Meaning
准备 means to prepare or get ready for something. It's one of the most common verbs in daily Chinese, used whenever you're making arrangements, setting things up, or planning ahead. It can function as both a verb (to prepare) and a noun (preparation).
Usage
Native speakers use 准备 constantly in everyday situations—preparing for exams, getting ready to go out, planning events, or making arrangements. It can be followed directly by a verb (准备去 'prepare to go') or by a noun (准备晚饭 'prepare dinner'). The verb-object structure 做准备 (zuò zhǔnbèi) is also common, meaning 'to make preparations'.
Examples
- 01我正在准备明天的考试。.I'm preparing for tomorrow's exam.
- 02你准备好了吗？我们该出发了。? .Are you ready? We should leave now.
Characters
Common collocations
- 做准备to make preparations
- 准备好to be ready, to have prepared
- 准备考试to prepare for an exam
- 准备工作preparatory work
Origin
准 originally meant 'standard' or 'accurate', while 备 meant 'complete' or 'fully equipped'. Together they formed 准备, meaning to make something ready or complete according to a standard.