Mandarin Chinese reference
笑
xiào
to laugh; to smile
Verb pattern · 11 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) | xiàolaugh |
Completed action
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | xiào lelaughed |
Experience
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | xiào guohave laughed before |
In progress
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | zài xiàobe laughing |
Ongoing state
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | xiào zhebe laughing |
Future
About to
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | yào xiào lebe about to laugh |
Will / can
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | huì xiàowill laugh |
Negative
Not
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | bú xiàodo not laugh |
Did not
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | méi xiàodid not laugh |
Questions
Yes no question
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | xiào ma?do you laugh? |
A not A question
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| verb phrase (subject omitted) | xiào bu xiào?do you laugh? |
Forms from the Loquus reference. Only supplied forms are shown. Browse all Mandarin Chinese entries.