Home > Lessons > Chinese Grammar: How To Use Verbs

Chinese Grammar: How To Use Verbs

Zoe Mei

Grammar

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

English	Chinese	Pinyin	English	Chinese	Pinyin
to be (permanent)	是	Shì	to be (temp./location)	在	Zài
to arrive	到达	Dàodá	to owe	应该	Yīnggāi
to have	有	Yǒu	to place	放置	Fàngzhì
to do	做	Zuò	to put	放置	Fàngzhì
to make	使	Shǐ	to believe	相信	Xiāngxìn
to speak	发言	Fāyán	to talk	说	Shuō
to say	说	Shuō	to tell	告诉	Gàosu
to read	阅读	Yuèdú	to go	去	Qù
to sleep	睡觉	Shuìjiào	to see	看	Kàn
to understand	了解	liǎojiě	to give	给	Gěi
to find	找到	Zhǎodào	to eat	吃	Chī
to call	打电话	Dǎ diànhuà	to know	知道	Zhīdào
to come	来	Lái	to want	想要	Xiǎng yào
to carry	携带	Xiédài	to lose	失去	Shīqù
to wear	穿	Chuān	to dance	跳舞	Tiàowǔ
to leave	离开	Líkāi	to buy	购买	Gòumǎi
to open	打开	Dǎkāi	to answer	回答	Huídá
to live	生活	Shēnghuó	to ask	问	Wèn
to bring	带	Dài	to close	关闭	Guānbì
to write	写	Xiě	to work	工作	Gōngzuò
to think	想	Xiǎng	to begin	开始	Kāishǐ
to study	研究	Yánjiū	to walk	走路	Zǒulù
to take	采取	Cǎiqǔ	to run	跑	Pǎo
to sing	唱	Chàng	to need	需要	Xūyào
to play	玩	Wán	to pay	支付	Zhīfù
to feel	感觉	Gǎnjué	to drink	喝	Hē
to cook	做饭	Zuò fàn	to sell	出售	Chūshòu
to travel	旅行	Lǚxíng	to change	改变	Gǎibiàn
to count	数	Shù	to win	赢	Yíng
to break	打破	Dǎpò	to drive	开车	Kāichē
to clean	清洁	Qīngjié	to meet	满足	Mǎnzú

Chinese Grammar: How To Use Verbs

Chinese verb tense examples

Negation of Chinese verbs

Verbs in Chinese

Author: Zoe Mei

Learn Chinese Vocabulary

Learn Chinese Verbs

Learn Chinese Grammar