Adult Yak Yacker teaching Most Common Traditional Chinese Verbs in sunlit independent bookshop.

Most Common Traditional Chinese Verbs — Free PDF and Flashcards

Verbs are the engine of Traditional Chinese conversations-without them, you’re just pointing and hoping. This collection rounds up around 1,000 of the most common verbs you’ll actually need, whether you’re ordering dumplings, sharing a funny story, or texting a friend. No dusty textbook relics, just practical action words that keep your sentences moving.

This isn’t a curated list for a specific exam. It’s built for general learners who want a clean reference, not a stuffy grammar lecture. Think of it as your go-to verb cheat sheet whether you’re a beginner hungry for the basics or a more confident learner filling gaps.

Ready to give your Chinese verbs a friendly workout? Scroll to the bottom of this article to find the free printable Most Common Traditional Chinese Verbs vocabulary list PDF and the free downloadable printable Most Common Traditional Chinese Verbs flashcards, all neatly waiting for you like a tidy stack of study helpers.

Want more than one list? Browse our Traditional Chinese section for more Yak Yacker study pages, printable lists, and quiz-friendly review material.

Quick Quiz

Think you’ve locked a few of these verbs into memory? The quick quiz below gives you a friendly nudge-no stress, just a way to spot the ones that need a second look.

Keep building your Traditional Chinese

Choose a practical next step when you are ready.

Browse the Full List

WordPinyinTypeMeaningAudio
rènOther
認得rèndeOther
認為rènwéiOtherto believe that, consider that
認真rènzhēnOtherto be conscientious, earnest, serious/ conscientiously, seriously, earnestly
認識rènshìOtherto recognize, to realize
誠實chéngshíOther
shuōverbto speak, to say
shuōverbto speak, say
shuōOtherto speak, to say
說明shuōmíngOtherto explain/to illustrate/to indicate/to show/to prove/explanation/directions/caption
說話shuōhuàOtherto speak, to say, to talk
調查diàocháOther
tánOtherto talk about
談話tánhuàOtherto talk (with sb)/to have a conversation/talk/conversation/CL:次[ci4]
qǐngOtherto please, to invite
請假qĭngjiàOther
請問qǐngwènOtherexcuse me, may I ask?
請客qǐngkèOtherto host, to invite, to treat someone (to dinner, etc.)
請教qĭngjiàoOther
請求qĭngqiúOther
謙虛qiānxūOther
jiǎngOtherto speak, explain
講價jiăngjiàOther
講究jiăngjiùOther
講話jiǎnghuàOtherspeak, talk, address

Free Traditional Chinese Verb List PDF and Flashcards to Download

Grab the purple vocab-list button for the Most Common Traditional Chinese Verbs vocabulary list and the teal flashcards button for the Most Common Traditional Chinese Verbs flashcards. Both downloads are 100% free, with no signup needed.

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