) \u2014<\/em> Beef eats Mother.<\/p>\n That’s not quite right, obviously.\u00a0So, the noun that comes after the Verb will be the target of its action.<\/p>\n Easy and logical, no?<\/p>\n In Chinese, verbs don’t have conjugations<\/b>.<\/strong><\/p>\n The basic form of any verb is the infinitive, and that’s what we could say is used in Chinese. Every Chinese verb can be considered an infinitive because it doesn’t have any conjugation, and it certainly doesn’t change according to the person or number of people performing the action.<\/p>\n Further, the forms of Chinese verbs never change,<\/strong> regardless of present, past or future tense. That’s good news, because it means you won’t have to memorize different forms for participles or tenses.<\/p>\n Of course, there are some rules<\/a> about how to express the fact that an action already took place or will happen in the future. When you’re just starting out, it’s best to keep things super simple, and to see lots of examples of verbs in use. You can do this on FluentU<\/a>, which has hundreds of videos to show you how native Chinese speakers use verbs in context.<\/p>\n You may have noticed that there are two types of Chinese verbs on our list:<\/p>\n Simple verbs are just that\u2014very simple to use. Put the word into the sentence as your verb, and you’re good to go.<\/p>\n Compound verbs are a bit more complex. These character groups can form a single word in some situations, but they can also be separated in other situations.<\/p>\n Why can compound verbs be split? Well, sometimes the characters within the compound verb all mean the same thing. In these cases, you can choose to use the entire verb or<\/em> just one of the characters (usually the first character), and they’ll express the same meaning.<\/p>\n For example, you can use either of the following sentences to mean “I am learning Chinese”:<\/p>\n [fluentu-tts engine=\"neural\" voice=\"Zhiyu\"]\u6211\u5b66\u4e60<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(<\/em>w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 x\u00ed h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\n \u6211\u5b66<\/strong>\u6c49\u8bed\u3002(w\u01d2 xu\u00e9 h\u00e0n y\u01d4.)<\/em><\/p>\n Some compound verbs can also be split to give more information, like quantifiers. For instance, both of the following examples separate the compound verb \u8dd1\u6b65, and both sentences mean “Yesterday I ran for two hours”:<\/p>\n \u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u6b65<\/strong>\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed b\u00f9.)<\/em><\/p>\n \u6211\u6628\u5929\u8dd1<\/strong>\u4e86\u4e24\u4e2a\u5c0f\u65f6\u3002(w\u01d2 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n p\u01ceo le li\u01ceng g\u00e8 xi\u01ceo sh\u00ed.)<\/em><\/p>\n It’s probably a good idea to use the entire compound verb at the beginning of your Chinese studies, though. That’s because splitting compound verbs is typically only possible when both characters have the same meaning.<\/strong><\/p>\n Once you have more experience with Chinese verbs, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to experiment with them more!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Now you can use these common Chinese verbs to start making some sentences. So, how about you go out there and put the skills you’ve just learned to the test?<\/p>\n Don’t be scared to make mistakes. We’re all human, and mistakes are good, because you always learn from them! \r\nIf you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\nFluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\nFluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos\u2014like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.\r\n<\/p>\r\n FluentU App Browse Screen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n \r\nFluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n Interactive Transcripts on FluentU<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n \r\nFluentU's Learn Mode<\/strong> turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\nChinese Verb Conjugations<\/h3>\n
Simple Verbs vs. Compound Verbs in Chinese<\/h2>\n
\n
\n\u00a0
\n<\/p>\nAnd One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n
<\/a><\/a><\/a>