25 Essential Chinese Verbs

25 Essential Chinese Verbs

This reference guide covers 25 core Chinese verbs with their standard meanings, affirmative sentences, negative forms, and question patterns.

Grammar Quick Reference

Affirmative: Subject + Verb + Object
Negative:

General rule: Add 不 (bù) directly before the verb.
Tone change rule: 不 changes to second tone (bú) when preceding a fourth-tone character.
Important Exception: The verb 有 (yǒu) must always be negated with 没 (méi) 没有 (méiyǒu). Never use 不有.

Question (Yes/No): Affirmative Sentence + 吗 (ma)?

The 25 Verbs

1. 去 (qù) – To go

Affirmative: 我去学校。 (Wǒ qù xuéxiào.) — I go to school.
Negative: 我不去学校。 (Wǒ bú qù xuéxiào.) — I do not go to school.
Question: 你去学校吗？ (Nǐ qù xuéxiào ma?) — Are you going to school?

2. 来 (lái) – To come

Affirmative: 他来我家。 (Tā lái wǒ jiā.) — He comes to my house.
Negative: 他不来我家。 (Tā bù lái wǒ jiā.) — He is not coming to my house.
Question: 他来你家吗？ (Tā lái nǐ jiā ma?) — Is he coming to your house?

3. 吃 (chī) – To eat

Affirmative: 我们吃米饭。 (Wǒmen chī mǐfàn.) — We eat rice.
Negative: 我们不吃米饭。 (Wǒmen bù chī mǐfàn.) — We do not eat rice.
Question: 你们吃米饭吗？ (Nǐmen chī mǐfàn ma?) — Do you eat rice?

4. 看 (kàn) – To see / watch / look

Affirmative: 我看电影。 (Wǒ kàn diànyǐng.) — I watch movies.
Negative: 我不看电影。 (Wǒ bú kàn diànyǐng.) — I do not watch movies.
Question: 你看电影吗？ (Nǐ kàn diànyǐng ma?) — Do you watch movies?

5. 做 (zuò) – To do / make

Affirmative: 她做晚饭。 (Tā zuò wǎnfàn.) — She makes dinner.
Negative: 她不做晚饭。 (Tā bú zuò wǎnfàn.) — She does not make dinner.
Question: 她做晚饭吗？ (Tā zuò wǎnfàn ma?) — Does she make dinner?

6. 喝 (hē) – To drink

Affirmative: 我喝茶。 (Wǒ hē chá.) — I drink tea.
Negative: 我不喝茶。 (Wǒ bù hē chá.) — I do not drink tea.
Question: 你喝茶吗？ (Nǐ hē chá ma?) — Do you drink tea?

7. 睡 (shuì) – To sleep

Affirmative: 他睡觉了。 (Tā shuìjiào le.) — He went to sleep.
Negative: 他现在还不睡。 (Tā xiànzài hái bú shuì.) — He is not sleeping yet.
Question: 他睡了吗？ (Tā shuì le ma?) — Is he asleep?

8. 给 (gěi) – To give

Affirmative: 请给我一本书。 (Qǐng gěi wǒ yì běn shū.) — Please give me a book.
Negative: 他不给我书。 (Tā bù gěi wǒ shū.) — He does not give me the book.
Question: 你给他书吗？ (Nǐ gěi tā shū ma?) — Do you give him the book?

9. 买 (mǎi) – To buy

Affirmative: 我买水果。 (Wǒ mǎi shuǐguǒ.) — I buy fruit.
Negative: 我不买水果。 (Wǒ bù mǎi shuǐguǒ.) — I am not buying fruit.
Question: 你买水果吗？ (Nǐ mǎi shuǐguǒ ma?) — Are you buying fruit?

10. 读 (dú) – To read / study aloud

Affirmative: 孩子在读书。 (Háizi zài dú shū.) — The child is reading.
Negative: 他现在不读书。 (Tā xiànzài bù dú shū.) — He is not reading right now.
Question: 孩子在读书吗？ (Háizi zài dú shū ma?) — Is the child reading?

11. 要 (yào) – To want / need

Affirmative: 我要一杯水。 (Wǒ yào yì bēi shuǐ.) — I want a glass of water.
Negative: 我不要咖啡。 (Wǒ bú yào kāfēi.) — I don't want coffee.
Question: 你要水吗？ (Nǐ yào shuǐ ma?) — Do you want water?

12. 想 (xiǎng) – To wish / want / miss

Affirmative: 我想去中国。 (Wǒ xiǎng qù Zhōngguó.) — I want to go to China.
Negative: 我不想去中国。 (Wǒ bù xiǎng qù Zhōngguó.) — I do not want to go to China.
Question: 你想去中国吗？ (Nǐ xiǎng qù Zhōngguó ma?) — Do you want to go to China?

13. 有 (yǒu) – To have

Affirmative: 我有一只猫。 (Wǒ yǒu yì zhī māo.) — I have a cat.
Negative: 我没有猫。 (Wǒ méiyǒu māo.) — I do not have a cat.
Question: 你有猫吗？ (Nǐ yǒu māo ma?) — Do you have a cat?

14. 说 (shuō) – To speak / say

Affirmative: 他会说汉语。 (Tā huì shuō Hànyǔ.) — He can speak Chinese.
Negative: 他不说英语。 (Tā bù shuō Yīngyǔ.) — He does not speak English.
Question: 他会说汉语吗？ (Tā huì shuō Hànyǔ ma?) — Can he speak Chinese?

15. 听 (tīng) – To listen / hear

Affirmative: 我喜欢听音乐。 (Wǒ xǐhuan tīng yīnyuè.) — I like listening to music.
Negative: 我不听音乐。 (Wǒ bù tīng yīnyuè.) — I do not listen to music.
Question: 你喜欢听音乐吗？ (Nǐ xǐhuan tīng yīnyuè ma?) — Do you like listening to music?

16. 写 (xiě) – To write

Affirmative: 他在写字。 (Tā zài xiě zì.) — He is writing characters.
Negative: 他今天不写字。 (Tā jīntiān bù xiě zì.) — He is not writing characters today.
Question: 他在写字吗？ (Tā zài xiě zì ma?) — Is he writing characters?

17. 问 (wèn) – To ask

Affirmative: 我问老师一个问题。 (Wǒ wèn lǎoshī yí gè wèntí.) — I ask the teacher a question.
Negative: 我不问老师。 (Wǒ bú wèn lǎoshī.) — I will not ask the teacher.
Question: 你要问老师吗？ (Nǐ yào wèn lǎoshī ma?) — Are you going to ask the teacher?

18. 知道 (zhīdào) – To know (information)

Affirmative: 我知道这个事情。 (Wǒ zhīdào zhè ge shìqing.) — I know about this matter.
Negative: 我不知道答案。 (Wǒ bù zhīdào dá'àn.) — I do not know the answer.
Question: 你知道答案吗？ (Nǐ zhīdào dá'àn ma?) — Do you know the answer?

19. 认识 (rènshi) – To recognize / be acquainted with

Affirmative: 很高兴认识你。 (Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ.) — Nice to meet you.
Negative: 我不认识他。 (Wǒ bú rènshi tā.) — I do not know him.
Question: 你认识他吗？ (Nǐ rènshi tā ma?) — Do you know him?

20. 等 (děng) – To wait

Affirmative: 请等我一下。 (Qǐng děng wǒ yíxià.) — Please wait for me a moment.
Negative: 我们不等了。 (Wǒmen bù děng le.) — We will not wait anymore.
Question: 你在等人吗？ (Nǐ zài děng rén ma?) — Are you waiting for someone?

21. 坐 (zuò) – To sit / take (transport)

Affirmative: 我们坐地铁。 (Wǒmen zuò dìtiě.) — We take the subway.
Negative: 我们不坐地铁。 (Wǒmen bú zuò dìtiě.) — We do not take the subway.
Question: 你们坐地铁吗？ (Nǐmen zuò dìtiě ma?) — Are you taking the subway?

22. 走 (zǒu) – To walk / leave

Affirmative: 时间不早了，我们走吧。 (Shíjiān bù zǎo le, wǒmen zǒu ba.) — It's late; let's go.
Negative: 他现在还不走。 (Tā xiànzài hái bù zǒu.) — He is not leaving yet.
Question: 我们现在走吗？ (Wǒmen xiànzài zǒu ma?) — Are we leaving now?

23. 开 (kāi) – To open / turn on / drive

Affirmative: 请开门。 (Qǐng kāi mén.) — Please open the door.
Negative: 他今天不开车。 (Tā jīntiān bù kāichē.) — He is not driving today.
Question: 门开了吗？ (Mén kāi le ma?) — Is the door open?

24. 关 (guān) – To close / turn off

Affirmative: 请关灯。 (Qǐng guān dēng.) — Please turn off the light.
Negative: 商店今天不关门。 (Shāngdiàn jīntiān bù guānmén.) — The store does not close today.
Question: 灯关了吗？ (Dēng guān le ma?) — Is the light turned off?

25. 喜欢 (xǐhuan) – To like

Affirmative: 我喜欢学中文。 (Wǒ xǐhuan xué Zhōngwén.) — I like learning Chinese.
Negative: 我不喜欢喝茶。 (Wǒ bù xǐhuan hē chá.) — I do not like drinking tea.
Question: 你喜欢学中文吗？ (Nǐ xǐhuan xué Zhōngwén ma?) — Do you like learning Chinese?

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