Chinese Grammar: How To Use Verbs

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Written byZoe Mei

Verbs express actions, events or states.

In Chinese, like other languages, the verb must be accompanied by the noun or pronoun that is acting.

Verbs in Chinese do not have tense conjugations like English, but rather the verb in Chinese is used for all tenses (present, past and future).

Chinese verb tense examples

Present:

I play soccer.

我 玩 足 球

Wǒ wán zúqiú.

Past:

I played soccer.

我 玩 足 球

Wǒ wán zúqiú.

Future:

I will play soccer.

我 会 玩 足 球

Wǒ huì wán zúqiú.

Negation of Chinese verbs

For negate a verb in Chinese only you must put the word 不 (Bù) before the verb, but exist one exception the verb to have 有(Yǒu) in this case you must put the word 没 (Méi) before the verb to have.

Examples:

I do not want to sleep.

我 不 想 睡 觉

Wǒ bùxiǎng shuìjiào.

I do not have work today.

我 没 有 今 天 的 工 作

Wǒ méiyǒu jīntiān de gōngzuò

Verbs in Chinese

EnglishChinesePinyinEnglishChinesePinyin
to be (permanent)Shìto be (temp./location)Zài
to arrive 到达Dàodáto owe应该Yīnggāi
to have Yǒuto place 放置Fàngzhì
to do Zuòto put放置 Fàngzhì
to make 使Shǐto believe相信 Xiāngxìn
to speak发言Fāyánto talk Shuō
to sayShuōto tell 告诉 Gàosu
to read阅读Yuèdúto go
to sleep 睡觉Shuìjiàoto seeKàn
to understand 了解liǎojiěto give Gěi
to find 找 到Zhǎodàoto eat Chī
to call打电话Dǎ diànhuàto know 知道Zhīdào
to comeLáito want 想要Xiǎng yào
to carry携带Xiédàito lose失去Shīqù
to wear穿Chuānto dance跳舞Tiàowǔ
to leave离开Líkāito buy购买Gòumǎi
to open打开Dǎkāito answer回答Huídá
to live生活Shēnghuóto askWèn
to bringDàito close关闭Guānbì
to writeXiěto work工作Gōngzuò
to thinkXiǎngto begin开始Kāishǐ
to study研究Yánjiūto walk走路Zǒulù
to take采取Cǎiqǔto runPǎo
to singChàngto need需要Xūyào
to playWánto pay支付Zhīfù
to feel感觉Gǎnjuéto drink
to cook做饭Zuò fànto sell出售Chūshòu
to travel旅行Lǚxíngto change改变Gǎibiàn
to countShùto winYíng
to break 打破 Dǎpòto drive开车Kāichē
to clean 清洁Qīngjiéto meet 满足Mǎnzú
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