Everyday verbs in Chinese
The Chinese word for "everyday verbs" is 动词 (dòng cí). Below are 58 Chinese words for everyday verbs, each with pinyin, English and its level in the new HSK 3.0 word list. They cover HSK 1 to HSK 5, in the order a learner meets them.
Everyday Actions HSK 1 lesson
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | HSK 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 来 | lái | to come | 1 |
| 去 | qù | to go | 1 |
| 回 | huí | to return; to go back | 1 |
| 开 | kāi | to open (transitive or intransitive) | 1 |
| 看 | kàn | to see; to look at; to watch; to read | 1 |
| 看见 | kàn jiàn | to see | 1 |
| 读 | dú | to read; to read aloud; to study | 1 |
| 写 | xiě | to write | 1 |
| 说话 | shuō huà | to speak | 1 |
| 听 | tīng | to listen; to hear; to obey | 1 |
| 买 | mǎi | to buy | 1 |
Daily Actions HSK 2 lesson
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | HSK 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 起床 | qǐ chuáng | to get out of bed | 1 |
| 上班 | shàng bān | to go to work | 1 |
| 开始 | kāi shǐ | to begin | 2 |
| 完 | wán | to finish | 2 |
| 走 | zǒu | to walk | 2 |
| 出 | chū | to go out | 2 |
| 到 | dào | to reach; to arrive | 1 |
| 找 | zhǎo | to try to find | 1 |
| 穿 | chuān | to wear | 1 |
| 洗 | xǐ | to wash; to bathe | 2 |
Daily Actions & Household Chores HSK 3 lesson
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | HSK 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 打扫 | dǎ sǎo | to clean | 3 |
| 洗澡 | xǐ zǎo | to bathe | 3 |
| 刷 | shuā | to brush | 3 |
| 放 | fàng | to put | 3 |
| 拿 | ná | to hold; to seize; to catch | 2 |
| 换 | huàn | to exchange | 3 |
| 关 | guān | to close; to shut; relation | 3 |
| 照顾 | zhào gu | to take care of | 3 |
| 借 | jiè | to borrow; to lend | 3 |
| 帮忙 | bāng máng | to help | 2 |
| 用 | yòng | to use | 3 |
Everyday Verbs HSK 3 lesson
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | HSK 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 听说 | tīng shuō | to hear (that), to be told | 3 |
| 收到 | shōu dào | to receive (a letter, message, gift) | 3 |
| 得到 | dé dào | to get, to obtain (help, a chance) | 3 |
| 遇见 | yù jiàn | to run into, to meet by chance | 3 |
| 聊 | liáo | to chat (about) | 3 |
| 聊天儿 | liáo tiānr | to chat, to have a chat | 3 |
| 不见 | bù jiàn | not to see; to be gone, missing | 3 |
| 认得 | rèn de | to recognize, to know (a face, a word, the way) | 3 |
| 懂得 | dǒng de | to understand, to know (how or why) | 3 |
| 变成 | biàn chéng | to turn into, to become | 3 |
| 分开 | fēn kāi | to separate, to part; separately | 3 |
| 服务 | fú wù | service; to serve | 3 |
Movement & physical actions HSK 4 lesson
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | HSK 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 抬 | tái | to lift (from below) | 4 |
| 抱 | bào | to hold/embrace | 4 |
| 拉 | lā | to pull (toward you) | 4 |
| 推 | tuī | to push (away) | 4 |
| 扔 | rēng | to throw/toss | 4 |
| 擦 | cā | to wipe/rub | 4 |
| 撞 | zhuàng | to bump/collide | 5 |
| 脱 | tuō | to take off (clothing) | 4 |
| 躺 | tǎng | to lie down | 4 |
| 挂 | guà | to hang up | 4 |
| 指 | zhǐ | to point at | 4 |
| 动作 | dòng zuò | movement/action | 4 |
| 掉 | diào | to fall/drop (result) | 4 |
| 敲 | qiāo | to knock/tap | 4 |
Every word links to its dictionary entry, with audio, example sentences and stroke order. The words are grouped by the GraphChinese lesson that teaches them, so a few in each group belong to the lesson and sit a little outside the topic.
More topics:
- family
- food
- numbers
- colors
- body parts
- emotions and feelings
- weather
- clothes
- health and illness
- time words
- places
- transport and travel
- school
- jobs and work
- sports and hobbies
- nature and animals
- shopping and money
- directions
- greetings and everyday phrases
- pronouns
- measure words
- house and home
- personality
- technology
- business
- conjunctions
- entertainment and the arts
- festivals and holidays
- communication
- All topics
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "everyday verbs" in Chinese?
动词 (dòng cí), meaning "verb". The most common words in this topic are 来 (lái, to come), 去 (qù, to go), 回 (huí, to return), 开 (kāi, to open (transitive or intransitive)).
How many Chinese words for everyday verbs do I need?
This page lists 58, from HSK 1 to HSK 5. The 11 at the top are enough to start; the rest follow level by level.
What do the HSK levels on this page mean?
Each word shows where the new HSK 3.0 word list places it, from level 1 to the 7-9 band. A dash means the word is taught in the course and is not on the HSK 3.0 list. HSK 3.0, complete.
How do I pronounce these words?
The pinyin beside each word gives the sound and the tone. Each word links to its dictionary entry, where you can hear it. If the tone marks are new to you, start with the four tones, explained.
GraphChinese teaches these words in dependency order, with audio, and only moves on when each one is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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