Everyday Verbs (Part 2) in Chinese 常用动词二
chángyòng dòngcí èr
Common verbs in Chinese is 常用动词 (cháng yòng dòng cí).
Also searched for as: common verbs, basic verbs, more verbs, verbs list.
What else do you do? 15 essential everyday verbs 2 words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
This second set of everyday verbs is all about dealing with other people: 帮 (bāng), to help, 问 (wèn), to ask, 告诉 (gào su), to tell, and 给 (gěi), to give. Several take two objects, a person and a thing, which makes them ideal for requests like 请告诉我… (qǐng gào su wǒ…), 'please tell me…'. They come up constantly in class too, where 学 (xué) and 教 (jiāo) are a natural pair.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 找 | zhǎo | to look for |
| 拿 | ná | to take; to hold |
| 给 | gěi | to give |
| 送 | sòng | to give (a present); to deliver |
| 用 | yòng | to use |
| 帮 | bāng | to help |
| 等 | děng | to wait |
| 问 | wèn | to ask |
| 回答 | huí dá | to answer |
| 告诉 | gào su | to tell |
| 写 | xiě | to write |
| 读 | dú | to read (aloud) |
| 教 | jiāo | to teach |
| 学 | xué | to learn |
| 懂 | dǒng | to understand |
Usage tips
- 给 (gěi) on its own means 'give', but before another verb it means 'for' or 'to': 我给你打电话 (wǒ gěi nǐ dǎ diàn huà), 'I'll call you'.
- 给你 (gěi nǐ) is what people say when handing something over, like 'here you are'.
- 学 (xué) and 教 (jiāo) are opposites: 我教她中文 (wǒ jiāo tā Zhōng wén) is 'I teach her Chinese', while 我跟她学中文 (wǒ gēn tā xué Zhōng wén) is 'I learn Chinese from her'.
Common mistakes
- Using 问 (wèn) to ask someone to do something: 问 is only for questions, so for requests use 请 (qǐng), as in 我请他帮忙 (wǒ qǐng tā bāng máng), 'I asked him to help'.
- Using 读 (dú) for reading silently: 读 suggests reading aloud or studying, so for reading a book for pleasure, say 看书 (kàn shū).
Mini dialogue
- A不好意思，我可以问你一个问题吗？Bù hǎo yì si, wǒ kě yǐ wèn nǐ yī ge wèn tí ma?Sorry, can I ask you a question?
- B当然，你问吧。Dāng rán, nǐ wèn ba.Of course, go ahead.
- A这个字怎么读？你能教我吗？Zhè ge zì zěn me dú? Nǐ néng jiāo wǒ ma?How do you read this character? Could you teach me?
- B没问题，我帮你写在这儿。Méi wèn tí, wǒ bāng nǐ xiě zài zhèr.No problem, I'll write it here for you.
Example sentences
- 我在找我的钥匙。I'm looking for my keys.
- 请帮我拿一下。Please hold this for me.
- 给你，这是你的。Here you go, this is yours.
- 我送你一本书。I'm giving you a book.
- 我可以用你的笔吗？Can I use your pen?
- 你能帮我吗？Can you help me?
- 我在门口等你。I'll wait for you at the door.
- 我可以问你一个问题吗？Can I ask you a question?
- 请回答我的问题。Please answer my question.
- 请告诉我你的电话号码。Please tell me your phone number.
- 我在写作业。I'm doing my homework.
- 请跟我读。Please read after me.
- 她教我做饭。She's teaching me to cook.
- 我在学中文。I'm learning Chinese.
- 你懂我的意思吗？Do you understand what I mean?
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Everyday verbs 2 speaking island has 8 everyday questions about everyday verbs 2 to prepare your own answers to.