Chinese verb · action · first needed at beginner level (A1)
坐
zuò
to sit; to take (a bus, train)
Means “to sit” ( (qǐng zuò), please sit down) and “to take” anything you sit in: (zuò dìtiě), (zuò fēijī), (zuò chūzūchē). For bikes use (qí).
Speed:
Basic
基本
Sitting, or how you usually travel. Negative: (bú zuò).
| affirmative | 我坐地铁上班。Wǒ zuò dìtiě shàngbān. | |
|---|---|---|
| negative | 我不坐出租车。Wǒ bú zuò chūzūchē. | |
| question | 你坐地铁去吗？Nǐ zuò dìtiě qù ma? |
Completed
了
Something that has happened. Negative with (méi), and then 了 drops.
| affirmative | 我坐了四个小时的高铁。Wǒ zuòle sì ge xiǎoshí de gāotiě. | |
|---|---|---|
| negative | 我没坐高铁。Wǒ méi zuò gāotiě. | |
| question | 你坐高铁了吗？Nǐ zuò gāotiě le ma? |
Experience
过
Something done at least once before. Negative: + verb + 过.
| affirmative | 我坐过高铁。Wǒ zuòguo gāotiě. | |
|---|---|---|
| negative | 我没坐过飞机。Wǒ méi zuòguo fēijī. | |
| question | 你坐过高铁吗？Nǐ zuòguo gāotiě ma? |
Future and intention
要 / 会
: how you're going to travel. 不坐…了: you've changed your mind.
| affirmative | 我明天要坐飞机去上海。Wǒ míngtiān yào zuò fēijī qù Shànghǎi. | |
|---|---|---|
| negative | 我们不坐出租车了。Wǒmen bú zuò chūzūchē le. | |
| question | 你要坐高铁去吗？Nǐ yào zuò gāotiě qù ma? |
Ability and permission
能 / 可以 / 会
: allowed to sit. (zuò bu xià): there isn't room for everyone.
| affirmative | 你可以坐这儿。Nǐ kěyǐ zuò zhèr. | |
|---|---|---|
| negative | 这儿不能坐。Zhèr bù néng zuò. | |
| question | 我可以坐这儿吗？Wǒ kěyǐ zuò zhèr ma? | |
| can't | 这辆车坐不下六个人。Zhè liàng chē zuò bu xià liù ge rén. |
Result
结果补语
: to take the wrong bus or train. Negative: .
| affirmative | 我坐错车了。Wǒ zuòcuò chē le. | |
|---|---|---|
| negative | 你没坐错。Nǐ méi zuòcuò. | |
| question | 我坐错车了吗？Wǒ zuòcuò chē le ma? |
Examples
- 请坐！Qǐng zuò!Please sit down!
- 我们坐地铁去吧。Wǒmen zuò dìtiě qù ba.Let's take the metro.
- 从北京坐高铁去西安要四个多小时。Cóng Běijīng zuò gāotiě qù Xī'ān yào sì ge duō xiǎoshí.The high-speed train from Beijing to Xi'an takes over four hours.