Clothing in Chinese: 76 Terms for Attire and Accessories
Identifying different 衣服 (yī fu) or clothes in Chinese is essential (and common) in the day-to-day. Whether you’re shopping for a new pair of jeans or telling your friend they have a spaghetti stain on their tee, there are plenty of instances where you’ll be required to name various articles of clothing.
To round out your basic Chinese vocabulary, take a look at the 76 Chinese clothing words below.
Contents
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The Basics
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 衬衫 | chèn shān | Dressy shirt / Blouse |
| T恤 | T xù | T-shirt |
| 裤子 | kù zi | Pants |
| 牛仔裤 | niú zǎi kù | Jeans |
| 短裤 | duǎn kù | Shorts |
| 裙子 / 短裙 | qún zi / duǎn qún | Skirt |
| 连衣裙 | lián yī qún | Dress |
| 内衣 | nèi yī | Underwear |
| 睡衣 | shuì yī | Pajamas |
| 泳衣 | yǒng yī | Bathing suit |
| 比基尼 | bǐ jī ní | Bikini |
| 泳裤 | yǒng kù | Swim trunks |
Winter Clothing
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 外套 | wài tào | Coat |
| 夹克 | jiá kè | Jacket |
| 卫衣 | wèi yī | Hoodie |
| 运动衫 | yùn dòng shān | Sweatshirt |
| 毛衣 | máo yī | Sweater |
| 风衣 | fēng yī | Windbreaker |
| 背心 | bèi xīn | Vest |
| 围巾 | wéi jīn | Scarf |
| 手套 | shǒu tào | Gloves |
| 连指手套 | lián zhǐ shǒu tào | Mittens |
| 耳罩 / 耳套 | ěr zhào / ěr tào | Earmuffs |
Formal & Traditional Clothing
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 燕尾服 | yàn wěi fú | Tuxedo |
| 西装 | xī zhuāng | Suit |
| 领带 / 领结 | lǐng dài / lǐng jié | Tie |
| 领巾 | lǐng jīn | Cravat |
| 旗袍 | qí páo | Cheongsam / Qipao |
| 舞会礼服 | wǔ huì lǐ fú | Ballgown |
| 婚纱 | hūn shā | Wedding dress |
Clothing Materials
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 棉 | mián | Cotton |
| 牛仔布 | niú zǎi bù | Denim |
| 聚酯纤维 | jù zhǐ xiān wéi | Polyester |
| 尼龙 | ní lóng | Nylon |
| 亚麻 | yà má | Linen |
| 帆布 | fān bù | Canvas |
| 羊毛 | yáng máo | Wool |
| 丝 | sī | Silk |
| 绒 | róng | Velvet |
| 皮革 | pí gé | Leather |
| 毛皮 | máo pí | Fur |
Footwear
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 袜子 | wà zi | Socks |
| 长袜 | cháng wà | Stockings |
| 鞋 | xié | Shoes |
| 鞋带 | xié dài | Shoelaces |
| 运动鞋 | yùn dòng xié | Sneakers |
| 人字拖 | rén zì tuō | Flip-flops |
| 凉鞋 | liáng xié | Sandals |
| 拖鞋 | tuō xié | Slippers |
| 靴子 | xuē zi | Boots |
| 雨靴 | yǔ xuē | Rain boots |
| 高跟鞋 | gāo gēn xié | High heels |
| 皮鞋 | pí xié | Leather shoes |
| 鹿皮鞋 | lù pí xié | Moccasins |
| 帆布鞋 | fān bù xié | Canvas shoes |
| 木屐 | mù jī | Clogs |
Accessories & Other
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 首饰 | shǒu shì | Jewelry |
| 项链 | xiàng liàn | Necklace |
| 手镯 | shǒu zhuó | Bracelet |
| 耳环 | ěr huán | Earrings |
| 戒指 | jiè zhǐ | Ring |
| 胸针 | xiōng zhēn | Brooch |
| 手表 | shǒu biǎo | Watch |
| 腰带 | yāo dài | Belt |
| 袖扣 | xiù kòu | Cufflinks |
| 手帕 | shǒu pà | Handkerchief |
| 帽子 | mào zi | Hat |
| 太阳镜 | tài yáng jìng | Sunglasses |
| 雨伞 | yǔ sǎn | Umbrella |
| 雨衣 | yǔ yī | Raincoat |
| 拉链 | lā liàn | Zipper |
| 扣子 | kòu zi | Button |
| 口袋 | kòu dài |
And there you have it—all the words for common clothing in Chinese. Find them in use on FluentU videos to learn more about how to actually use them in real world situations. FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons. You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app. P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)
Study up and try to use some of these terms in your next Mandarin conversation to really get them in your head!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
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