Mandarin Chinese reference
点头
diǎntóu
to nod (in greeting)
Verb pattern · 10 form tables
Mandarin verbs do not change for tense. These tables show aspect, negation, questions and sentence patterns. Short phrases omit the subject; full examples retain theirs.
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Aspect
Plain statement
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | diǎntóunod (in greeting) |
Completed action
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | diǎn le tóunodded (in greeting) |
Experience
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | diǎn guo tóuhave nodded (in greeting) before |
In progress
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | zài diǎntóube nodding (in greeting) |
Future
About to
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | yào diǎntóu lebe about to nod (in greeting) |
Will / can
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | huì diǎntóuwill nod (in greeting) |
Negative
Not
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | bù diǎntóudo not nod (in greeting) |
Did not
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | méi diǎntóudid not nod (in greeting) |
Questions
Yes no question
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | diǎntóu ma?do you nod (in greeting)? |
A not A question
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | diǎn bu diǎn tóu?do you nod (in greeting)? |
Forms from the Loquus reference. Only supplied forms are shown. Browse all Mandarin Chinese entries.