Lesson 21
Daniel Wolpert once said, “Movement is the only way you have of affecting the world around you.” Today we’ll learn a list of commonly used action verbs and see them in action with some example sentences.
Common action verbs
| 坐 | zuò | sit |
| 站 | zhàn | stand |
| 走 (路) | zǒu (lù) | walk |
| 跑 | pǎo | run |
| 跳 | tiào | jump; hop |
| 飞 | fēi | fly |
| 关 | guān | close (turn off) |
| 开 | kāi | open (turn on) |
| 打 | dǎ | hit |
| 抱 | bào | hug |
| 听 | tīng | listen |
| 说 | shuō | speak |
| 读 | dú | read |
| 写 | xiě | write |
| 学 | xué | learn |
| 教 | jiāo | teach |
| 给 | gěi | give |
| 拿 | ná | take, lift |
| 洗 | xǐ | wash |
| 哭 | kū | cry |
| 笑 | xiào | laugh |
| 微笑 | wēixiào | smile |
| 告诉 | gàosu | tell |
| 打扫 | dǎsǎo | clean |
| 跳舞 | tiàowǔ | dance |
Supplementary vocabulary
| 门 | mén | door |
| 灯 | dēng | light |
| 汉字 | hànzì | Chinese character |
| 对 | duì | towards, at; right, correct |
| 天空 | tiānkōng | sky |
| 房间 | fángjiān | room |
Language in action
New vocabulary are best learned through examples. Here are some simple sentences that use the new verbs in this lesson. If you’ve completed the previous lessons, you’ve already learnt all the other words you need to understand each of the sentences, so try to decipher what they mean on your own before checking the English. Then, listen to the audio and practice reading the sentences aloud.
1. 请坐。(qǐng zuò.)
Please sit.
2. 他站在电视前。(tā zhàn zài diànshì qián.)
He is standing in front of the TV.
3. 我每天走路上学。(wǒ měitiān zǒulù shàngxué.)
I walk to school every day.
4. 小狗喜欢跑。(xiǎogǒu xǐhuan pǎo.)
The puppy likes to to run.
5. 小兔子正在跳。(xiǎo tùzi zhèngzài tiào.)
The bunny is hopping.
6. 小鸟在飞。(xiǎoniǎo zài fēi.)
The little bird is flying.
7. 我没关门。(wǒ méi guānmén.)
I didn’t close the door.
8. 你开灯吧。(nǐ kāidēng ba.)
Turn on the light.
9. 你不可以打人。(nǐ bùkěyǐ dǎrén.)
You cannot hit people.
10. 她的妈妈也抱过我。(tā de māma yě bào guò wǒ.)
Her mother also hugged me.
11. 请听我说。(qǐng tīng wǒ shuō.)
Please listen to me. or Please hear me out.
12. 她会说英语。(tā huì shuō yīngyǔ.)
She can speak English.
13. 我喜欢在图书馆读书。(wǒxǐhuān zài túshūguǎn dúshū.)
I like to read books at the library.
14. 我会写汉字。(wǒhuì xiě hànzì.)
I can write Chinese characters.
15. 我的妹妹在学画画。(wǒde mèimei zàixué huàhuà.)
My little sister is learning to draw.
16. 爸爸教我做饭。(bàba jiāo wǒ zuòfàn.)
My father taught me to cook. or My father teaches me to cook.
17. 请给我一杯红茶。(qǐng gěi wǒ yībēi hóngchá.)
Please give me cup of black tea.
18. 我没拿钥匙。(wǒ méi ná yàoshi.)
I didn’t take the keys.
19. 我要洗衣服。(wǒyào xǐ yīfu.)
I need to wash clothes.
20. 你的女儿正在哭。(nǐde nǚér zhèngzài kū.)
Your daughter is crying.
21. 我们常常一起笑。(wǒmen chángcháng yìqǐ xiào.)
We often laugh together.
22. 她对我微笑。(tā duì wǒ wēixiào.)
She smiled at me. or She smiles at me.
23. 你为什么没告诉我?(nǐ wèishénme méi gàosu wǒ?)
Why didn’t you tell me?
24. 我每个周末都打扫房间。(wǒ měigè zhōumò dōu dǎsǎo fángjiān.)
I clean my room every weekend.
25. 她的爱好是跳舞。(tā de àihào shì tiàowǔ.)
Her hobby is dancing.
What you’ve learnt
Fantastic job learning all 25 of these very useful verbs! You’ll see them being used in many future sentences and you’ll find them invaluable building blocks for your own sentences.
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