When you start learning Chinese, itโs vital to build up your stock of basic vocabulary to allow yourself to be able to express the widest range of ideas as quickly as possible.
All types of words are important, but verbs are especially vital since they allow you to talk about actions that take place.
So to help you get speaking right from the start, hereโs a list of essential Chinese verbs that will be useful to you as a beginner.
Pro Tip
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Table of Contents
Most Common Chinese Verbs: Be, Have, Want etc
1. ๆฏ Shรฌ (To Be)

Probably the first of these essential Chinese verbs you will learn is ๆฏ shรฌ, meaning โto beโ.
However, itโs important to understand that this verb doesnโt work in the same way as its counterpart in English.
In Chinese, ๆฏ shรฌ is used to define things rather than to describe things. This means you can use it to state somebodyโs job or somebodyโs nationality, but not, for example, to describe somebodyโs height.
This is because Chinese adjectives carry the inherent meaning of โbeingโ something, so they donโt need the verb ๆฏ shรฌ, and using it with an adjective would be wrong.
Donโt worry if this sounds a little strange โ itโs something youโll quickly get used to as your Chinese progresses!
Examples
- ๅฅนๆฏ่ๅธ tฤ shรฌ lฤoshฤซ (Sheโs a teacher)
- ๆไธๆฏ่ฑๅฝไบบ wล bรบ shรฌ yฤซngguรณrรฉn (Iโm not English*)
BUT
- ไปๅพ้ซ tฤ hฤn gฤo (Heโs (very) tall)
*In Chinese, ่ฑๅฝไบบ yฤซngguรณrรฉn literally means โEngland personโ, so itโs not an adjective
2. ๆ Yลu (To Have, There Is)
The second of the essential Chinese verbs youโll probably learn is ๆ yลu, which can mean either โto haveโ or โthere is/areโ, depending on the context.
In Chinese, to make a negative sentence, you usually use the negative Chinese particle ไธ bรน (not) before the verb. The exception to this rule is with ๆ yลu โ with this verb, you use ๆฒก mรฉi instead.
Examples
- ๆๆไธคไธชๅฆนๅฆน wล yลu liฤng ge mรจimei (I have two younger sisters)
- ๆๆฒกๆ้ฑ wล mรฉi yลu qiรกn (I donโt have (any) money)
- ๅจๅค้ขๆไธๅช็ zร i wร imian yลu sฤn zhฤซ gลu (Outside, there are three dogs)
3. ่ฆ Yร o (To Want, Must, Future Marker, Negative Imperative)
The main use of ่ฆ yร o is to express wanting something or wanting to do something. However, it also has some other uses.
It can be used as a marker to express the future, and it can also be used to mean โmustโ. In the second person, it always expresses obligation.
In the negative, itโs also one way to tell someone not to do something โ a kind of negative imperative.
This flexibility of meaning can take a little getting used to, but itโs usually obvious how it is being used from the context.
Examples
- ๆ่ฆๅไธช wล yร o sรฌ ge (I want four)
- ๆ่ฆๅไธ็ถๅค้ wล yร o hฤ yรฌ pรญng pรญjiลญ (I want to drink a bottle of beer)
- ๆ่ฆๅป wล yร o qรน (I want to go OR I must go)
- ๆๆๅคฉ่ฆๅป wล mรญngtiฤn yร o qรน (I will go tomorrow OR I must go tomorrow)
- ไฝ ๆๅคฉ่ฆๅป nฤญ mรญngtiฤn yร o qรน (Tomorrow, you must go)
- ไธ่ฆๆๆ๏ผ bรบ yร o dฤ wล! (Donโt hit me!)
4. ๆณ Xiฤng (To Want, To Think, Ponder, To Miss)

The first meaning of ๆณ xiฤng is โto want (to do something)โ โ but unlike ่ฆ yร o, you canโt use ๆณ xiฤng to say you want a thing.
ๆณ xiฤng can also mean โto thinkโ, most frequently in the sense of โto ponderโ but also in the sense of โto think somethingโ.
Finally, its third meaning is โto missโ, as in to feel a yearning for something.
Examples
- ๆๆณๅป/ๆไธๆณๅป wล xiฤng qรน/wล bรน xiฤng qรน (I want to go/I donโt want to go)
- ็ญไผๅฟ๏ผๆๆณๆณ dฤng huรฌr, wล xiฤngxiฤng (Wait a moment, Iโm thinking)
- ๆๆณไปๅทฒ็ป่ตฐไบ wล xiฤng tฤ yฤญjฤซng zลu le (I think heโs already left)
- ไฝ ๆณๅฎถ๏ผๆฏๅง๏ผ nฤญ xiฤng jiฤ, shรฌ ba? (You miss home, right?)
5. ่งๅพ Juรฉde (To Think, Consider)
The most common way to say what you think is to use the verb ่งๅพ juรฉde. It works just like the English verb โto thinkโ when used to express this idea โ but not in the sense of โto ponderโ, unlike ๆณ xiฤng.
Example
- ๆ่งๅพไปไธๆฏ็พๅฝไบบ wล juรฉde tฤ bรบ shรฌ mฤiguรณrรฉn (I think heโs not American)
Essential Chinese Verbs: To Know
6. ไผ Huรฌ (To Know (How To Do Something), Future marker)
The primary meaning of ไผ huรฌ is to express knowing how to do something. It can also be used as a future marker, similar to ่ฆ yร o.
Examples
- ไฝ ไผๆธธๆณณๅ๏ผ Nฤญ huรฌ yรณuyลng ma? (Do you know how to swim? (Can you swim?))
- ไปๆๅคฉไผๅๆฅ tฤ mรญngtiฤn huรฌ huรญ lรกi (He will come back tomorrow)
7. ่ฎค่ฏ Rรจnshi (To Know (Somebody, A Subject))
Chinese distinguishes between knowing how to do something, knowing a person or subject and knowing a fact. To express knowing a person or a subject, the verb to use is ่ฎค่ฏ rรจnshi.
Examples
- ๆไธ่ฎค่ฏไปไปฌ wล bรบ rรจnshi tฤmen (I donโt know them)
- ๅๅญฆ๏ผๆ้ฝไธ่ฎค่ฏ! huร xuรฉ? wล dลu bรบ rรจnshi! (Chemistry? I know nothing about it!)
8. ็ฅ้ Zhฤซdร o (To Know (Facts))

The Chinese word to express knowing facts is ็ฅ้ zhฤซdร o. It works much like its English counterpart.
Example
- ๆ็้ฑๅ ๅจๅช้๏ผไฝ ็ฅ้ๅ๏ผwล de qiรกnbฤo zร i nฤlฤญ? nฤญ zhฤซdร o ma? (Where is my wallet? Do you know?)
Pairs Of Essential Chinese Verbs
9. And 10. ่ฝ/ๅฏไปฅ Nรฉng/Kฤyฤญ (Can)
Both ่ฝ nรฉng and ๅฏไปฅ kฤyฤญ mean โcanโ, and often, they can be used interchangeably. However, there is a subtle difference in that ๅฏไปฅ kฤyฤญ implies permission from an outside source while ่ฝ nรฉng refers to an ability to do something.
Examples
- ๅจ่ฟๅฟไธๅฏไปฅๆธธๆณณzร i zhรจr bรน kฤyฤญ yรณuyลng (you/one/we canโt swim here)
(Here, the meaning is โnot allowedโ to swim โ contrast with the meaning in the example in #6 above, which expresses the ability to swim)
- ๆไธไธชๆๆไธ่ฝ้ชไฝ ๅปๅๅ ้ขๅๅญ wล xiร ge xฤซngqฤซ bรน nรฉng pรฉi nฤญ qรน cฤnjiฤ yรญhรฉyuรกn (Next week, I canโt go with you to visit the Summer Palace (in Beijing))
(The idea here is that the person canโt go because some other circumstance prevents it โ for example, the person canโt go because they already have other plans)
11. And 12.ๅป/ๆฅ Qรน/Lรกi (To Go/To Come)
As your Chinese progresses, you will learn more complex ways to use ๅป qรน and ๆฅ lรกi, for example, with Chinese directional complements.
However, the easiest way to use them for beginners is just to place them directly before the destination โ with no prepositions required.
Note that Chinese is stricter about direction than English โ ๅป qรน is always used to indicate direction away from the subject and ๆฅ lรกi is used to indicate direction towards the subject.
For example, in the English sentence, โIโm coming to see youโ, the implication is that the direction is relative to the person youโre talking to rather than to you. But in Chinese, this doesnโt work. You would have to say the equivalent of โIโm going to see youโ instead.
Another meaning of ๆฅ lรกi is โto bringโ, and itโs a common word to use when asking a waiter to bring something.
Examples
- ๆไธไธชๆ่ฆๅปๆๆ wล xiร ge yuรจ yร o qรน kลซnmรญng (Iโm going to Kunming next month)
- ๆๆไธๅฅน่ฆๆฅๅไบฌ xฤซngqฤซyฤซ tฤ yร o lรกi bฤijฤซng (Sheโs coming to Beijing on Monday*)
*The speaker is already in Beijing
- ไนๆฅไธ็ข็ฑณ้ฅญๅง yฤ lรกi sฤn wฤn mฤญfร n ba (Also bring (us) three bowls of rice)
13. And 14. ไนฐ/ๅ Mฤi/Mร i (To Buy/To Sell)

These two words work in much the same way as in English. However, be careful since the only difference between โbuyโ and โsellโ in Chinese is the tone.
ไนฐ mฤi (buy) is third tone, the tone that falls and then rises again, while ๅ mร i (sell) is fourth tone, the falling tone.
Also, notice how similar the characters are โ pay attention to this when writing them.
Examples
- ๆ่ฆไนฐๆฐ็ๆๆบ wล yร o mฤi xฤซn de shลujฤซ (I must/want to buy a new mobile phone)
- ๅ็ๅ๏ผ mร i yฤn ma? ((Do you) sell cigarettes?)
Even More Essential Chinese Verbs
15. ๅญฆไน Xuรฉxรญ (To Study)
This is the Chinese verb โto studyโ. Often, it can just be shortened to ๅญฆ xuรฉ.
Example
- ๆๅจๅญฆไน ไธญๆ wล zร i xuรฉxรญ zhลngwรฉn (Iโm studying Chinese)
16. ๅๆฌข Xฤญhuฤn (To Like)
This is the verb used to say you like something or that you like doing something.
In Chinese, itโs more common than in English to include a verb to say what you like doing rather than just saying you like a thing.
For example, in English, we might say โI like chocolateโ, but in Chinese, a more normal way to express it would be to say โI like eating chocolateโ.
However, thatโs not to say itโs incorrect to simply say you like a thing โ itโs just a less common way to express things in Chinese.
Examples
- ๆๅพๅๆฌขๅๅทงๅ ๅ wล hฤn xฤญhuฤn chฤซ qiฤokรจlรฌ (I like (eating) chocolate)
- ๆๅพๅๆฌข่ฟไธชๅฐๆน wล hฤn xฤญhuฤn zhรจ ge dรฌfang (I like this place)
17. ็ฑ Aรฌ (To Love)
Stronger than ๅๆฌข xฤญhuฤn, ็ฑ aรฌ can be used in Chinese to talk about things or people you love in both the romantic and the non-romantic sense.
Itโs a useful verb to know โ and of course, everyone wants to know how to say โI love youโ in any new language theyโre learning!
Examples
- ๆ็ฑๅๅๅท่ wล aรฌ chฤซ sรฌchuฤn cร i (I love (eating) Sichuan food (or โdishesโ))
- ๆ็ฑไฝ wล aรฌ nฤญ (I love you)
18. ๅ Zuรฒ (To Make, Do)

In Chinese, one word, ๅ zuรฒ, is used to cover the meaning of both โdoโ and โmakeโ in English.
It's a common word that can be used for lots of things, but also be aware that many expressions use more specific words, and ๅ zuรฒ canโt be used.
For example, for โmake teaโ you can say ๆณก่ถ pร o chรก or ๆฒ่ถ qฤซ chรก โ but not *ๅ่ถ zuรฒ chรก, which is incorrect.
Also, donโt confuse the character ๅ with ไฝ. They are both pronounced the same, and the meanings are related, but the second is usually found in combination with other characters such as ไฝไธ zuรฒyรจ (homework), ไฝๅฎถ zuรฒjiฤ (author, writer) or ๅทฅไฝ gลngzuรฒ (work).
Examples
- ไฝ ๅจๅไปไน๏ผ nฤญ zร i zuรฒ shรฉnme? (What are you doing?)
- ไฝ ไผๅไธๅ่ๅ๏ผ nฤญ huรฌ zuรฒ dลngbฤi cร i ma? (Can you cook Dongbei (Northeastern) food/dishes?)
19. ็ฉ Wรกn (To Play, Have Fun)
A word in Chinese thatโs more widespread than in English. Its primary meaning is โto playโ as in โplay a gameโ. It can also be used for video games.
However, it also has a wider meaning simply of โhaving funโ, and in Chinese, itโs often used when talking about things like going out with friends.
In English, the fact that you are going out with your friends to โhave funโ is implicit, but in Chinese, it is explicitly stated.
This can sometimes lead to adult Chinese speakers making statements in English like โIโm going out to play with my friendsโ which, needless to say, sounds a bit strange in English โ and also quite cute!
Note that ็ฉ wรกn is not used for sports, musical instruments or games like cards or chess โ for those, other more specific verbs are used instead.
Examples
- ๆ็นๅซๅๆฌข็ฉ็ตๅญๆธธๆ wล tรจbiรฉ xฤญhuฤn wรกn diร nzi yรณuxรฌ (I really like playing computer games)
- ๆไปๅคฉๆไธ่ทๆ็ๆๅไธ่ตทๅบๅป็ฉ wล jฤซntiฤn wฤnshร ng gฤn wล de pรฉngyลu yฤซqฤญ chลซqรน wรกn (Tonight, Iโm going out (together) with my friends (to have fun))
20. ็ป Gฤi (To Give)

The basic meaning of ็ป gฤi is โto giveโ, and when used like this, it is quite similar to its English counterpart.
However, it has another separate meaning that indicates โdoing something for someoneโ, making it an extremely important grammatical word in Chinese too (although itโs not really a verb when used in this way).
Examples
- ็ปๆไธไธชไพๅญ gฤi wล yรญ gรจ lรฌzi (Give me an example)
- ๆ็ปไฝ ไธไธช็คผ็ฉ wล gฤi nฤญ yรญ gรจ lฤญwรน (I give you a present)
- ๆ็ปไฝ ไป็ปไธไธๆๆฐ็ๅฅณๆๅ wล gฤi nฤญ jiรจshร o yรญxiร wล xฤซn de nวpรฉngyou (Iโll introduce my new girlfriend to you (for you))
Essential Chinese Verbs: Verb-Object Verbs In Chinese
Some essential Chinese verbs are closely associated with a particular object, and the verb-object combination is almost considered a verb in its own right.
One example is ๅ้ฅญ chฤซ fร n. The first character, ๅ chฤซ, means โto eatโ while the second, ้ฅญ fร n, means โcooked riceโ.
Literally translated, this means โto eat cooked riceโ, but the true meaning is something more like โto eat a mealโ or simply โto eatโ.
ๅ chฤซ can be used with other objects, but itโs not usually used alone โ except where the thing being eaten is implied.
Letโs have a look at just four examples of these Chinese separable verbs to give you the basics of how it works โ but bear in mind that there are quite a few others.
21. ๅ้ฅญ Chฤซ Fร n (To Eat (Cooked Rice, A Meal))

As explained above, the verb ๅ chฤซ is normally encountered with an object telling you what is being eaten, and unless youโre talking specifically about eating something else, the object is ้ฅญ fร n, even if you donโt literally mean โcooked riceโ.
Examples
- ๆๅพ้ฅฟไบ๏ผ ๆ่ฆๅ้ฅญ wล hฤn รจ le, wล yร o chฤซ fร n (Iโm hungry, I want to eat)
- ๆๅพ้ฅฟไบ๏ผ ๆ่ฆๅ็นไธ่ฅฟ wล hฤn รจ le, wล yร o chฤซ diฤn dลngxi (Iโm hungry, I want to eat something)
- ๅฆ๏ผ้ฅบๅญ๏ผๆไนๆณๅ๏ผ รฒ! jiaozi! wล yฤ xiฤng chฤซ! (Oh! Jiaozi (Chinese dumplings)! I want to eat (some/them) too)
(Here, the object, jiaozi is understood, so it doesnโt need to be repeated)
- ไฝ ๅ้ฅญไบๅ๏ผ nฤญ chฤซ fร n le ma? (Have you eaten?)
(This is a common Chinese greeting, and although the literal translation is โhave you eatenโ, a more accurate rendering would be โhowโs it going?โ or even just โhelloโ)
22. ่ฏด่ฏ Shuล Huร (To Speak (Words))
่ฏด shuล alone means โto speakโ, but itโs most often used with ่ฏ huร (words) to mean โspeakโ.
Examples
- ๅซ่ฏด่ฏๅง๏ผ biรฉ shuล huร ba! (Donโt speak!)
- ไฝ ่ฏดๅง๏ผ nฤญ shuล ba! (You speak! You say!)
- ๆไธไผ่ฏดๅด่ฏญ wล bรบ huรฌ shuล wรบyลญ (I canโt speak Wu Chinese) (a variety of Chinese spoken mainly in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces)
23. ่ตฐ่ทฏ Zลu Lรน (To Walk (Road))
่ตฐ zลu means โto walkโ, but it is often encountered with ่ทฏ lรน (road), with the same meaning.
่ตฐ zลu alone can also be used to mean โto leaveโ.
Examples
- ๆ่ฆ่ตฐ่ทฏๅๅฎถ wล yร o zลu lรน huรญ jiฤ (Iโm going to walk home)
- ๆ่ฆ่ตฐไบ wล yร o zลu le (I have to go/leave)
24. ๅผ่ฝฆ Kฤi Chฤ (To Drive (Vehicle))
ๅผ kฤi is a useful verb with several meanings but when combined with ่ฝฆ chฤ (vehicle), it means โto driveโ.
In other contexts, ๅผ kฤi alone can mean โto openโ or โto turn on, switch onโ.
Examples
- ไฝ ๅผ่ฝฆๅผๅพๅพๅฅฝ nฤญ kฤi chฤ kฤi de hฤn hฤo (You drive very well)
- ๅผ้จ kฤi mรฉn (to open (a/the) door)
- ๅผ็ต่ kฤi diร nnฤo (to turn on (a/the) computer)
- ๅผ็ฏ kฤi dฤng (to turn on (a/the) light)
Essential Chinese Verbs FAQ
What Is The Most Common Verb In Chinese?
One of the most common verbs in Chinese is ๆฏ (shรฌ), which means โto be.โ It's frequently used in everyday conversations and forms the basis of many sentences, similar to โisโ or โamโ in English.
What Are The Three Essential Elements Of The Chinese Language?
The three essential elements of the Chinese language are tones, characters, and sentence structure.
Tones are vital as they determine meaning; characters are the written symbols representing words or syllables; and sentence structure, primarily Subject-Verb-Object (SVO), forms the framework for communicating ideas.
How Many Chinese Words Do I Need To Know?
Knowing about 1,000 to 2,000 common Chinese words allows you to handle basic conversations and everyday texts. For full fluency, around 5,000 words is typically sufficient, while recognising 3,000 characters enables you to read most newspapers and books.
What Is The Verb To Know In Chinese?
The verb โto knowโ in Chinese can be translated as ็ฅ้ (zhฤซdร o) for factual knowledge or ่ฎค่ฏ (rรจnshรฌ) for knowing people or being familiar with something. Both are frequently used, depending on the context.
What Are Some Essential Chinese Verbs?
1. ๆฏ shรฌ โ to be
2. ๆ yลu โ to have, there is
3. ่ฆ yร o โ to want, must, future marker, negative imperative
4. ๆณ xiฤng โ to want, to think, ponder, to miss
5. ่งๅพ juรฉde โ to think, consider
6. ไผ huรฌ โ to know (how to do something), future marker
7. ่ฎค่ฏ rรจnshi โ to know (somebody, a subject)
8. ็ฅ้ zhฤซdร o โ to know (facts)
9. and 10. ่ฝ/ๅฏไปฅ nรฉng/kฤyฤญ โ can
11. and 12.ๅป/ๆฅ qรน/lรกi โ to go/to come
13. and 14. ไนฐ/ๅ mฤi/mร i โ to buy/to sell
15. ๅญฆไน xuรฉxรญ โ to study
16. ๅๆฌข xฤญhuฤn โ to like
17. ็ฑ aรฌ โ to love
18. ๅ zuรฒ โ to make, do
19. ็ฉ wรกn โ to play, have fun
20. ็ป gฤi โ to give
21. ๅ้ฅญ chฤซ fร n โ to eat (cooked rice, a meal)
22. ่ฏด่ฏ shuล huร โ to speak (words)
23. ่ตฐ่ทฏ zลu lรน โ to walk (road)
24. ๅผ่ฝฆ kฤi chฤ โ to drive (vehicle)
Essential Chinese Verbs: Different From English, But Not So Different

As youโve probably noticed, essential Chinese verbs and English verbs donโt often correspond exactly. And the Chinese versions often function differently from their English equivalents.
However, donโt let this put you off since the differences are not that huge. And once you start practising these essential Chinese verbs and using them, youโll see that most of the confusion and difficulties simply begin to fade away.
And to make that process even easier, apply the rules of StoryLearningยฎ and read books in Chinese. As you immerse yourself in the Chinese language by reading, these essential Chinese verbs will quickly become second nature and you'll be using them with ease!
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Olly Richards
Creator of the StoryLearningยฎ Method
Olly Richards is a renowned polyglot and language learning expert with over 15 years of experience teaching millions through his innovative StoryLearningยฎ method. He is the creator of StoryLearning, one of the world's largest language learning blogs with 500,000+ monthly readers.
Olly has authored 30+ language learning books and courses, including the bestselling "Short Stories" series published by Teach Yourself.
When not developing new teaching methods, Richards practices what he preachesโhe speaks 8 languages fluently and continues learning new ones through his own methodology.