Chinese Verbs Learning Resource
Explore this comprehensive guide. Learn the basics of Chinese verbs, their classification, usage, and conjugation patterns.
战争 (zhànzhēng)
war
The Chinese word for war is '战争'. It is used in a similar context as the English word 'war', representing a state of armed conflict or a prolonged conflict between states or nations. It would be used in the context of historical events, such as the World Wars (世界大战), or in discussing the concept or effects of war (如战争的影响).
Example sentences with 战争 →战斗 (zhàn dòu)
fight
The Chinese word for fight is '战斗' (zhàn dòu). It refers to a struggle or competition between people or groups. This could refer to a physical confrontation, such as a boxing match, or a metaphorical one, like a political fight. This term is often used in contexts such as sports, politics, or disputes.
房子 (Fángzi)
house
In Chinese, '房子' (Fángzi) translates directly to 'house'. It is commonly used in the same way as in English, to refer to a dwelling or place of residence. You could use it in a sentence like '这是我的房子' (Zhè shì wǒ de fángzi), which means 'This is my house'.
扇子 (shàn zi)
fan
In Chinese, 'fan' translates to '扇子(shànzi)'. It is used both for something that is used to create a cooling air current, especially a handheld item often made of paper or fabric on a folding frame, and an object made in the shape of a segment of a circle, typically out of paper or fabric, that is waved so as to cool the person holding it.
Example sentences with 扇子 →手套 (shǒu tào)
glove
The Chinese term for 'glove' is '手套'. This term is used in the same way as in English, to refer to a covering for the hand that typically has separate sections for each finger. It can be used in a variety of contexts, ranging from fashion and clothing to sports and cold weather gear.
手艺 (shǒu yì)
craft
The word 'craft' translates to '手艺' in Chinese. '手艺' refers to the skills of making things by hand. It can also mean one's skill or ability in a particular field. It emphasizes the careful, skillful manipulation of materials to create a desired result. Examples can include pottery, sewing, carpentry, and more. This can also apply metaphorically to non-physical skills, such as 'the craft of writing'.
Example sentences with 手艺 →手表 (shǒu biǎo)
watch
In Chinese, the word '手表' directly translates to 'hand table', but it represents the English word 'watch'. Watches are commonly used tools for measuring time in Chinese-speaking cultures, similar to English-speaking cultures.
打击 (dǎ jī)
hit
In Chinese, '打击' (dǎ jī) means hit. This is often used in the same contexts as in English, like hitting a target or physically hitting something or someone. However, it can also express a metaphorical or emotional hit, such as a damaging circumstance or piece of news.
打扰 (dǎ rǎo)
bother
The Chinese word for 'bother', '打扰', is often used when someone is intruding into someone's space or time and asking for their attention. It can also be used more casually for times when you are asking for a person's time or interrupting what they are doing. Just like in English, it can be used both in a serious and more casual, informal way.
Example sentences with 打扰 →打算 (dǎ suàn)
intend
The Chinese word '打算' is often used to express an intention or plan to do something in the future. It can be used in both informal and formal situations. You can use it just like you would use the English word 'intend'.
Example sentences with 打算 →打赌 (dǎ dǔ)
bet
The word '打赌' in Chinese, is used in the same context as 'bet' in English. It can refer to an agreement between two parties where the one proved wrong about an uncertain outcome will do or pay something. It can be used in various situations, like betting on a game's result or a friendly wager.
扔 (rēng)
throw
The Chinese word '扔' translates to 'throw' in English. It is used in a similar manner as the English word, but it primarily refers to physically throwing or discarding something. It can be used in sentences such as '扔掉垃圾' which means 'throw away the trash'.
执行 (zhí xíng)
perform
The Chinese word '执行' is used similarly to the English word 'perform'. It can refer to the act of doing something, usually in the context of carrying out a task, fulfilling an order or implementing a policy. For instance, '执行任务', meaning 'perform a task'. It's often used in formal or official contexts.
Example sentences with 执行 →扩展 (kuò zhǎn)
extend
The Chinese word '扩展' is used in several contexts exactly like 'extend' is in English. It means to expand on an area, increase the scope or to include more relevant specifics. For example, it is used in terms like 'extend an invitation', 'extend a deadline', 'extend a range' etc. It also implies proliferation or propagation of existing objects or subjects.
Example sentences with 扩展 →扭转 (niǔzhuǎn)
twist
The Chinese word for twist, '扭转', primarily refers to twisting or rotating something physically. It can also be used metaphorically to emphasize a sudden or dramatic change. For instance, 'the twist in the story' could be translated as '故事的扭转'.
Example sentences with 扭转 →批准 (pī zhǔn)
approve
The Chinese word '批准' is normally used to show agreement or consent to someone or something. It is often used in formal or official contexts, like government or business decisions.
Example sentences with 批准 →找 (zhǎo)
find
The word '找' in Chinese has similar usage to the English word 'find'. It can be used to express the action of looking for or seeking something. For instance, in the sentence '我在找我的钥匙' translate to 'I am finding my keys'.
承认 (chéng rèn)
admit
承认 is used in Chinese to express the act of confessing, accept or acknowledging something. Similar to English, it can be used in the context of admitting to a fact, a feeling, a mistake or a situation. It's often used in both formal and informal conversations.
承诺 (chéngnuò)
promise
The Chinese word '承诺' is widely used in various contexts much like the English word 'promise'. It can be used to make a commitment or assurance, similar to how 'promise' is used in English. However, '承诺' can also be used as a noun to mean a commitment that has been made. It is a very common and frequently used word in Chinese conversation and written text.
抓 (zhuā)
grab
The Chinese word '抓' is used similarly to the English word 'grab'. It can refer to the physical action of seizing something with a sudden or swift motion, as well as metaphorically to mean quickly understanding or seizing an opportunity. In usage, it can be combined with other Chinese characters to form word combinations with similar meanings.
Example sentences with 抓 →抓住 (zhuā zhù)
catch
In Chinese, 'catch' is translated as '抓住'. It is used similarly as it is in English. For instance, you might use it when you are telling someone to 'catch' a ball. In a sentence, it could be used as '他抓住了那个球', which is translated as 'He caught the ball'.
抓痕 (zhuā hén)
scratch
In Chinese, 'scratch' is translated to '抓痕' (zhuā hén). It can be used in the same way as it is in English, usually referring to a mark or wound made by scratching. For example, you could say '我被猫抓痕了' which means 'I got scratched by a cat'. You can also use it metaphorically - to mean 'barely makes it by' similar to the English 'scratch the surface'.
Example sentences with 抓痕 →投 (tóu)
pitch
In Chinese, 'pitch' translates as '投', which can be used when you're talking about throwing something. However, it's important to note that '投' does not include the musical or business aspects of 'pitch' as in English. To specify those aspects, different terms may be used.
投标 (Tóu biāo)
bid
The Chinese word '投标' is the term used to indicate the act of making a bid, most commonly in situations involving auctions, contracts, or any situation where goods or services are being sold or bought. The use of '投标' could vary as per the context it is used in, such as it can be used for financial matters as well as procurement processes.
Example sentences with 投标 →投票 (tóu piào)
vote
In Chinese, 'vote' is translated as '投票' (tóu piào). It is often used in the same contexts as the English word 'vote'—in relation to elections, decisions, and choices, particularly within a political or organizational setting. As is the same verb-noun dual-purpose usage in English, the Chinese '投票' can mean the act of voting itself, or refer to the ballot or vote that is cast.
折 (zhé)
fold
In Chinese, 'fold' is often used to refer to the act or process of bending something over onto itself. It could also refer to a bend in a layer or in a surface. It can be used in various contexts like folding a piece of paper, folding clothes or metaphorically to describe an increase or decrease in amount.
Example sentences with 折 →抱怨 (bàoyuàn)
complain
The Chinese word '抱怨' is used similarly to the English word 'complain'. It signifies a feeling of dissatisfaction or disappointment about something. It's typically used to express frustration about a situation, behavior, or outcome.
Example sentences with 抱怨 →抵抗 (dǐkàng)
resist
The Chinese word for 'resist' is '抵抗'. This term can be used in various contexts just like in English such as physically resisting something, or resisting an idea or temptation. An example sentence could be: 他无法抵抗诱惑, which means 'He can't resist temptation.'
Example sentences with 抵抗 →担心 (dān xīn)
worried
The Chinese word for 'worried' is '担心.' It is an adjective that describes feeling anxious or showing anxiety because of something that is happening or might happen. It is often used in conversation and writing, and can be used to express concern for others or personal worry. It can be used with other words to form different phrases and sentences.
Example sentences with 担心 →担忧 (dān yōu)
worry
The Chinese word '担忧' is used to express a feeling of anxiety or concern about actual or potential problems, just like the English word 'worry'. It's often used in a context where someone is worried or concerned about something or someone.