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.
Each verb packs a clear meaning and a realistic example sentence, so you see exactly how it behaves in wild, everyday Chinese. We’ve added audio playback for every entry-your ears need practice just as much as your eyes. When you’re ready to study offline, grab the free PDF using the download button right below the table.
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.
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.
Browse the Full List
| Word | Pinyin | Type | Meaning | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 走路 | zǒulù | Other | to walk (in the road or street) | |
| 起 | qǐ | Other | to stand up, get up, to lift, to rise | |
| 起來 | qǐlái | Other | to stand up, to rise | |
| 起床 | qǐchuáng | verb | to get up (from bed) | |
| 起床 | qǐchuáng | Other | to get up | |
| 起飛 | qĭfēi | Other | ||
| 超級 | chāojí | Other | super-/ultra-/hyper- | |
| 超過 | chāoguò | Other | ||
| 趕 | găn | Other | ||
| 趕上 | gănshàng | Other | ||
| 跑 | pǎo | verb | to run | |
| 跑 | pǎo | Other | to run | |
| 跑/跑步 | păo/păobù | Other | ||
| 跟 | gēn | Preposition | heel/to follow closely/to go with/(of a woman) to marry sb/with/compared with/to/towards/and (joining two nouns) | |
| 跳 | tiào | Other | ||
| 跳舞 | tiàowǔ | Other | to dance | |
| 踢 | tī | Other | to kick | |
| 躺 | tăng | Other | ||
| 輕 | qīng | Other | to be light | |
| 輕鬆 | qīngsōng | Other | ||
| 輸 | shū | Other | ||
| 轉 | zhuăn | Other | ||
| 辛苦 | xīnkǔ | Other | to be difficult, hard, painful, exhausting; to experience difficulty, hardship, pain, exhaustion | |
| 辣 | là | Other | ||
| 辦 | bàn | Other |
Free Traditional Chinese Vocab List and Flashcard PDFs to Download
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