Getting up, washing, meals, going out and coming home, in the order of a day.
Practise this list
From these 40 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.
More about this list
A day in Chinese is told in the order it happens, and the time comes before the verb: 我七点起床, “I get up at seven”. Many of these verbs are a verb and its object fused into one word — 洗澡, 刷牙, 散步 — and they split when something comes between the two halves: 洗了澡. That is also why they cannot take a second object.
The words
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Verb (15)
起床to get up (out of bed)Verb2
你明天几点起床？What time are you getting up tomorrow?
醒to wake up; to be awakeVerb2
我今天五点就醒了。I woke up at five today.
醒 is waking; 起床 is actually getting out of bed.
叫醒to wake (somebody) upVerb2
明天早上七点叫醒我，好吗？Could you wake me at seven tomorrow morning?
洗脸to wash one’s faceVerb2
起床以后我先洗脸。After I get up, I wash my face first.
刷牙to brush one’s teethVerb2
吃完饭最好刷牙。It’s best to brush your teeth after a meal.
洗澡to have a shower; to have a bathVerb2
我是晚上洗澡，不是早上。I shower in the evening, not in the morning.
Separable: 洗个澡, to have a quick shower.
洗手to wash one’s handsVerb2
吃饭以前要洗手。You should wash your hands before eating.
梳头to comb one’s hairVerb2
她每天早上梳头要梳很久。Every morning she spends ages combing her hair.
出门to go out, leave the houseVerb2
我八点出门，八点半到公司。I leave home at eight and get to the office at half past.
回家to go home, come homeVerb1
你今天几点回家？What time are you coming home today?
迟到to be lateVerb2
快走吧，我们要迟到了！Hurry up, we’re going to be late!
散步to go for a walkVerb2
晚饭以后我们去公园散步。After dinner we go for a walk in the park.
Separable: 散散步, to take a short stroll.
遛狗to walk the dogVerb2
下班回来，我先去遛狗。When I get back from work, I take the dog for a walk first.
做梦to dreamVerb2
我昨天晚上做了一个奇怪的梦。I had a strange dream last night.
Separable: the dream itself comes between the halves.
睡着to fall asleepVerb2
我看着书就睡着了。I fell asleep while I was reading.
着 is zháo here, a result; the 着 earlier in the sentence means “while”.
Noun (13)
闹钟alarm clockNoun2
我的闹钟今天没响。My alarm clock didn’t go off today.
Measure word: 个.
梳子combNoun2
这把梳子是木头的。This comb is made of wood.
Measure word: 把.
牙刷toothbrushNoun2
我忘了带牙刷。I forgot to bring my toothbrush.
Measure word: 支 or 把.
牙膏toothpasteNoun2
牙膏用完了，得买新的。The toothpaste has run out; we need to buy some more.
香皂soap (for washing)Noun2
洗手间里没有香皂了。There’s no soap left in the bathroom.
Measure word: 块.
洗发水shampooNoun2
这种洗发水很香。This shampoo smells nice.
发 is fà, hair, as in 头发; not fā, to send.
吹风机hair dryerNoun2
洗完头，我用吹风机吹头发。After washing my hair, I dry it with the hair dryer.
早饭breakfastNoun2
今天没时间吃早饭。There was no time for breakfast today.
午饭lunchNoun2
我们十二点吃午饭。We have lunch at twelve.
晚饭dinner, evening mealNoun2
晚饭做好了，快来吃！Dinner’s ready — come and eat!
午觉nap after lunchNoun2
吃完午饭，奶奶要睡午觉。After lunch Grandma has a nap.
Usually 睡午觉, to take a nap.
习惯habit; to be used toNoun2
我还不习惯这么早起床。I’m still not used to getting up this early.
生活life; to liveNoun2
他的生活很简单。He lives a very simple life.
Adjective (1)
一般usually; ordinaryAdjective2
周末我一般九点起床。At weekends I usually get up at nine.
Adverb (3)
天天every single dayAdverb2
我天天喝咖啡。I drink coffee every single day.
More spoken than 每天.
先first; beforeAdverb2
我先洗澡，再吃晚饭。I’ll have a shower first and then eat dinner.
先 … 再 …: first …, then ….
最后finally; lastAdverb2
最后我关了灯去睡觉。Finally I turned off the light and went to bed.
Phrase (3)
睡懒觉to sleep in, have a lie-inPhrase2
星期天我喜欢睡懒觉。On Sundays I like to have a lie-in.
Literally “to sleep a lazy sleep”; 觉 is read jiào here.
刮胡子to shavePhrase2
爸爸每天都刮胡子。Dad shaves every day.
Literally “to scrape the beard”.
早睡早起early to bed and early to risePhrase2
放假的时候我也早睡早起。Even on holiday I go to bed early and get up early.
Place word (1)
路上on the wayPlace word2
路上我买了一个包子。On the way I bought a steamed bun.
Time word (4)
每天every dayTime word1
他每天走路上班。He walks to work every day.
夜里at night, in the nightTime word2
夜里孩子醒了两次。The child woke up twice in the night.
半夜midnight; the middle of the nightTime word2
他常常半夜才睡觉。He often doesn’t go to bed until the middle of the night.
傍晚early evening, duskTime word2
傍晚我在河边跑步。In the early evening I go running by the river.
