55 Chinese Verbs to Describe Your Daily Routine

guān nào zhōng

关闹钟

turn off the alarm

tā yī tīng dào nào zhōng shēng jiù lì mǎ guān nào zhōng le.

他一听到闹钟声就立马关闹钟了。

He turned off the alarm as soon as he heard it.

lā shēn shēn tǐ

拉伸身体

stretch the body

tā měi tiān xǐng lái hòu dōu zài chuáng shàng lā shēn shēn tǐ wǔ fēn zhōng.

他每天醒来后都在床上拉伸身体五分钟。

He stretches his body for five minutes in bed every day after he wakes up.

qǐ chuáng

起床

get up

wǒ zǎo shang qī diǎn qǐ chuáng.

我早上七点起床。

I get up at seven in the morning.

zhěng lǐ chuáng pù

整理床铺

make the bed

wǒ bà ba zài zhěng lǐ chuáng pù.

我爸爸在整理床铺。

My dad is making the bed.

shàng cè suǒ

上厕所

go to the toilet

yé ye yī qǐ chuáng jiù shàng cè suǒ.

爷爷一起床就上厕所。

My grandpa went to the toilet once he got up.

xǐ zǎo

洗澡

take a shower

tā měi tiān zǎo shang xǐ zǎo.

她每天早上洗澡。

She takes a shower every morning.

chuān yī fu

穿衣服

get dressed

tā zài chuān yī fu.

她在穿衣服。

She is getting dressed.

shū tóu

梳头

comb one's hair

wǒ jiě jie měi tiān zǎo shang huā 20 fēn zhōng shū tóu.

我姐姐每天早上花20分钟梳头。

My older sister spends 20 minutes combing her hair every morning.

xǐ shǒu

洗手

wash one's hands

nǐ chī fàn qián yīng gāi xǐ shǒu.

你吃饭前应该洗手。

You should wash your hands before eating.

xǐ liǎn

洗脸

wash one's face

tā měi tiān zǎo shang yòng lěng shuǐ xǐ liǎn.

他每天早上用冷水洗脸。

He washes his face with cold water every morning.

cā gàn liǎn

擦干脸

dry one's face

tā yòng máo jīn cā gàn liǎn.

他用毛巾擦干脸。

He dries his face with a towel.

shuā yá

刷牙

brush one's teeth

tā xǐ huan yòng diàn dòng yá shuā shuā yá.

他喜欢用电动牙刷刷牙。

He likes to brush his teeth with an electric toothbrush.

guā hú zi

刮胡子

shave (beard)

gē ge bù xǐ huan guā hú zi.

哥哥不喜欢刮胡子。

My older brother doesn't like to shave.

cā hù fū shuāng

擦护肤霜

apply skincare cream

wǒ měi tiān zǎo wǎn dōu cā hù shuāng.

我每天早晚都擦护霜。

I apply skincare cream every morning and evening.

huà zhuāng

化妆

put on makeup

tā měi tiān huā bàn gè xiǎo shí huà zhuāng.

她每天花半个小时化妆。

She spends half an hour putting on makeup every day.

kàn xīn wén

看新闻

read / watch the news

bà ba tiān tiān zǎo shang kàn xīn wén.

爸爸天天早上看新闻。

My dad watches the news every morning.

kàn bào zhǐ

看报纸

read the newspaper

wǒ bà ba xǐ huan yī biān kàn bào zhǐ，yī biān chī hē kā fēi.

我爸爸喜欢一边看报纸，一边喝咖啡。

My dad likes to read the newspaper while drinking coffee.

kàn bào zhǐ

做早饭

make breakfast

wǒ lǎo gōng měi tiān gěi wǒ zuò zǎo fàn.

我老公每天给我做早饭。

My husband makes me breakfast every day.

chī zǎo fàn

吃早饭

eat /have breakfast

wǒ bù chī zǎo fàn.

我不吃早饭。

I don't eat breakfast.

hē bēi chá

喝杯茶

have a cup of tea

nǎi nai měi tiān zǎo shang dōu huì hē bēi chá.

奶奶每天早上都会喝杯茶。

My grandma has a cup of tea every morning.

hē bēi kā fēi

喝杯咖啡

have a cup of coffee

wǒ měi tiān zǎo shang dōu huì hē bēi kā fēi.

我每天早上都会喝杯咖啡。

I have a cup of coffee every morning.

kàn shǒu jī

看手机

look at the phone

tā měi tiān kàn shǒu jī bā gè xiǎo shí.

他每天看手机八个小时。

He looks at his phone for eight hours a day.

shàng wēi xìn

上微信

get on WeChat

xiàn zài dà jiā měi tiān dōu xǐ huan shàng wēi xìn.

现在大家每天都喜欢上微信。

Nowadays, everyone likes to get on WeChat every day.

tīng guǎng bō

听广播

listen to the radio

wǒ kāi chē shí xǐ huan tīng guǎng bō.

我开车时喜欢听广播。

I like to listen to the radio while driving.

chū mén

出门

 go out / leave home 

wǒ měi tiān zǎo shang bā diǎn chū mén.

我每天早上八点出门。

I leave home every morning at eight o'clock.

shàng xué

上学

go to school

dì di měi tiān zǎo shang bā diǎn shàng xué.

弟弟每天早上八点上学。

My little brother goes to school at eight every morning.

zǒu lù

走路

walk

bà ba měi tiān zǒu lù qù shàng bān.

爸爸每天走路去上班。

My dad walks to work every day.

qí zì xíng chē

骑自行车

ride a bike

wǒ měi tiān qí zì xíng chē qù bàn gōng shì.

我每天骑自行车去办公室。

I ride my bike to the office every day.

 kāi chē

开车

drive

wǒ bù xǐ huan kāi chē qù shàng bān.

我不喜欢开车去上班。

I don't like to drive to work.

mǎi cài

买菜

shop for groceries

wǒ jīng cháng xià bān hòu qù chāo shì mǎi cài.

我经常下班后去超市买菜。

I often go to the supermarket after work to shop for groceries. 

zuò gōng jiāo

坐公交

go by bus / take the bus

tā měi tiān zuò gōng jiāo qù xué xiào.

他每天坐公交去学校。

He takes the bus to school every day.

zuò dì tiě

坐地铁

go by metro / take the metro

tā měi tiān zuò dì tiě qù shàng bān.

他每天坐地铁去上班。

He takes the metro to work every day.

shàng bān

上班

go to work

tā zhōu mò bù shàng bān.

他周末不上班。

He doesn't go to work on weekends.

diǎn wài mài

点外卖

order takeout

wǒ měi tiān dōu huì diǎn wài mài.

我每天都会点外卖。

I order takeout every day.

chī wǔ fàn

吃午饭

have lunch

nǐ měi tiān jǐ diǎn chī wǔ fàn？

你每天几点吃午饭？

What time do you have lunch every day?

fàng xué

放学

finish school (for the day)

wǒ měi tiān sì diǎn bàn fàng xué.

我每天四点半放学。

I finish school at 4:30 every day.

xià bān

下班

get off work

mā ma měi tiān liù diǎn xià bān.

妈妈每天六点下班。

My mom gets off work at 6:00 every day.

duàn liàn

锻炼

exercise

wǒ nán péng you měi tiān dōu duàn liàn shēn tǐ.

我男朋友每天都锻炼身体。

My boyfriend exercises every day.

jiàn shēn

健身

work out

wǒ měi tiān xià bān hòu dōu huì qù jiàn shēn fáng jiàn shēn.

我每天下班后都会去健身房健身。

I go to the gym to work out every day after work.

huí jiā

回家

go home

wǒ měi tiān dà gài liù diǎn huí jiā.

我每天大概六点回家。

I go home around 6:00 every day.

zuò zuò yè

做作业

do homework

wǒ mèi mei zhèng zài zuò zuò yè.

我妹妹正在做作业。

My younger sister is doing her homework.

liù gǒu

遛狗

walk the dog

wǒ xǐ huan zài gōng yuán liù gǒu.

我喜欢在公园遛狗。

I like to walk my dog in the park.

zuò wǎn fàn

做晚饭

make dinner

mā ma zhèng zài zuò wǎn fàn.

妈妈正在做晚饭。

My mom is making dinner.

chī wǎn fàn

吃晚饭

have dinner

tā yuē le nǚ péng you chī wǎn fàn.

他约了女朋友吃晚饭。

He asked his girlfriend out to have dinner.

sàn bù

散步

go for a walk

bà ba mā ma xǐ huan fàn hòu sàn bù.

爸爸妈妈喜欢饭后散步。

My mom and dad like to go for a walk after a meal.

zuò jiā wù

做家务

do housework

wǒ tǎo yàn zuò jiā wù.

我讨厌做家务。

I hate doing housework.

sǎo dì

扫地

sweep the floor

mā ma měi tiān sǎo dì, bǎo chí jiā lǐ zhěng jié.

妈妈每天扫地，保持家里整洁。

My mom sweeps the floor every day to keep the house tidy.

xǐ wǎn

洗碗

do the dishes

bà ba měi tiān xǐ wǎn.

爸爸每天洗碗。

My dad does the dishes every day.

kàn shū

看书

read

wǒ měi tiān xià wǔ dōu huì qù tú shū guǎn kàn shū.

我每天下午都会去图书馆看书。

I go to the library to read every afternoon.

kàn diàn shì

看电视

watch TV

wǒ xǐ huan hé jiā rén yī qǐ kàn diàn shì.

我喜欢和家人一起看电视。

I like watching TV with my family.

shàng shè jiāo méi

上社交媒体

be on social media

tā měi tiān dōu shàng shè jiāo méi.

他每天都上社交媒。

He is on social media every day.

dǎ dǔn

打盹

take a nap

yé ye gāng cái dǎ dǔn le.

爷爷刚才打盹了。

My grandpa just took a nap.

xǐ yī fu

洗衣服

do the laundry

wǒ jué de yòng xǐ yī jī xǐ yī fu hěn fāng biàn.

我觉得用洗衣机洗衣服很方便。

I find it convenient to do the laundry with a washing machine.

tiáo nào zhōng

调闹钟

set the alarm

wǒ měi tiān wǎn shang dōu huì tiáo nào zhōng.

我每天晚上都会调闹钟。

I set my alarm every night.

shuì jiào

睡觉

sleep / go to bed

tā měi tiān wǎn shang shí yī diǎn shuì jiào.

他每天晚上十一点睡觉。

He goes to bed at 11:00 every night.