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Mandarin Verbs — 动词

Sixth graders learn common Mandarin verbs — 是 (shì), 有 (yǒu), 去 (qù), 吃 (chī), 玩 (wán) — the action words that let them build real sentences in Chinese. Great news: Chinese verbs never change form!

Grade 6Dòngcí50 minutes1 class periodACTFL / CommunicativeExplicit teaching4 StandardsACTFL
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Name common verbs.
  • ✓Say each verb.
  • ✓Match verbs to meanings.
  • ✓Build sentences.
Essential Question

Verbs are the engine of every sentence! What are the most common verbs in Mandarin — and why are they easy?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Match It · Interactive

Match the Verb

Project this and match each Mandarin verb to its English meaning — tap the Mandarin, then tap the English.

⚡ Match each verb to its meaningTry it
中文 Mandarin
English
Now tap the English!
The Lesson · Communicative Flow (Warm-Up · Present · Practice · Speak · Reflect)

50 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — The Engine of Sentences

5 min

Verbs are the engine of every sentence — what are the common Mandarin verbs?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Act out “go” and “eat.”
  • Ask how to say them.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Act.
  • Guess.
  • Get ready.
2

Present — Dòngcí

12 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Present each verb.
  • Say the pinyin.
  • Note verbs never change form!

🎒 Student Actions

  • Listen.
  • Repeat.
  • Note it.
3

Practice — Match Them

13 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Match the Verb.
  • Match each one.
  • Use in a sentence.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Match.
  • Use it.
  • Explain.
4

Speak — Speak

12 min

Students speak.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Say “我去…” (I go…).
  • Say “我有…”
  • Ask a partner.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say it.
  • Say it.
  • Ask.
5

Reflect — Reflect

6 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a verb.
  • Say what it means.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • Explain it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the ACTFL World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages (Novice-Mid).

ACTFL
Communication 1.2

Interpretive: understand verbs.

ACTFL
Communication 1.1

Interpersonal: use verbs.

ACTFL
Comparisons 4.1

Compare verbs across languages.

ACTFL
Connections 3.1

Connect to sentence-building.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Verb action cards.
  • Sentence frame: “我 ___.”
  • Act out verbs.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with 是 and 有.
  • Match one pair at a time.
  • Repeat aloud.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Add 做 and 学.
  • Write a sentence.
  • Explain “no conjugation.”
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • ⚡Verb cards
  • 💻Match the Verb
  • 🗣️Audio
  • ✏️Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

动词 (dòngcí)verb是 (shì)to be有 (yǒu)to have去 (qù)to go吃 (chī)to eat玩 (wán)to play做 (zuò)to do学 (xué)to learn
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What does “是 (shì)” mean?
To be.
QUESTION 2
What does “有 (yǒu)” mean?
To have.
QUESTION 3
What does “玩 (wán)” mean?
To play.

Reflect: 动词.

Have students use one Mandarin verb in a sentence (like “我去学校” — I go to school). A printable verbs sheet is in the World Languages library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Mandarin Verbs (Dòngcí)Flip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Mandarin Verbs (Dòngcí)Quiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Mandarin Verbs (Dòngcí)Print
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: 做 (zuò), 动词 (dòngcí), 去 (qù), 吃 (chī), 学 (xué), 是 (shì), 有 (yǒu), 玩 (wán)
  1. verb
  2. to be
  3. to go
  4. to learn
  5. to do
  6. to eat
  7. to play
  8. to have

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What does “是 (shì)” mean?
  2. What does “有 (yǒu)” mean?
  3. What does “玩 (wán)” mean?
Answer key — Part A: 1) 动词 (dòngcí) · 2) 是 (shì) · 3) 去 (qù) · 4) 学 (xué) · 5) 做 (zuò) · 6) 吃 (chī) · 7) 玩 (wán) · 8) 有 (yǒu)
Part B: 1) To be. 2) To have. 3) To play.