准备zhǔn bèito prepare
准备 (zhǔn bèi) means "to prepare," as in 我在准备明天的考试 (I am preparing for tomorrow's exam) and 饭准备好了 (the meal is prepared). It also means "to intend," as in 我准备明天去学校 (I intend to go to school tomorrow). This entry covers these two senses.
What does 准备 mean?
- 1.
to prepareverb
- 2.
to intendverb
What do the characters in 准备 mean?
- 准not compositional here
- 备to prepare
How do you use 准备?
See it in 我在准备明天的考试, 饭准备好了 and 我准备明天去学校.
Patterns
准备 + 好
饭准备好了。
Fàn zhǔn bèi hǎo le.
The meal is prepared.
准备 + verb
我准备明天去学校。
Wǒ zhǔn bèi míngtiān qù xuéxiào.
I intend to go to school tomorrow.
What are some examples of 准备 in a sentence?
How is 准备 used in a conversation?
- Speaker A:
你在做什么?
Nǐ zài zuò shénme?
What are you doing?
- Speaker B:
我在准备明天的考试。
Wǒ zài zhǔnbèi míngtiān de kǎoshì.
I am preparing for tomorrow's exam.
- Speaker A:
你准备好了吗?
Nǐ zhǔnbèi hǎo le ma?
Are you prepared?
- Speaker B:
还没有。
Hái méiyǒu.
Not yet.
Can you use 准备 correctly?
0 of 3 answeredWhat should you learn next?
- Free HSK 3 level testSee which HSK 3.0 level your vocabulary matches.
- HSK 2 word listEvery word at this level, with examples.
- HSK 3.0 guideHow the nine levels and three bands work.
Related words
- 开始kāi shǐto begin; to startHSK 2
- 需要xū yàoto need; to want; to demand; to requireHSK 3
- 要yàoto want; to need; to ask forHSK 1
- 准zhǔnaccurate; standardHSK 4
- 上去shàng qùto go upHSK 2
- 下去xià qùto go downHSK 2
Browse every entry in the Chinese word dictionary.
English glosses on this page are adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG (snapshot 2026-10-23), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Glosses were edited for learners.