Movement Verbs (Walk, Run, Jump) in Chinese 动作
dòngzuò
Walk / run / jump in Chinese are 走 / 跑 / 跳 (zǒu / pǎo / tiào).
Also searched for as: run, walk, jump, movement words.
How do you get from here to there? 15 essential moving verbs 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.
Getting around in Chinese starts with 走 (zǒu), which means 'to walk' but also 'to leave', as in 我们走吧 (wǒ men zǒu ba), 'let's go'. This topic covers verbs of movement, from 跑 (pǎo) and 跳 (tiào) to 上 (shàng) and 下 (xià), which you use for getting on and off buses, trains and taxis. 坐 (zuò) is just as versatile, meaning both 'to sit' and 'to take' a form of transport.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 走 | zǒu | to walk; to leave |
| 跑 | pǎo | to run |
| 坐 | zuò | to sit; to take (transport) |
| 站 | zhàn | to stand |
| 进 | jìn | to enter |
| 出 | chū | to go out |
| 回 | huí | to return |
| 到 | dào | to arrive |
| 离开 | lí kāi | to leave |
| 上 | shàng | to go up; to get on |
| 下 | xià | to go down; to get off |
| 过 | guò | to cross; to pass |
| 跳 | tiào | to jump |
| 爬 | pá | to climb; to crawl |
| 搬 | bān | to move (house, heavy things) |
Usage tips
- 上车 (shàng chē) and 下车 (xià chē) are getting on and off any vehicle, so 'get off at the next stop' is 下一站下车 (xià yī zhàn xià chē).
- 爬山 (pá shān), literally 'climb mountain', is the everyday word for going hiking, even on gentle paths with steps.
- 坐 (zuò) is for transport you ride in, such as 坐地铁 (zuò dì tiě), but bikes and horses, which you straddle, take 骑 (qí): 骑自行车 (qí zì xíng chē).
Common mistakes
- Translating 'go home' as 去家: going home is returning, so say 回家 (huí jiā).
- Saying 坐车 (zuò chē) when you're the one driving: 坐车 means riding as a passenger, while driving is 开车 (kāi chē).
Mini dialogue
- A我们怎么去公园？走路去吗？Wǒ men zěn me qù gōng yuán? Zǒu lù qù ma?How are we getting to the park? Walking?
- B太远了，坐公交车吧。Tài yuǎn le, zuò gōng jiāo chē ba.It's too far, let's take the bus.
- A好。在哪儿下车？Hǎo. Zài nǎr xià chē?OK. Where do we get off?
- B第三站下，然后过马路就到了。Dì sān zhàn xià, rán hòu guò mǎ lù jiù dào le.At the third stop, then we cross the road and we're there.
Example sentences
- 我们走吧。Let's go.
- 他跑得很快。He runs very fast.
- 请坐这儿。Please sit here.
- 别站着，坐吧。Don't stand, have a seat.
- 请进！Come in!
- 他出门了。He's gone out.
- 我晚上七点回家。I get home at seven in the evening.
- 我到了，你在哪儿？I'm here, where are you?
- 他昨天离开了北京。He left Beijing yesterday.
- 快上车！Get in the car, quick!
- 我下一站下车。I'm getting off at the next stop.
- 过马路要小心。Be careful crossing the road.
- 小狗跳得很高。The puppy jumps very high.
- 我们去爬山吧。Let's go hiking up a mountain.
- 我们下个月搬家。We're moving house next month.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Moving verbs speaking island has 8 everyday questions about moving verbs to prepare your own answers to.