· 21 lists · 842 words

Basic words: numbers, time, verbs

Numbers, money, clock, pronouns, measure words, basic verbs, adjectives, adverbs.

What holds these lists together

These lists belong to no area, which is to say they belong to all of them: the question words, numbers and time, the measure words, the basic verbs and adjectives, and the adverbs that set the tone of a sentence. Chinese adds two reasons English does not have. A number cannot stand directly before a noun: a measure word goes between them, chosen by the kind of thing counted — 一(yì)张(zhāng)票(piào) for something flat such as a ticket, 一(yì)条(tiáo)河(hé) for something long such as a river, and 个(gè) for a great many others. And two has two words: 二(èr) when counting, 两(liǎng) before a measure word, so two books are 两(liǎng)本(běn)书(shū) and never èr běn shū. The question words, finally, stay where the answer will stand: 你(nǐ)去(qù)哪儿(nǎr)？ is literally "you go where?", with nothing moved to the front. Anyone wondering where to start starts here.

The 21 lists

1Numbers and moneyCounting, prices, and the words for paying and changing money.40 words 1Clock and calendarTelling the time, the days of the week, dates and the parts of the day.40 words 1Pronouns and question wordsI, you and they, this and that, here and there, and the words that ask.40 words 1Basic verbsThe verbs a first conversation cannot do without, and the two words that say no.40 words 1Basic adjectivesBig and small, hot and cold, cheap and dear: the first words for describing things.40 words 1The first measure wordsEight measure words and the phrases they make with the nouns of the first week.40 words 2Time wordsBefore and after, just now and in a moment, how long and how often.40 words 2Everyday verbsGiving, taking, looking for, waiting, lending, remembering and forgetting.40 words 2Everyday adjectivesClean and dirty, easy and hard, quiet and noisy, heavy and light.40 words 2Adverbs and connecting wordsThe small words that say too, also, still, again, because, but and if.41 words 2More measure wordsThe measure words for animals, vehicles, pairs, portions and how many times.40 words 3Verbs for getting things doneDeciding, choosing, trying, succeeding and failing, and what happens along the way.40 words 3Describing thingsSafe and dangerous, normal and strange, familiar, formal, and the shape and feel of things.40 words 3Adverbs: how, when and how sureSuddenly, finally, actually, on purpose, while you are at it, and other words that shade a verb.40 words 3Quantities and measuresUnits of length, weight and volume, fractions, per cent and the words for more and less.40 words 3How often, and whenWords for habits, frequency and the past, present and future.40 words 4Everyday verbs for doing thingsThe exact verbs for hanging, folding, tying, pouring, reminding and keeping someone company.40 words 4Adjectives for describing and judgingThe adjectives that say how detailed, stable, reliable or obvious something is.40 words 4Time and changeHow things develop, last, speed up or are put off — and the words for periods and eras.41 words 5Sharper everyday verbsThe vivid, colloquial verbs of family life and the office: nagging, coaxing, dodging, putting up with.40 words 5Precise adjectivesAdjectives for judging, describing and weighing things up with some precision.40 words

Spread across the levels

The category runs across the levels — it is an area, not a difficulty. If you practise it, you can also choose a level at the top of the practice page and then get only the part that sits there.

Level	Words	Share
1	248	29 %
2	196	23 %
3	202	24 %
4	130	15 %
5	66	8 %

Practise this category

Multiple choice and gaps, across all 21 lists and all 842 words. Whatever you get wrong comes back tomorrow.