When you get together with your Mandarin-speaking friends, you will undoubtedly liáotiān which means to chat.
Liáotiān has two characters: 聊天. The first one, liáo, means to chat, or to kill time. The second character, tiān, means day, or sky, or heaven. Liáotiān could mean chatting away the day.
Another way to say chat is liáo liáo (聊聊), which is perhaps more descriptive of the repetitive nature of chat.
Examples of Liaotian
Click the links to hear the audio.
Qǐng zuòxia gēn wǒmen liáotiān.
請坐下跟我們聊天。
Please sit down and chat with us.
Tāmen liǎng gè rén xǐhuan liáotiān.
他們兩個人喜歡聊天。
Those two like to chat.


