The vivid, colloquial verbs of family life and the office: nagging, coaxing, dodging, putting up with.
These verbs make spoken Chinese sound lived-in. Many are a single character, and the character says exactly what a longer English phrase spells out: 嫌 is to object to something because of one fault, 蹭 to get something for free, 熬 to get through a long hard stretch. They are informal, so in writing a more neutral word is often better. Several have a second reading with another meaning: 挨, to suffer, is āi when it means next to.
The words
View
Verb (40)
挑选to choose carefully; to pick outVerb4
她在店里挑选了半个小时，最后什么也没买。She spent half an hour choosing in the shop and in the end bought nothing.
More careful and deliberate than 挑 or 选.
琢磨to ponder; to mull overVerb5
这个问题我琢磨了好几天才想明白。I mulled this question over for days before I understood it.
zuómo when it means to think over; zhuómó means to polish jade or a text.
打听to ask around; to inquire aboutVerb4
我帮你打听一下那家公司怎么样。I'll ask around for you about what that company is like.
唠叨to nag; to go on and onVerb5
我妈每天唠叨着让我早点儿睡。My mum nags me every day to go to bed earlier.
凑to pool; to put together; to move closeVerb5
大家凑钱给老师买了一份礼物。Everyone chipped in to buy the teacher a present.
Also to come closer: 凑近一点儿.
躲to hide; to dodge; to take shelterVerb4
下大雨了，我们先到商店里躲一下吧。It's pouring; let's shelter in the shop for a bit.
瞒to hide (the truth) from; to keep fromVerb5
这件事你为什么一直瞒着我？Why have you kept this from me all this time?
嫌to dislike (because of one fault); to mindVerb5
他嫌这家饭馆太吵，想换一家。He found this restaurant too noisy and wanted to go somewhere else.
Typically 嫌 + thing + 太 + fault.
盼to long for; to look forward toVerb5
孩子天天盼着放暑假。The child can't wait for the summer holidays to start.
Shorter and more colloquial than 盼望.
熬to endure; to stay up; to simmerVerb5
为了赶报告，他熬了一个通宵。He stayed up all night to get the report finished.
Also to simmer (熬粥) and to get through hard times.
哄to coax; to soothe; to foolVerb5
孩子哭了，爸爸怎么哄也没用。The child was crying, and nothing her father did to soothe her worked.
hǒng here; hōng is the noise of a crowd laughing.
逗to amuse; to tease; funnyVerb5
他很会逗小孩子笑。He is very good at making little children laugh.
Also an adjective: 这个人真逗, he is really funny.
惹to provoke; to cause (trouble)Verb5
别惹他，他今天心情不好。Don't provoke him; he's in a bad mood today.
惹麻烦, to cause trouble; 惹人生气, to make someone angry.
糊弄to fool; to do sloppilyVerb5
修东西要认真，不能随便糊弄。If you're mending something, do it properly; you can't just botch it.
溜to slip away; to sneak off; to slideVerb5
会还没开完，他就偷偷溜了。He slipped away before the meeting was over.
Also to slide: 溜冰, to skate.
拦to stop; to block (someone's way)Verb5
门卫拦着不让他进去。The guard blocked his way and would not let him in.
拦出租车: to hail a taxi.
蹭to rub; to get something for freeVerb5
他经常来我家蹭饭。He often turns up at my place for a free meal.
Literally to rub against; 蹭网, to use someone else's wifi.
凑合to make do; so-soVerb5
房间小是小，住一晚还能凑合。The room is small, but it will do for one night.
Also of a skill that is passable: 他的中文还凑合.
折腾to toss about; to wear out; to mess aboutVerb5
搬了三次家，真把我折腾坏了。Moving house three times has really worn me out.
耽误to delay; to hold up; to waste (time)Verb4
对不起，耽误你这么多时间。Sorry to have taken up so much of your time.
嘀咕to mutter; to have misgivingsVerb5
他一边走一边小声嘀咕。He muttered to himself as he walked.
心里直嘀咕: to have nagging doubts.
攒to save up; to accumulateVerb5
她攒了两年的钱，终于买了一辆车。She saved for two years and finally bought a car.
zǎn; read cuán, it means to gather together.
赖to blame (unfairly); to hang on; to denyVerb5
自己做错了就承认，别赖别人。If you got it wrong, admit it; don't blame other people.
赖床: to lie in and refuse to get up.
顶嘴to talk back; to answer backVerb5
小时候我常跟妈妈顶嘴。As a child I often talked back to my mother.
Separable: 顶了几句嘴.
怪to blameVerb4
这不能怪他，是我没说清楚。You can't blame him for this; I didn't explain it clearly.
惦记to keep thinking about; to be concerned aboutVerb5
奶奶一直惦记着在外地上大学的孙子。Grandma is always thinking about her grandson, who is at university in another city.
憋to hold in; to suppressVerb5
有话就直接说，别憋在心里。If you have something to say, just say it; don't bottle it up.
Also of breath: 憋气, to hold one's breath.
忍to bear; to put up withVerb4
牙疼得厉害，他忍了一夜才去看医生。His toothache was terrible; he put up with it all night before going to the doctor.
挨to suffer; to be subjected toVerb5
他上班又迟到了，挨了老板一顿骂。He was late for work again and got a telling-off from the boss.
ái in 挨骂, 挨饿; āi means next to: 挨着.
拖to put off; to dragVerb4
这件事不能再拖了，今天就办。This can't be put off any longer; let's deal with it today.
Also literally to drag: 拖地, to mop the floor.
磨蹭to dawdleVerb5
快点儿，别磨蹭了，车要开了！Hurry up and stop dawdling, the bus is about to leave!
闹to make a fuss; to make a noiseVerb4
孩子在超市里闹着要买玩具。The child made a scene in the supermarket, wanting a toy.
Also of trouble breaking out: 闹矛盾, 闹肚子.
讨好to curry favour with; to pleaseVerb5
他总是想讨好老板，同事都不太喜欢他。He is always trying to get in with the boss, and his colleagues don't much like him.
敷衍to go through the motions; to brush offVerb5
他随便说了几句，明显是在敷衍我。He just said a few words; he was clearly brushing me off.
吃亏to lose out; to come off worseVerb5
这样分钱，你不是吃亏了吗？If we split the money that way, won't you lose out?
Separable: 吃了大亏, to come off very badly.
占便宜to take advantage (of others); to get something for nothingVerb5
他这个人从来不占便宜，大家都信任他。He never takes advantage of anyone, so everyone trusts him.
便 is pián here, as in 便宜, cheap.
打发to while away (time); to send awayVerb5
下雨的时候他在家看小说打发时间。When it rains he passes the time at home reading novels.
盯to stare at; to keep an eye onVerb5
老板一直盯着电脑屏幕，好像没听见。The boss kept his eyes fixed on the screen, as if he hadn't heard.
瞪to glare at; to stare wide-eyedVerb5
我刚说完，她就瞪了我一眼。The moment I finished speaking, she glared at me.
惯to spoil (a child); to be used toVerb5
你别老惯着孩子，他要什么就给什么。Stop spoiling the child all the time, giving him whatever he wants.
Also used to: 吃不惯, not used to the food.
This list belongs to The scaffolding — 21 lists and 842 words that can also be practised as a whole.
Practise this list
Multiple choice and gaps, drawn from exactly these 40 words. Whatever you get wrong comes back tomorrow.