Deciding, choosing, trying, succeeding and failing, and what happens along the way.
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
Many verbs here pair with a fixed set of nouns, and the pairs are worth learning whole: you 参加 an event, 举行 a ceremony, 提高 a level and 解决 a problem. English “take part”, “hold”, “improve” and “solve” spread more widely, so a Chinese verb that looks like its English partner may refuse a noun the English verb accepts.
The words
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Verb (40)
决定to decide; decisionVerb3
我们决定明年春天结婚。We have decided to get married next spring.
选择to choose; choiceVerb3
这两份工作都不错，我不知道该选择哪个。Both jobs are good; I do not know which one to choose.
发现to discover; to notice; to find outVerb3
到了家我才发现钥匙不见了。Only when I got home did I notice my keys were gone.
提高to improve; to raiseVerb3
多听多说能提高你的口语。Listening and speaking a lot will improve your spoken Chinese.
With a level or a quality as object: 提高水平.
改变to change; changeVerb3
这次旅行改变了我对这个国家的看法。This trip changed my view of the country.
完成to complete; to finishVerb3
我终于完成了老板给的任务。I have finally finished the task the boss gave me.
保护to protect; to look afterVerb3
我们应该保护好自己的眼睛。We should take good care of our eyes.
参加to take part in; to attend; to joinVerb3
这次活动有三百多人参加。More than three hundred people took part in this event.
举行to hold (an event); to take placeVerb3
明天的会议在三楼举行。Tomorrow’s meeting will be held on the third floor.
Formal; for ceremonies, meetings and matches.
举办to organise; to host (an event)Verb3
我们学校每年都举办一次音乐节。Our school holds a music festival every year.
Stresses who puts the event on; 举行 stresses that it takes place, and can have the event itself as subject.
组织to organise; organisationVerb3
这次旅行是班长组织的。This trip was organised by the class monitor.
打算to plan; to intend; planVerb3
你毕业以后打算做什么？What do you plan to do after you graduate?
放弃to give upVerb3
遇到困难不要马上放弃。Do not give up straight away when you hit a difficulty.
解决to solve; to settleVerb3
这个问题我们一起想办法解决。Let’s think of a way to solve this problem together.
成功to succeed; successful; successVerb3
试了很多次，他终于成功了。After many attempts he finally succeeded.
失败to fail; failureVerb3
这次失败让他学到了很多。This failure taught him a lot.
降低to lower; to reduceVerb3
这家店降低了价格，顾客多了不少。This shop has lowered its prices and gained quite a few customers.
The opposite of 提高.
继续to continue; to go onVerb3
休息十分钟，然后我们继续。Let’s take a ten-minute break and then carry on.
出现to appear; to turn upVerb3
等了半个小时，他才出现。We waited half an hour before he showed up.
消失to disappear; to vanishVerb3
太阳出来以后，雾慢慢消失了。After the sun came out, the fog slowly cleared.
变成to turn into; to becomeVerb3
几年不见，那个小女孩变成了大姑娘。After a few years apart, that little girl had become a young woman.
失去to lose (something one had)Verb3
他因为一个错误失去了工作。He lost his job because of one mistake.
得到to get; to receive; to gainVerb3
他的建议得到了老板的支持。His suggestion won the boss’s support.
得 is read dé here.
接受to acceptVerb3
他接受了我的道歉。He accepted my apology.
注意to pay attention to; to be careful ofVerb3
开车的时候要注意安全。Drive carefully.
Literally “pay attention to safety”, the standard way of saying “take care”.
允许to allow; to permitVerb3
这儿不允许抽烟。Smoking is not allowed here.
禁止to forbid; to prohibitVerb3
公园里禁止骑摩托车。Riding motorbikes is forbidden in the park.
The word on signs: 禁止停车, “no parking”.
改正to correct; to put rightVerb3
有了错误就要改正。When you have made a mistake, you should put it right.
离开to leaveVerb3
他十八岁就离开了家。He left home at eighteen.
Takes the place left as a direct object: 离开北京.
经过to pass by; to go through; processVerb3
我每天上班都经过那家面包店。I pass that bakery every day on my way to work.
遇到to run into; to come acrossVerb3
我在超市遇到了以前的老师。I ran into my old teacher at the supermarket.
Also for problems: 遇到困难.
停止to stop; to ceaseVerb3
他一直没有停止学习中文。He has never stopped studying Chinese.
More formal than 停.
达到to reach; to achieveVerb3
今天的气温达到了三十八度。Today the temperature reached thirty-eight degrees.
计算to calculate; to work outVerb3
请你计算一下这次旅行一共花了多少钱。Please work out how much this trip cost altogether.
估计to estimate; to reckonVerb3
路上堵车，我估计他要晚到半个小时。The traffic is bad; I reckon he will be half an hour late.
利用to make use of; to take advantage ofVerb3
我利用坐地铁的时间背生词。I use my time on the underground to learn new words by heart.
Can also mean to use a person unfairly.
认出to recogniseVerb3
十年没见，我一下子没认出他来。We had not met for ten years, and at first I did not recognise him.
Often with 来 after the object: 认出他来.
找到to findVerb3
我找了半天，终于找到了眼镜。I searched for ages and finally found my glasses.
找 is “to look for”; only 找到 is “to find”.
进行to carry out; to be in progressVerb3
会议正在进行，请安静。The meeting is in progress; please be quiet.
Formal; often with an action noun as object: 进行讨论.
修改to revise; to amendVerb3
这篇文章我又修改了两遍。I have revised this article twice more.
