Common Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs, Prepositions, and Question Words

A. COMMON VERBS

  • to speak - shuō
  • to listen/hear - tīng
  • to read - dú
  • to write - xiĕ
  • to learn/study - xué xí
  • to understand - míng bái
  • to think - xiǎng
  • to tell - gào sù
  • to find - zhǎo
  • to love - ài
  • to like - xĭ huān
  • to smile - wēi xiào
  • to work - gōng zuò
  • to pray - qí dǎo
  • to go - qù
  • to drink - hē
  • to eat - chī
  • to dance - tiào wŭ
  • to sing - chàng gē
  • to sleep - shuì jiào
  • to run - pǎo
  • to walk - zǒu
  • to sit - zuò
  • to stand - zhàn
  • to buy - mǎi
  • to sell - mài
  • to open - dǎ kāi
  • to close - guān
  • to come - lái
  • to help - bāng zhù
  • to wait - děng
  • to see/watch - kàn
  • to look for - xún zhǎo
  • to ask - wèn
  • to answer - huídá
  • to teach - jiāo
  • to learn (from someone) - xué
  • to remember - jì dé
  • to forget - wàng jì
  • to start - kāi shǐ

B. COMMON ADJECTIVES

  • pretty - piào liang
  • handsome - shuài
  • cute - kě ài
  • tall - gāo
  • short - ǎi
  • skinny - shòu
  • fat - pàng
  • kind - shàn liáng
  • smart - cōng ming
  • stupid - bèn
  • lazy - lǎn
  • busy - máng
  • good - hǎo
  • bad - huài
  • ugly - nán kàn
  • smelly - chòu
  • fragrant - xiāng
  • cold - lěng
  • hot - rè
  • tasty/delicious - hǎo chī
  • bitter - kǔ
  • sweet - tián
  • salty - xián
  • spicy - là
  • new - xīn
  • old - lǎo
  • cheap - pián yì
  • expensive - guì
  • clean - gān jìng
  • dirty - zāng
  • happy - gāo xìng
  • sad - nán guò
  • tired - lèi
  • easy - róng yì
  • difficult - nán
  • fast - kuài
  • slow - màn
  • full - bǎo
  • hungry - è
  • thirsty - kě

C. COMMON ADVERBS

  • very - hěn
  • usually - tōng cháng
  • often - cháng cháng
  • sometimes - yǒu shí hòu
  • rarely - hěn shǎo
  • never - cóng bù
  • now - xiàn zài
  • today - jīn tiān
  • tomorrow - míng tiān
  • yesterday - zuó tiān
  • already - yǐ jīng
  • still - hái
  • also - yě
  • again - zài
  • immediately - mǎ shàng

D. PREPOSITIONS & CONNECTORS

  • with - gēn / hé
  • at/in/on - zài
  • to/toward - dào
  • from - cóng
  • about - guān yú
  • because - yīn wèi
  • so/therefore - suǒ yǐ
  • and - hé
  • but - dàn shì
  • or - huò zhě

E. BASIC QUESTION WORDS - BONUS

  • who - shéi
  • what - shén me
  • where - nǎ lǐ
  • when - shén me shí hòu
  • why - wèi shén me
  • how - zěn me
  • how many - duō shǎo