Chinese Verbs Learning Resource
Explore this comprehensive guide. Learn the basics of Chinese verbs, their classification, usage, and conjugation patterns.
肌肉 (jī ròu)
muscle
The Chinese word '肌肉' is used to refer to body tissues that contract and produce motion or to any of the structures, composed of such tissue, that have the ability to contract, producing movement or maintaining the position of parts of the body. It is used in similar contexts as the English word 'muscle'.
Example sentences with 肌肉 →股票 (gǔ piào)
stock
In the Chinese language, '股票' is the word used to refer to 'stock' in a financial context, such as shares of a company's stock on the stock market. It is not used to describe stock in other contexts, such as a stock of goods or a soup stock.
Example sentences with 股票 →肩膀 (jiān bǎng)
shoulder
In Chinese, the word for 'shoulder' is '肩膀'. This term is used similarly as in English, referring to the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm. It can also be used metaphorically to express the idea of bearing a burden or responsibility, such as in the phrase '扛起重担' (kang qi zhong dan), which means 'to shoulder a heavy burden'.
胖 (pàng)
fat
In Chinese, '胖' is used to describe someone or something that is overweight or large in size. It can be used for people, animals, or objects. Unlike in English, '胖' often has a less negative connotation, unless it is used in a specific context that makes it clear the speaker is criticising someone's weight.
Example sentences with 胖 →脏 (zāng)
dirty
The Chinese character '脏' is used to describe something that is not clean or has been contaminated. It can be used in a multitude of contexts, similar to English, such as dirty clothes ('脏衣服'), dirty hands ('脏手'), or a dirty place ('脏地方').
脚趾 (jiǎo zhǐ)
toe
In Chinese, the word '脚趾' is used to refer to the five extremities located at the end of our feet. Much like in English, it can be used in a variety of contexts, including discussions about body parts, injuries, shoes, and more. It is a noun and is used similarly to the English word 'toe'.
Example sentences with 脚趾 →腰带 (yāo dài)
belt
腰带, in Chinese specifically refers to the essential accessory that holds up your pants or is used for style in clothing. It is often used in the context of dressing and personal style.
Example sentences with 腰带 →膝盖 (xī gài)
knee
The Chinese word '膝盖' is used to refer to the joint in the middle of a person's leg where it bends, the same way 'knee' is used in English. It is a common word and can be used in various contexts, such as describing bodily movements, injuries, or different body parts.
Example sentences with 膝盖 →自己的 (Zìjǐ de)
own
The Chinese word '自己的' is used in the same way the English word 'own' is used. For example, when talking about something that belongs to you or something you have, in Chinese you would use '自己的'. It can be used in various circumstances such as stating ownership of objects or to distinguish something as being personal or unique to oneself.
Example sentences with 自己的 →舞台 (wǔtái)
stage
The Chinese word '舞台' can be used to refer to a stage for performances. It is also used metaphorically to refer to a setting or a scene where certain activities occur.
航行 (hang xing)
sail
In Mandarin, '航行' (hang xing) is used to express sailing or navigation, typically of a ship or boat. While it can refer to sailing in a general sense, it can also infer the act of navigation through the air or space, as the character '航' also carries connotations of flight.
Example sentences with 航行 →芯片 (xīn piàn)
chip
In Chinese, the word 芯片 (xīn piàn) refers to 'chip'. This is commonly used in contexts relating to technology and digital devices, much like in English. It can refer broadly to any kind of chip, including a computer chip, microchip, semiconductor chip, etc.
花 (huā)
flower
The Chinese word for 'flower' is '花' (huā). It is used in the same context as in English, referring to the colorful and often fragrant part of a plant or tree. It can also be used metaphorically to refer to the best part of something, much like 'flower' in English.
花费 (huā fèi)
spend
The Chinese word for 'spend' is '花费' (huā fèi). It is notably used in contexts when we talk about spending time or money. Like in English, it can be used in various situations where consumption, expenditure, or usage is being discussed.
英镑 (yīng bàng)
pound
In Chinese, '英镑' (pound) refers to the currency used in the United Kingdom. It's often used in the context of finance, and can refer to both the physical currency (in notes and coins) and digital/credit transactions.
Example sentences with 英镑 →范围 (fàn wéi)
range
The Chinese word '范围' (fàn wéi) is used to indicate a range, scope, or extent. Similar to English, it can be used in various contexts such as range of motion, price range, or range of values among others. It is commonly used in both formal and casual settings.
Example sentences with 范围 →草稿 (cǎo gǎo)
draft
The Chinese word for 'draft' is '草稿'. It is generally used in the context of drafting a document, proposal, or sketch, similar to its English counterpart. It can be used in various scenarios where a preliminary version of a piece needs to be prepared before the final version.
Example sentences with 草稿 →获取 (huò qǔ)
acquire
In Chinese, '获取' is often used to express the action of gaining or obtaining something. It is used in various contexts, such as acquiring knowledge, skills, or physical items. Keep in mind, ‘获取’ carries a slightly more formal tone in usage.
获得 (huò dé)
gain
The Chinese word '获得' is used similarly to the English word 'gain'. It's typically related to acquiring something whether it is knowledge, skills, items or other types of gains. It can be used in various contexts such as in sentences discussing achievements or improvements.
Example sentences with 获得 →菜 (cài)
dish
In Chinese, '菜' is used to describe a prepared item of food or a type of food served as part of a meal. This includes all types of dishes such as main courses, side dishes, and dessert dishes. Just as in English, '菜' can be included in compound words to refer to specific types of dishes, such as '鱼菜' (fish dish).
营地 (yíng dì)
camp
In Chinese, '营地' is used to describe a place set up with tents or other temporary structures where people stay for a short period of time, typically when they are on a holiday or when they are travelling. Just like in English, it can refer to both the act of camping and the physical campsite itself.
Example sentences with 营地 →葡萄酒 (pú táo jiǔ)
wine
In Chinese, 'wine' is translated to '葡萄酒'. It is used generally in the same context as it is in English. It refers to an alcoholic beverage made from fermented grape juice. It's a popular drink for many occasions in China, often consumed with meals, specially during family gatherings and celebrations.
Example sentences with 葡萄酒 →虐待 (nüè dài)
abuse
The word '虐待' in Chinese is used to describe the act of treating someone with cruelty or violence, especially regularly or repeatedly. It can also refer to misuse of something in a harmful way. Depending on the context, it may describe a wide range of harmful processes, activities or actions from physical, emotional, psychological abuse to substance misuse.
Example sentences with 虐待 →蛋糕 (dàn gāo)
cake
The Chinese term for 'cake' is '蛋糕'. It is generally used in the same context as in English, referring to the sweet dessert that is often served during celebrations like birthdays and weddings.
Example sentences with 蛋糕 →蜡烛 (làzhú)
candle
The Chinese word for candle is '蜡烛' (làzhú). Just like in English, it can be used in various contexts. It's often used when talking about lighting conditions, celebrations, spiritual rituals or anything related to candle-like shapes or features. It can be used in sentences like '点燃一根蜡烛' which translates to 'light a candle'.
蝙蝠 (biānfú)
bat
In Chinese, 'bat' is translated into '蝙蝠' (biānfú). It is used the same way as in English, to refer to the nocturnal flying mammal. It is also rich in Chinese cultural symbolism, often associated with luck and happiness as its pronunciation 'fú' sounds like the word for 'fortune' or 'happiness'.
Example sentences with 蝙蝠 →螺丝 (luó sī)
screw
In Chinese, the word for 'screw' is '螺丝'. It is used much like in English, typically referring to a type of fastener, in some machines, made of metal, and characterized by a helical ridge, known as a male thread (external thread).
Example sentences with 螺丝 →行走 (xíng zǒu)
walk
In Chinese, the word 'walk' translates to '行走'. It is used to express the action of moving along by putting one foot in front of the other, just as in English. It can be used in various contexts, like daily walks, walking the dog, going for a walk, etc.
表现 (biǎo xiàn)
behave
In Chinese, '表现' is used to describe one's behavior or conduct in a certain situation. It can refer to both good and bad behaviors. The context of the sentence usually indicates what kind of behavior is being referred to.
表达 (biǎo dá)
express
In Chinese, '表达' is used to convey or make known one's thoughts, feelings, or ideas. It can be used in various context such as expressing an opinion ('表达观点'), expressing feelings ('表达感情') or expressing a principle ('表达原则').
Example sentences with 表达 →