Collocations in Chinese: which verb goes with which noun
An English speaker’s Chinese can be grammatical and still wrong. Nobody makes a phone call in Chinese — they hit one, 打电话. A dream is done, 做梦; a taxi is hit as well, 打车; and rain does not fall but comes down, 下雨. No rule explains any of it, and translating the English verb word for word goes wrong with great reliability: the verb it suggests usually exists and means something else. It is a habit of the language, and habits are learnt in pairs.
Almost every pair here is a verb and its object, and the object stays even where English needs none: to sleep is 睡觉, to sneeze 打喷嚏. Because they are two words, things go between them — 了, a number, a measure word, even a person: 打了一个电话, 请三天假, 生我的气. And since the pair already has its object, nothing can follow it: angry with him is 生他的气 or 跟他生气, never with 他 added at the end. Where English suggests a different verb, it is in the third column — those are the places where it goes wrong.
打 · dǎ — hit
Literally to hit, and the verb for a whole range of things done with a quick movement of the hand: a phone call, ball games played with the hands, an injection, a taxi flagged down, an umbrella put up. English makes, plays, has or takes them, and nothing in those verbs points to dǎ. A discount is hit too, and counted the other way round: dǎ bā zhé means you pay eight tenths.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 打电话 | make a phone call, ring somebody | tempting: 做 |
| 打针 | have an injection, give an injection | |
| 打车 | take a taxi | tempting: 拿 |
| 打篮球 | play basketball | tempting: 玩 |
| 打乒乓球 | play table tennis | tempting: 玩 |
| 打招呼 | say hello, greet somebody | tempting: 说 |
| 打工 | do a part-time job, work casually | |
| 打伞 | put up an umbrella, walk under an umbrella | |
| 打牌 | play cards | |
| 打折 | give a discount, be reduced | |
| 打雷 | thunder | |
| 打架 | fight, have a fight | |
| 打喷嚏 | sneeze | |
| 打交道 | deal with, have dealings with |
我晚上给你打电话。I’ll ring you this evening.
医生给我打了一针，现在好多了。The doctor gave me an injection, and I’m much better now.
太晚了，我们打车回家吧。It’s too late — let’s take a taxi home.
开 · kāi — open
Open, and from there everything that is started or switched on: a car is opened when it is driven, a meeting when it is held, a light, the air conditioning, a joke. A doctor opens a prescription and a shop opens a receipt.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 开车 | drive (a car) | |
| 开会 | have a meeting, be in a meeting | |
| 开玩笑 | make a joke, be joking | tempting: 做 |
| 开灯 | switch on the light | |
| 开空调 | put on the air conditioning | |
| 开门 | open (of a shop), be open | |
| 开药 | prescribe medicine | tempting: 写 |
| 开学 | start the school year, term begins | tempting: 开始 |
| 开花 | blossom, flower | |
| 开发票 | issue a receipt, write out an invoice | tempting: 写 |
| 开夜车 | burn the midnight oil, work late into the night |
我哥哥每天开车去公司。My older brother drives to the office every day.
我们下午开了两个小时的会。We had a two-hour meeting this afternoon.
别生气，我是跟你开玩笑的。Don’t be cross — I was only joking.
关 · guān — close
The partner of kāi: what is switched on with kāi is switched off with guān. English turns things on and off; Chinese has no turning in it at all.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 关灯 | switch off the light | |
| 关手机 | switch off one’s phone | |
| 关门 | close (of a shop), shut |
出门前别忘了关灯。Don’t forget to switch off the light before you go out.
看电影的时候请关手机。Please switch off your phone during the film.
银行下午五点关门。The bank closes at five in the afternoon.
做 · zuò — do, make
Do and make in one verb — and English uses neither for most of its pairs. A dream is done, a meal is done, an operation and a check-up are done to you, a guest is something you do, and notes are made rather than taken.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 做饭 | cook, make a meal | |
| 做梦 | have a dream, dream | tempting: 有 |
| 做手术 | have an operation, operate | tempting: 有 |
| 做笔记 | take notes | tempting: 拿 |
| 做客 | visit as a guest, be somebody’s guest | tempting: 访问 |
| 做体检 | have a check-up | tempting: 有 |
| 做头发 | have one’s hair done | |
| 做鬼脸 | pull a face | tempting: 拉 |
今天晚上我做饭。I’m cooking tonight.
我昨天晚上做了一个奇怪的梦。I had a strange dream last night.
爷爷去年做过一次手术。Grandpa had an operation last year.
下 · xià — come down
Down, or coming down. Rain and snow come down instead of falling — there is no verb to rain. Work and lessons are got down from when they end, a chess piece is put down on the board, and a conclusion is put down rather than drawn.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 下雨 | rain | |
| 下雪 | snow | |
| 下班 | finish work, leave work | |
| 下课 | finish class, class is over | |
| 下车 | get off (a bus or train), get out of a car | |
| 下棋 | play chess | tempting: 玩 |
| 下决心 | make up one’s mind, resolve | tempting: 做 |
| 下结论 | draw a conclusion | tempting: 画 |
| 下功夫 | put in the effort, work hard at something | tempting: 放 |
外面在下雨，你带伞了吗？It’s raining outside — have you got an umbrella?
昨天下了一场大雪。Yesterday there was a heavy fall of snow.
我下了班就回家。I go straight home after work.
上 · shàng — go up
Up, or going up to something: you go up to work, to class, to university and onto the internet. Shàng bān and xià bān are the beginning and end of a working day; the measure word or the duration goes in the middle: shàng liǎng jié kè, two lessons.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 上课 | have lessons, attend class | |
| 上班 | go to work, be at work | |
| 上网 | go online, be on the internet | tempting: 去 |
| 上大学 | go to university, be at university | |
| 上厕所 | go to the toilet | |
| 上菜 | serve the food, bring the dishes | tempting: 服务 |
| 上台 | go up on stage | |
| 上当 | be taken in, fall for a trick |
明天上午我们上两节课。Tomorrow morning we have two lessons.
我妈妈在医院上班。My mum works at a hospital.
晚上我上了一会儿网，就去睡了。In the evening I went online for a while and then went to bed.
发 · fā — send out
Sent out or given off. Messages, e-mails and photos are sent with it — never with sòng, which is for gifts and people. A body gives off a fever, a temper flares out of somebody, and a seed sends out a shoot.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 发邮件 | send an e-mail | tempting: 送 |
| 发消息 | send a message, text somebody | tempting: 送 |
| 发烧 | have a temperature, run a fever | tempting: 有 |
| 发照片 | send photos | tempting: 送 |
| 发工资 | pay wages, pay salaries | |
| 发脾气 | lose one’s temper | tempting: 失去 |
| 发财 | get rich, make a fortune | |
| 发芽 | sprout, put out shoots |
我今天晚上给你发邮件。I’ll e-mail you this evening.
到家以后给我发个消息。Send me a message when you get home.
孩子发了两天烧，今天终于退了。My child had a temperature for two days; today it finally went down.
出 · chū — come out
Out of somewhere, or out into the open: out of the door, out of hospital, out of town on business. Sweat comes out of you and an accident comes out of nowhere — English has things happen, Chinese has them come out.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 出门 | go out, leave the house | |
| 出差 | go away on business, be on a business trip | |
| 出汗 | sweat, break into a sweat | |
| 出事 | have an accident, something happens | |
| 出车祸 | have a car accident | tempting: 有 |
| 出院 | leave hospital, be discharged | tempting: 离开 |
| 出主意 | come up with ideas, suggest what to do |
今天下大雨，我不想出门。It’s pouring today — I don’t feel like going out.
他这个月已经出了三次差。He has already been away on business three times this month.
跑了半个小时，我出了一身汗。After half an hour’s running I was covered in sweat.
吃 · chī — eat
Eat, with a wider stomach than in English: medicine is eaten even as a tablet, and a canteen can be eaten. Fright, hardship, a loss and jealousy are all swallowed with the same verb.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 吃药 | take medicine | tempting: 拿 |
| 吃早饭 | have breakfast | tempting: 有 |
| 吃惊 | be startled, be taken aback | |
| 吃食堂 | eat in the canteen | |
| 吃亏 | lose out, come off worse | |
| 吃苦 | go through hardship, put up with hardship | |
| 吃醋 | be jealous |
你感冒了，吃点儿药吧。You’ve got a cold — take some medicine.
我每天七点吃早饭。I have breakfast at seven every day.
听到这个消息，大家都吃了一惊。Everyone was taken aback when they heard the news.
喝 · hē — drink
Anything liquid is drunk, even from a bowl with a spoon: soup and rice porridge are drunk, not eaten. A wedding is drunk too, because the wine is what you are invited to.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 喝汤 | have soup, eat soup | tempting: 吃 |
| 喝粥 | have rice porridge | |
| 喝喜酒 | go to somebody’s wedding (banquet) |
饭前先喝碗汤吧。Have a bowl of soup before the meal.
早上我喜欢喝一碗热粥。In the morning I like a bowl of hot rice porridge.
你们什么时候请我们喝喜酒啊？So when are you two inviting us to your wedding?
看 · kàn — look
Look — and what English sees, visits or reads. You look at an illness when you see a doctor, and look at a friend when you visit them. Read kān, with the first tone, it means to look after: children, a house.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 看病 | see a doctor, go to the doctor | tempting: 见 |
| 看朋友 | visit a friend, go and see a friend | tempting: 访问 |
| 看报纸 | read the newspaper | |
| 看孩子 | look after the children (read kān) | |
| 看家 | mind the house (read kān) | |
| 看热闹 | stand and watch, gather to watch | |
| 看笑话 | laugh at somebody, see somebody make a fool of themselves |
我头疼得厉害，想去医院看病。I’ve got a bad headache — I want to go to the hospital and see a doctor.
周末我去南京看一个老朋友。At the weekend I’m going to Nanjing to see an old friend.
爸爸习惯一边喝茶一边看报纸。My dad is in the habit of reading the paper over a cup of tea.
想 · xiǎng — think
Think, and also miss: a person or home that is missed is thought of. The English verb miss suggests cuòguò, which is for a train or a chance that went by.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 想办法 | find a way, think of something | |
| 想家 | be homesick, miss home | tempting: 错过 |
| 想家人 | miss one’s family | tempting: 错过 |
| 想主意 | think of an idea | |
| 想心事 | be lost in thought, brood over something |
别着急，我们一起想办法。Don’t worry — we’ll find a way together.
刚来中国的时候，我很想家。When I first came to China I was very homesick.
在国外留学的时候，我特别想家人。When I was studying abroad, I missed my family terribly.
拿 · ná — take in the hand
Take, but only in the hand — which is why it is wrong for a taxi, a photo or a nap. It is right for what you carry off: a prize, first place, a salary, a licence — and a decision, which you take hold of.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 拿第一 | come first | tempting: 来 |
| 拿冠军 | win the championship, win the title | tempting: 赢 |
| 拿工资 | earn a salary, be paid | |
| 拿奖学金 | get a scholarship | |
| 拿驾照 | get a driving licence | |
| 拿主意 | make the decision, decide | tempting: 做 |
她这次考试又拿了第一。She came first in the exam again.
我们学校的篮球队拿了冠军。Our school’s basketball team won the championship.
他刚工作不久，拿的工资不高。He hasn’t been working long, so he isn’t paid much.
坐 · zuò — sit
Sit: a bus, a train, a plane or a boat is something you sit in. English takes the bus; ná the bus would mean picking it up.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 坐公交车 | take the bus, go by bus | tempting: 拿 |
| 坐地铁 | take the underground | tempting: 拿 |
| 坐飞机 | fly, go by plane | |
| 坐船 | go by boat, take the ferry |
我每天坐公交车去学校。I take the bus to school every day.
坐地铁比打车快多了。Taking the underground is much quicker than getting a taxi.
从北京到上海坐飞机只要两个小时。It’s only two hours from Beijing to Shanghai by plane.
戴 · dài — wear (on the body)
English wears everything. Chinese wears clothes with chuān and everything else — glasses, a hat, a watch, a ring, a mask — with dài, which is for what is put on or attached rather than stepped or slipped into.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 戴眼镜 | wear glasses | tempting: 穿 |
| 戴帽子 | wear a hat, put a hat on | tempting: 穿 |
| 戴手表 | wear a watch | tempting: 穿 |
| 戴口罩 | wear a mask | |
| 戴戒指 | wear a ring | tempting: 穿 |
我看书的时候要戴眼镜。I need my glasses for reading.
外面很冷，戴上帽子吧。It’s cold outside — put your hat on.
他从来不戴手表，看时间都用手机。He never wears a watch — he checks the time on his phone.
穿 · chuān — wear (clothes)
Put on or wear anything you go into: clothes, trousers, shoes, socks. Chuān is the dictionary word for wear, and it stops at the edge of clothing.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 穿鞋 | wear shoes, have shoes on | tempting: 戴 |
| 穿袜子 | put on socks |
别穿鞋进卧室。Don’t go into the bedroom with your shoes on.
天冷了，在家也穿上袜子吧。It’s turned cold — put some socks on, even at home.
系 · jì — tie
Tie, and so wear for a tie, and fasten for a seat belt. Read jì in these pairs; the same character is xì in other words.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 系安全带 | fasten one’s seat belt | |
| 系领带 | wear a tie, put on a tie | tempting: 穿 |
| 系鞋带 | tie one’s shoelaces |
上车以后请系好安全带。Please fasten your seat belt once you’re in the car.
面试那天他特意系了一条领带。On the day of the interview he made a point of wearing a tie.
孩子五岁了，已经会自己系鞋带了。Our child is five and can already tie his own shoelaces.
弹 · tán — pluck
English plays every instrument. Chinese chooses the verb by what the hands do: keys and strings that are struck or plucked take tán — a piano, a guitar.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 弹钢琴 | play the piano | tempting: 玩 |
| 弹吉他 | play the guitar | tempting: 玩 |
她从五岁开始弹钢琴。She has played the piano since she was five.
他一边弹吉他一边唱歌。He sings while he plays the guitar.
拉 · lā — pull
Pull: instruments played with a bow, the violin and the erhu. And an upset stomach, which pulls in its own way.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 拉小提琴 | play the violin | tempting: 玩 |
| 拉二胡 | play the erhu | |
| 拉肚子 | have diarrhoea, have an upset stomach | tempting: 有 |
我弟弟在学拉小提琴。My little brother is learning the violin.
一位老人坐在树下拉二胡。An old man was sitting under a tree playing the erhu.
昨天吃了不干净的东西，今天一直拉肚子。I ate something that wasn’t clean yesterday, and I’ve had an upset stomach all day.
踢 · tī — kick
Kick: games played with the feet. Football is kicked, not played — wán zúqiú sounds like messing about with a ball.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 踢足球 | play football | tempting: 玩 |
| 踢毽子 | play shuttlecock (kicked) |
放学以后，我们常常在操场踢足球。After school we often play football on the sports ground.
几个老人在公园门口踢毽子。A few old people were kicking a shuttlecock about at the park gate.
吹 · chuī — blow
Blow: wind instruments, a hairdryer — and a boast, which is blown up like a skin.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 吹笛子 | play the flute | tempting: 玩 |
| 吹头发 | blow-dry one’s hair | |
| 吹牛 | boast, brag |
他会吹笛子，还会拉二胡。He can play the flute, and the erhu too.
洗完澡我先吹头发。After my shower I dry my hair first.
别听他吹牛，他根本不会游泳。Don’t listen to his bragging — he can’t swim at all.
刮 · guā — scrape
Scrape or sweep: the wind sweeps across the land, and a razor scrapes a beard. Chinese has no everyday adjective for windy — the weather sweeps up a wind, guā fēng.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 刮风 | be windy, the wind blows | |
| 刮胡子 | shave |
今天刮大风，出门多穿点儿衣服。It’s very windy today — put on something warm if you go out.
我爸爸每天早上刮胡子。My dad shaves every morning.
交 · jiāo — hand over
Hand over what is due: homework, fees, rent. And friends, whom you exchange rather than make.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 交作业 | hand in homework | tempting: 给 |
| 交朋友 | make friends | tempting: 做 |
| 交学费 | pay tuition fees | |
| 交房租 | pay the rent |
明天上课以前要交作业。The homework has to be handed in before class tomorrow.
来北京以后，我交了不少新朋友。Since coming to Beijing I’ve made quite a few new friends.
新学期开始前，学生要先交学费。Students have to pay their fees before the new term begins.
订 · dìng — book
Book or reserve in advance: tickets, a hotel, a table. The English word book suggests the noun shū, which is a thing to read.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 订票 | book tickets | tempting: 书 |
| 订酒店 | book a hotel | |
| 订座位 | book a table, reserve seats |
我在网上订了两张电影票。I’ve booked two cinema tickets online.
出发前别忘了订酒店。Don’t forget to book a hotel before you set off.
周五晚上人多，最好提前订座位。Friday evenings are busy, so it’s best to book a table in advance.
点 · diǎn — point, tick
Point at, tick off: food is ordered by pointing it out on a menu. The English verb order suggests mìnglìng, which is a command. A nod is a dot of the head.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 点菜 | order (food in a restaurant) | tempting: 命令 |
| 点外卖 | order a takeaway | |
| 点头 | nod |
服务员，我们要点菜。Waiter, we’d like to order.
今天太累了，我们点外卖吧。I’m too tired today — let’s order a takeaway.
老师听完我的回答，点了点头。The teacher heard my answer out and nodded.
犯 · fàn — offend against
Commit, offend against: a mistake is committed rather than made, a law offended against rather than broken. Sleepiness comes over you with the same verb.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 犯错误 | make a mistake | tempting: 做 |
| 犯法 | break the law | tempting: 打破 |
| 犯规 | commit a foul | |
| 犯困 | feel sleepy, get drowsy |
谁都会犯错误，改了就好。Everyone makes mistakes — what matters is putting them right.
酒后开车是犯法的。Driving after drinking is against the law.
他在比赛中犯了两次规。He committed two fouls during the match.
提 · tí — raise
Lift or raise: a suggestion, a criticism, a question, a demand. English makes most of these, and zuò is wrong for all of them.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 提问题 | raise a question, ask questions | |
| 提意见 | make a criticism, give feedback | tempting: 做 |
| 提建议 | make a suggestion | tempting: 做 |
| 提要求 | make a request, make a demand |
有不懂的地方，可以随时提问题。If there’s anything you don’t understand, feel free to ask at any time.
欢迎大家给我们提意见。We welcome any comments or criticism you may have.
开会的时候，她提了一个很好的建议。In the meeting she made a very good suggestion.
解决 · jiějué — solve
Solve or settle. Wèntí is both a question and a problem, so the verb tells them apart: a question is answered with huídá, a problem is solved with jiějué.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 解决问题 | solve a problem | tempting: 回答 |
| 解决矛盾 | settle a disagreement |
生气不能解决问题。Getting angry won’t solve the problem.
他们两个坐下来谈了一次，终于解决了矛盾。The two of them sat down and talked it over, and finally settled their disagreement.
参加 · cānjiā — take part
Take part in: an exam is taken part in, not taken, a competition is entered by taking part, and a wedding is gone to the same way.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 参加考试 | take an exam, sit an exam | tempting: 拿 |
| 参加婚礼 | go to a wedding | tempting: 去 |
| 参加比赛 | enter a competition, take part in a match | tempting: 进入 |
她这个周末要参加一个重要的考试。She’s sitting an important exam this weekend.
明天我要参加表姐的婚礼。Tomorrow I’m going to my cousin’s wedding.
他报名参加了学校的唱歌比赛。He has signed up for the school singing competition.
生 · shēng — give rise to
Be born, give rise to: an illness and anger arise in you, a child is born, a fire is started. Shēngqì is two words, so the person you are angry with goes inside: shēng wǒ de qì.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 生气 | get angry, be cross with somebody | |
| 生病 | fall ill, be ill | |
| 生孩子 | have a baby, give birth | tempting: 有 |
| 生火 | light a fire, make a fire |
你别生我的气，好吗？Please don’t be cross with me, OK?
去年冬天他生了一场大病。He was seriously ill last winter.
我姐姐打算明年生孩子。My older sister is planning to have a baby next year.
请 · qǐng — request, invite
Request or invite. Time off is requested, never asked with wèn; a treat is an invitation, so the one who invites pays. The number of days goes between the two halves: qǐng yì tiān jià.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 请假 | ask for time off, take a day off | tempting: 问 |
| 请客 | treat somebody, pay for everyone | |
| 请病假 | take sick leave | tempting: 拿 |
孩子病了，我得跟公司请一天假。My child is ill, so I’ll have to ask work for a day off.
上次是你请的客，这次该我了。You treated us last time — this time it’s my turn.
他腰疼，请了一个星期的病假。His back was hurting, so he took a week’s sick leave.
照 · zhào — shine, reflect
Shine on or reflect: a photo is a likeness reflected, and a mirror is something you are reflected in. The English take suggests ná, which is wrong for both.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 照相 | take a photo, have one’s photo taken | tempting: 拿 |
| 照镜子 | look in the mirror |
来，我们在这儿照张相吧。Come on, let’s have a photo taken here.
她出门前总是照一下镜子。She always has a look in the mirror before she goes out.
拍 · pāi — clap, pat
Pat or clap — and the click of a camera: photos, films and videos are clapped rather than taken or made.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 拍照 | take a photo | tempting: 拿 |
| 拍电影 | make a film | tempting: 做 |
| 拍视频 | film a video | tempting: 做 |
| 拍手 | clap, applaud |
能帮我们拍张照吗？Could you take a photo of us?
他的梦想是拍电影。His dream is to make films.
她喜欢拍做饭的视频。She likes filming cooking videos.
睡 · shuì — sleep
English sleeps without an object; Chinese sleeps a sleep, shuì jiào, and the kind of sleep goes in the object: a nap after lunch, a lie-in, a good night.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 睡觉 | sleep, go to bed | |
| 睡午觉 | have a nap after lunch | tempting: 拿 |
| 睡懒觉 | have a lie-in |
昨天晚上我睡了一个好觉。I had a good night’s sleep last night.
爷爷每天吃完午饭都要睡午觉。Grandpa has a nap after lunch every day.
星期天我喜欢睡懒觉。On Sundays I like to have a lie-in.
洗 · xǐ — wash
Wash, where English has a shower, does the laundry or does the washing-up. Zuò is the verb English suggests, and it turns a wash into making something.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 洗澡 | have a shower, have a bath | tempting: 有 |
| 洗衣服 | do the washing, do the laundry | tempting: 做 |
| 洗碗 | do the washing-up | tempting: 做 |
| 洗头 | wash one’s hair |
我每天晚上洗个澡再睡。Every evening I have a shower before I go to bed.
周末我要洗衣服、打扫房间。At weekends I do the washing and clean my room.
你做饭，我洗碗。You cook, I’ll do the washing-up.
讲 · jiǎng — tell, speak about
Tell or set out: a story, a joke, a price you argue over. The English tell suggests gàosu, which informs somebody of a fact and never tells a story.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 讲故事 | tell a story | tempting: 告诉 |
| 讲笑话 | tell a joke | tempting: 告诉 |
| 讲价 | haggle, bargain | |
| 讲道理 | be reasonable, listen to reason |
妈妈每天晚上给孩子讲故事。Mum tells the children a story every evening.
他很会讲笑话，大家都爱听。He’s very good at telling jokes, and everyone loves listening to him.
在市场上买东西可以讲价。You can haggle when you buy things at the market.
说 · shuō — say
Say: a lie and the truth are said, not told — gàosu again is the trap — and so is what you mutter in your sleep.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 说实话 | tell the truth, be honest | tempting: 告诉 |
| 说谎 | tell a lie | tempting: 告诉 |
| 说梦话 | talk in one’s sleep |
说实话，我不太喜欢这个电影。To be honest, I didn’t really like this film.
他从来没说过谎。He has never told a lie.
你昨天晚上又说梦话了。You were talking in your sleep again last night.
花 · huā — spend
Spend money, time or effort. Where English says something takes time, Chinese says you spend it; ná is wrong.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 花钱 | spend money | |
| 花时间 | spend time, take time | tempting: 拿 |
| 花心思 | put thought into something |
她花钱很小心。She’s careful with money.
学汉字要花不少时间。Learning characters takes a good deal of time.
为了这次聚会，她花了很多心思。She put a lot of thought into this party.
过 · guò — pass, get through
Pass through: a road is passed over rather than crossed, a birthday or a festival passed through rather than had, and a life lived day by day is days passed.
| Chinese | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 过生日 | celebrate one’s birthday, have a birthday | tempting: 有 |
| 过马路 | cross the road | tempting: 交叉 |
| 过年 | celebrate the New Year, spend Spring Festival | |
| 过日子 | live, get by from day to day | tempting: 住 |
明天我过生日，你来吗？It’s my birthday tomorrow — will you come?
过马路的时候要小心。Be careful when you cross the road.
每年我都回老家过年。Every year I go back to my home town for the New Year.