Chinese verbs are famously uninflected: they do not change form for person, number, tense, or mood. The single verb 吃 (chī, "eat") serves for "I eat," "she eats," "they were eating," "we will eat." What English handles through conjugation, Chinese handles through word order and a set of aspect particles: 了 (le) for completion, 过 (guo) for past experience, 在 (zài) for ongoing action, and 着 (zhe) for continuous state. This reference presents the 100 most frequent Chinese verbs, organized by function: being and existence, motion, perception, communication, cognition, possession, action on objects, and modal verbs.
The list draws on corpus-frequency studies of modern Mandarin. The first ten verbs (是, 有, 在, 去, 来, 说, 想, 要, 做, 吃) appear with astonishing regularity in texts of all genres. Mastering these hundred verbs plus the four aspect particles gives a learner the expressive backbone for thousands of daily sentences. For the particles that modify these verbs, see the Chinese sentence particles reference. For the grammar patterns verbs slot into, see the Chinese grammar rules guide. For the pinyin tones of every verb, see the Chinese tones complete guide and pinyin complete guide.
How Chinese Verbs Work
Three principles govern Chinese verbs:
- No conjugation. The verb form is invariant. Time is marked by time adverbs (昨天 yesterday, 明天 tomorrow) or left unspecified.
- Aspect, not tense. Particles 了, 过, 在, 着 mark whether an action is completed, experienced, ongoing, or in a continuing state, rather than whether it happened in past or present.
- Serial verbs. Multiple verbs chain without conjunction: 我去买东西 (wǒ qù mǎi dōngxi, "I go buy things") strings 去 and 买 directly.
Table 1. Aspect particles.
| Particle | Pinyin | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 了 | le | Completion, change of state | 我吃了 (I ate) |
| 过 | guo | Past experience | 我去过 (I have been) |
| 在 | zài | Ongoing action | 我在吃 (I am eating) |
| 着 | zhe | Continuous state | 门开着 (door is open) |
Being and Existence (5 verbs)
Table 2. Existence verbs.
| # | Verb | Pinyin | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 是 | shì | To be (equals) | 我是学生 (I am a student) |
| 2 | 有 | yǒu | To have, there is | 我有书 (I have a book) |
| 3 | 在 | zài | To be at | 我在家 (I am at home) |
| 4 | 成为 | chéngwéi | Become | 他成为医生 (he became a doctor) |
| 5 | 变 | biàn | Change, turn into | 天变冷了 (weather turned cold) |
Motion (12 verbs)
Table 3. Motion verbs.
| # | Verb | Pinyin | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 去 | qù | Go | 我去北京 (I go to Beijing) |
| 7 | 来 | lái | Come | 他来了 (he came) |
| 8 | 回 | huí | Return | 我回家 (I go home) |
| 9 | 走 | zǒu | Walk, leave | 我们走吧 (let's go) |
| 10 | 跑 | pǎo | Run | 他在跑步 (he is running) |
| 11 | 飞 | fēi | Fly | 鸟飞 (birds fly) |
| 12 | 开 | kāi | Drive, open | 开车 (drive a car) |
| 13 | 坐 | zuò | Sit, ride | 坐地铁 (take metro) |
| 14 | 站 | zhàn | Stand | 站起来 (stand up) |
| 15 | 上 | shàng | Go up, board | 上楼 (go upstairs) |
| 16 | 下 | xià | Go down | 下楼 (go downstairs) |
| 17 | 到 | dào | Arrive | 我到了 (I arrived) |
Perception (8 verbs)
Table 4. Perception verbs.
| # | Verb | Pinyin | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | 看 | kàn | Look, watch, read | 看书 (read a book) |
| 19 | 听 | tīng | Listen | 听音乐 (listen to music) |
| 20 | 闻 | wén | Smell | 闻花 (smell a flower) |
| 21 | 尝 | cháng | Taste | 尝一下 (have a taste) |
| 22 | 摸 | mō | Touch | 别摸 (don't touch) |
| 23 | 感觉 | gǎnjué | Feel | 感觉好 (feel good) |
| 24 | 发现 | fāxiàn | Discover | 我发现了 (I found out) |
| 25 | 注意 | zhùyì | Pay attention | 注意安全 (be careful) |
Communication (10 verbs)
Table 5. Communication verbs.
| # | Verb | Pinyin | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | 说 | shuō | Say, speak | 说中文 (speak Chinese) |
| 27 | 讲 | jiǎng | Speak, tell | 讲故事 (tell a story) |
| 28 | 问 | wèn | Ask | 问老师 (ask the teacher) |
| 29 | 回答 | huídá | Answer | 回答问题 (answer a question) |
| 30 | 告诉 | gàosu | Tell, inform | 告诉我 (tell me) |
| 31 | 叫 | jiào | Call, be named | 我叫王明 (I am called Wang Ming) |
| 32 | 读 | dú | Read aloud | 读课文 (read the text) |
| 33 | 写 | xiě | Write | 写信 (write a letter) |
| 34 | 打 | dǎ | Hit, make (phone call) | 打电话 (make a phone call) |
| 35 | 聊 | liáo | Chat | 聊天 (chat) |
Cognition and Learning (10 verbs)
Table 6. Cognitive verbs.
| # | Verb | Pinyin | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 想 | xiǎng | Think, want to | 我想去 (I want to go) |
| 37 | 知道 | zhīdào | Know (fact) | 我知道 (I know) |
| 38 | 认识 | rènshi | Know (person), recognize | 认识他 (know him) |
| 39 | 懂 | dǒng | Understand | 我不懂 (I don't understand) |
| 40 | 明白 | míngbai | Understand clearly | 我明白了 (I got it) |
| 41 | 学 | xué | Study, learn | 学中文 (learn Chinese) |
| 42 | 学习 | xuéxí | Study | 学习语言 (study language) |
| 43 | 教 | jiāo | Teach | 老师教我 (teacher teaches me) |
| 44 | 记 | jì | Remember, record | 记得 (remember) |
| 45 | 忘 | wàng | Forget | 我忘了 (I forgot) |
Possession and Transfer (8 verbs)
Table 7. Possession verbs.
| # | Verb | Pinyin | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | 有 | yǒu | Have | (see above) |
| 47 | 拿 | ná | Take, hold | 拿书 (take a book) |
| 48 | 给 | gěi | Give | 给我 (give me) |
| 49 | 借 | jiè | Borrow, lend | 借钱 (borrow money) |
| 50 | 还 | huán | Return | 还书 (return a book) |
| 51 | 买 | mǎi | Buy | 买东西 (go shopping) |
| 52 | 卖 | mài | Sell | 卖水果 (sell fruit) |
| 53 | 付 | fù | Pay | 付钱 (pay money) |
Eating, Drinking, Preparing (8 verbs)
Table 8. Food-related verbs.
| # | Verb | Pinyin | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 54 | 吃 | chī | Eat | 吃饭 (eat a meal) |
| 55 | 喝 | hē | Drink | 喝水 (drink water) |
| 56 | 尝 | cháng | Taste | (see above) |
| 57 | 做 | zuò | Do, make | 做饭 (cook) |
| 58 | 煮 | zhǔ | Boil, cook | 煮面 (cook noodles) |
| 59 | 炒 | chǎo | Stir-fry | 炒菜 (stir-fry dishes) |
| 60 | 点 | diǎn | Order (food) | 点菜 (order food) |
| 61 | 饿 | è | Be hungry | 我饿了 (I'm hungry) |
Work, Study, Daily Action (14 verbs)
Table 9. Daily action verbs.
| # | Verb | Pinyin | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 62 | 工作 | gōngzuò | Work | 我工作 (I work) |
| 63 | 做 | zuò | Do, make | 做作业 (do homework) |
| 64 | 用 | yòng | Use | 用筷子 (use chopsticks) |
| 65 | 帮 | bāng | Help | 帮我 (help me) |
| 66 | 帮助 | bāngzhù | Help (formal) | 帮助他 (help him) |
| 67 | 试 | shì | Try | 试试 (try it) |
| 68 | 找 | zhǎo | Look for | 找钥匙 (look for keys) |
| 69 | 等 | děng | Wait | 等一下 (wait a moment) |
| 70 | 玩 | wán | Play | 玩游戏 (play games) |
| 71 | 休息 | xiūxi | Rest | 休息一会儿 (rest a while) |
| 72 | 睡 | shuì | Sleep | 睡觉 (sleep) |
| 73 | 起 | qǐ | Rise | 起床 (get out of bed) |
| 74 | 洗 | xǐ | Wash | 洗手 (wash hands) |
| 75 | 穿 | chuān | Wear | 穿衣服 (put on clothes) |
Emotion and State (8 verbs)
Table 10. Emotion verbs.
| # | Verb | Pinyin | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 76 | 爱 | ài | Love | 我爱你 (I love you) |
| 77 | 喜欢 | xǐhuan | Like | 我喜欢 (I like) |
| 78 | 讨厌 | tǎoyàn | Dislike, hate | 我讨厌 (I hate it) |
| 79 | 怕 | pà | Fear | 我怕狗 (I'm afraid of dogs) |
| 80 | 笑 | xiào | Laugh, smile | 他在笑 (he is laughing) |
| 81 | 哭 | kū | Cry | 她哭了 (she cried) |
| 82 | 生气 | shēngqì | Be angry | 别生气 (don't be angry) |
| 83 | 高兴 | gāoxìng | Be happy | 我很高兴 (I'm happy) |
Object Action (10 verbs)
Table 11. Action verbs.
| # | Verb | Pinyin | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 84 | 打开 | dǎkāi | Open (lid, door) | 打开门 (open the door) |
| 85 | 关 | guān | Close | 关门 (close the door) |
| 86 | 推 | tuī | Push | 推门 (push the door) |
| 87 | 拉 | lā | Pull | 拉手 (hold hands / pull) |
| 88 | 放 | fàng | Put, place | 放在这里 (put here) |
| 89 | 取 | qǔ | Retrieve, fetch | 取钱 (withdraw money) |
| 90 | 送 | sòng | Send, give as gift, see off | 送礼物 (give a gift) |
| 91 | 收 | shōu | Receive, collect | 收信 (receive a letter) |
| 92 | 开始 | kāishǐ | Start | 开始工作 (start working) |
| 93 | 结束 | jiéshù | End | 会议结束了 (meeting ended) |
Modal and Auxiliary Verbs (7 verbs)
Modal verbs precede main verbs and express ability, permission, desire, or obligation.
Table 12. Modal verbs.
| # | Verb | Pinyin | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 94 | 能 | néng | Be able to (physical/circumstantial) | 我能来 (I can come) |
| 95 | 会 | huì | Know how to, will | 我会说 (I can speak) |
| 96 | 可以 | kěyǐ | Be allowed to, can | 可以进来 (may come in) |
| 97 | 要 | yào | Want, will, need to | 我要吃饭 (I want to eat) |
| 98 | 想 | xiǎng | Want to, miss | 我想回家 (I want to go home) |
| 99 | 应该 | yīnggāi | Should | 你应该学 (you should study) |
| 100 | 必须 | bìxū | Must | 必须去 (must go) |
The distinction between 能, 会, 可以, and 要 is subtle but important: 能 is ability in the moment (I can come tonight = it's possible); 会 is learned skill (I know how to swim); 可以 is permission (you may enter); 要 is desire or future intention (I want / I will). Mixing them produces grammatical but oddly-toned sentences.
Common Mistakes Learners Make
- Treating 了 as past tense. 了 marks completion or change of state, not simple past. 我吃了 can mean "I ate" or "I have eaten" depending on context. Past time is marked by time words, not 了 alone.
- Confusing 会 and 能. 我会游泳 (I know how to swim, acquired skill); 我现在能游泳 (I can swim now, circumstances allow). Don't mix.
- Adding unnecessary 的 after verbs. 我想的去 is wrong. Adjective-like 的 does not attach to verbs this way.
- Using 是 before verbs or adjectives. 我是去 is wrong; 我去 is correct. 是 is only for noun equation.
- Forgetting resultative complements. 听 (listen) alone doesn't say you understood. 听懂 (listen + understand) does. 看见 (see), 找到 (find), 学会 (learn successfully).
- Using wrong verb for "open." 开 (kāi) opens doors, turns on devices; 打开 emphasizes lifting/swinging open; 开门 opens a door; 开灯 turns on a light. Context matters.
- Saying 想 for "think about" generically. 想 can mean think, want, or miss. 想他 could be "miss him" or "think about him." Use 考虑 (kǎolǜ) for deliberate consideration.
- Not repeating verbs. For "try once" use 试试 (shìshi) reduplicated. Reduplication softens and means "a little, a bit."
Quick Reference
- No conjugation, ever. Single verb form for all persons and times.
- Four aspect particles: 了 completion, 过 experience, 在 ongoing, 着 continuous state.
- Top 10 verbs: 是, 有, 在, 去, 来, 说, 想, 要, 做, 吃.
- Four modal verbs to master: 能 can, 会 know how, 可以 may, 要 want/will.
- Serial verbs: stack without conjunctions (我去买东西).
- Negation: 不 for general or future; 没 for past or 有.
FAQ
Do Chinese verbs really never conjugate?
Correct. The form never changes. Time is carried by adverbs (昨天, 明天), aspect particles (了, 过, 在, 着), and context. This is both a gift to the memory and a challenge to the learner used to English tense markers.
How do I say "I went to Beijing last year"?
去年我去了北京 (qùnián wǒ qù le Běijīng). 去年 marks last year; 了 marks completion. Notice the verb 去 does not change.
What's the difference between 说 and 讲?
说 (shuō) is "say, speak" and the neutral default. 讲 (jiǎng) emphasizes explaining or telling in detail, and is preferred for lectures, stories, and teaching. 说话 is "to talk"; 讲课 is "to lecture."
When do I use 想 versus 要?
想 (xiǎng) is a softer desire, closer to "would like to." 要 (yào) is stronger, closer to "will" or "need to." 我想喝咖啡 (I'd like coffee); 我要咖啡 (I want/need coffee). In restaurants 要 is common but can sound demanding; 想要 (xiǎng yào) softens it.
How do negate past action?
Use 没 (méi), not 不. 我没去 (I didn't go), not 我不去 (which means "I will not go" or "I don't go"). 没 negates 有 and past actions; 不 negates everything else.
What are resultative complements?
Short characters that follow a verb and specify the outcome: 听懂 (listen-understand = understand by listening), 看见 (look-see = see successfully), 学会 (study-know = master), 吃完 (eat-finish). They are essential for natural Chinese; simply using the base verb can sound incomplete.
Can I just use the base verb and add time words?
For simple communication, yes. 昨天我吃饭 (yesterday I ate) works. But 了 is often expected after a completed past action: 昨天我吃了饭. Drop 了 at your own risk until you feel the rhythm.
See Also
- Chinese HSK 1 vocabulary 150 essential words
- Chinese grammar rules complete beginners guide
- Chinese sentence particles reference
- Chinese measure words classifiers reference
- Chinese common phrases daily conversation reference
- Chinese characters and radicals guide for beginners
- Chinese tones complete guide with examples
Author: Kalenux Team
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Chinese verbs really never conjugate?
Correct. The form never changes. Time is carried by adverbs (昨天, 明天), aspect particles (了, 过, 在, 着), and context. This is both a gift to memory and a challenge to learners used to English tense.
How do I say 'I went to Beijing last year'?
去年我去了北京 (qùnián wǒ qù le Běijīng). 去年 marks last year; 了 marks completion. The verb 去 does not change.
What's the difference between 说 and 讲?
说 (shuō) is 'say, speak' and the neutral default. 讲 (jiǎng) emphasizes explaining or telling in detail, preferred for lectures, stories, and teaching.
When do I use 想 versus 要?
想 (xiǎng) is a softer desire, 'would like to.' 要 (yào) is stronger, 'will' or 'need to.' 我想喝咖啡 (I'd like coffee); 我要咖啡 (I want/need coffee). 想要 softens 要.
How do I negate a past action?
Use 没 (méi), not 不. 我没去 (I didn't go), not 我不去 (I will not go / I don't go). 没 negates 有 and past actions; 不 negates everything else.
What are resultative complements?
Short characters that follow a verb and specify the outcome: 听懂 (listen-understand), 看见 (look-see), 学会 (study-know), 吃完 (eat-finish). Essential for natural-sounding Chinese.
Can I just use the base verb and add time words?
For simple communication, yes. 昨天我吃饭 works. But 了 is often expected after a completed past action: 昨天我吃了饭. Drop 了 at your own risk until you develop a feel for the rhythm.
