Daily Life: Vocabulary for actions, everyday tasks, and common verbs

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Pinyin is the standard romanisation used to show Mandarin pronunciation using the Latin alphabet. You’ll often see tone marks on the vowels to show the four tones (plus the neutral tone), for example mā / má / mǎ / mà / ma. “Numbered pinyin” shows the same tones using a number after the syllable instead of tone marks, for example ma1 / ma2 / ma3 / ma4 / ma (sometimes written as ma5 for the neutral tone). Numbered pinyin is handy when you can’t easily type tone marks, while tone-mark pinyin is usually easier to read once you’re used to it.

吃

• Pinyin: chī
• Numbered pinyin: chi1
• English translation: to eat

出

• Pinyin: chū
• Numbered pinyin: chu1
• English translation: to go out

出来

• Pinyin: chū lái
• Numbered pinyin: chu1 lai5
• English translation: to come out

出去

• Pinyin: chū qù
• Numbered pinyin: chu1 qu4
• English translation: to go out

穿

• Pinyin: chuān
• Numbered pinyin: chuan1
• English translation: to wear

打

• Pinyin: dǎ
• Numbered pinyin: da3
• English translation: to hit, to play

打开

• Pinyin: dǎ kāi
• Numbered pinyin: da3 kai1
• English translation: to open

到

• Pinyin: dào
• Numbered pinyin: dao4
• English translation: to arrive

得到

• Pinyin: dé dào
• Numbered pinyin: de2 dao4
• English translation: to obtain, to get

等

• Pinyin: děng
• Numbered pinyin: deng3
• English translation: to wait

动

• Pinyin: dòng
• Numbered pinyin: dong4
• English translation: to move

动作

• Pinyin: dòng zuò
• Numbered pinyin: dong4 zuo4
• English translation: movement, action

放

• Pinyin: fàng
• Numbered pinyin: fang4
• English translation: to put, to release

干

• Pinyin: gàn
• Numbered pinyin: gan4
• English translation: to do, to work

关

• Pinyin: guān
• Numbered pinyin: guan1
• English translation: to close

关上

• Pinyin: guān shàng
• Numbered pinyin: guan1 shang5
• English translation: to close (up)

回

• Pinyin: huí
• Numbered pinyin: hui2
• English translation: to return

回到

• Pinyin: huí dào
• Numbered pinyin: hui2 dao4
• English translation: to return to

回家

• Pinyin: huí jiā
• Numbered pinyin: hui2 jia1
• English translation: to return home

回来

• Pinyin: huí lái
• Numbered pinyin: hui2 lai5
• English translation: to come back

回去

• Pinyin: huí qù
• Numbered pinyin: hui2 qu4
• English translation: to go back

进

• Pinyin: jìn
• Numbered pinyin: jin4
• English translation: to enter

进来

• Pinyin: jìn lái
• Numbered pinyin: jin4 lai5
• English translation: to come in

进去

• Pinyin: jìn qù
• Numbered pinyin: jin4 qu4
• English translation: to go in

开

• Pinyin: kāi
• Numbered pinyin: kai1
• English translation: to open, to start

看

• Pinyin: kàn
• Numbered pinyin: kan4
• English translation: to look, to watch

看到

• Pinyin: kàn dào
• Numbered pinyin: kan4 dao4
• English translation: to see

看见

• Pinyin: kàn jiàn
• Numbered pinyin: kan4 jian4
• English translation: to see

来

• Pinyin: lái
• Numbered pinyin: lai2
• English translation: to come

来到

• Pinyin: lái dào
• Numbered pinyin: lai2 dao4
• English translation: to arrive

买

• Pinyin: mǎi
• Numbered pinyin: mai3
• English translation: to buy

拿

• Pinyin: ná
• Numbered pinyin: na2
• English translation: to take, to hold

跑

• Pinyin: pǎo
• Numbered pinyin: pao3
• English translation: to run

起

• Pinyin: qǐ
• Numbered pinyin: qi3
• English translation: to rise, to get up

起床

• Pinyin: qǐ chuáng
• Numbered pinyin: qi3 chuang2
• English translation: to get up (from bed)

起来

• Pinyin: qǐ lái
• Numbered pinyin: qi3 lai5
• English translation: to get up, to rise

去

• Pinyin: qù
• Numbered pinyin: qu4
• English translation: to go

上

• Pinyin: shàng
• Numbered pinyin: shang4
• English translation: up, on

睡

• Pinyin: shuì
• Numbered pinyin: shui4
• English translation: to sleep

睡觉

• Pinyin: shuì jiào
• Numbered pinyin: shui4 jiao4
• English translation: to sleep

洗

• Pinyin: xǐ
• Numbered pinyin: xi3
• English translation: to wash

下

• Pinyin: xià
• Numbered pinyin: xia4
• English translation: down, next

休息

• Pinyin: xiū xi
• Numbered pinyin: xiu1 xi5
• English translation: to rest

用

• Pinyin: yòng
• Numbered pinyin: yong4
• English translation: to use

找

• Pinyin: zhǎo
• Numbered pinyin: zhao3
• English translation: to look for

找到

• Pinyin: zhǎo dào
• Numbered pinyin: zhao3 dao4
• English translation: to find

住

• Pinyin: zhù
• Numbered pinyin: zhu4
• English translation: to live, to stay

准备

• Pinyin: zhǔn bèi
• Numbered pinyin: zhun3 bei4
• English translation: to prepare

走

• Pinyin: zǒu
• Numbered pinyin: zou3
• English translation: to walk

走路

• Pinyin: zǒu lù
• Numbered pinyin: zou3 lu4
• English translation: to walk (on the road)

坐

• Pinyin: zuò
• Numbered pinyin: zuo4
• English translation: to sit

坐下

• Pinyin: zuò xià
• Numbered pinyin: zuo4 xia4
• English translation: to sit down

做

• Pinyin: zuò
• Numbered pinyin: zuo4
• English translation: to do, to make

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