clothes hanging on rack with potted plants nearby

Clothing in Chinese: 76 Common Terms for Attire and Accessories

Do you know how to say “pants” in Mandarin Chinese?

What if you want to specifically talk about “jeans”?

If you’re curious about this and more, you’ve come to the right place.

Clothing is great topic to learn in any language because it can help round out your basic vocabulary and expand your conversation topics.

Without further adieu, here are 76 Chinese clothing words to broaden your knowledge!

Contents


The Basics

simple outfit of white sweatshirt and shoes with gray jeans

ChinesePinyinEnglish
衬衫 chèn shānDressy shirt / Blouse
T恤 T xùT-shirt
裤子 kù ziPants
牛仔裤 niú zǎi kùJeans
短裤 duǎn kùShorts
裙子 / 短裙 qún zi / duǎn qúnSkirt
连衣裙 lián yī qúnDress
内衣 nèi yīUnderwear
睡衣 shuì yīPajamas
泳衣 yǒng yīBathing suit
比基尼 bǐ jī níBikini
泳裤 yǒng kùSwim trunks

Winter Clothing

puffy winter jackets in bright colors hanging in store

ChinesePinyinEnglish
外套 wài tàoCoat
夹克 jiá kèJacket
卫衣 wèi yīHoodie
运动衫 yùn dòng shānSweatshirt
毛衣 máo yīSweater
风衣 fēng yīWindbreaker
背心 bèi xīnVest
围巾 wéi jīnScarf
手套 shǒu tàoGloves
连指手套 lián zhǐ shǒu tàoMittens
耳罩 / 耳套 ěr zhào / ěr tàoEarmuffs

Formal & Traditional Clothing

chinese couple in traditional red wedding outfits, drinking bubble tea

ChinesePinyinEnglish
燕尾服 yàn wěi fúTuxedo
西装 xī zhuāngSuit
领带 / 领结 lǐng dài / lǐng jiéTie
领巾 lǐng jīnCravat
旗袍 qí páoCheongsam / Qipao
舞会礼服 wǔ huì lǐ fúBallgown
婚纱 hūn shāWedding dress

Clothing Materials

various clothing of different materials and textures, silk, knit, wool

ChinesePinyinEnglish
miánCotton
牛仔布 niú zǎi bùDenim
聚酯纤维 jù zhǐ xiān wéiPolyester
尼龙 ní lóngNylon
亚麻 yà máLinen
帆布 fān bùCanvas
羊毛 yáng máoWool
Silk
róngVelvet
皮革 pí géLeather
毛皮 máo píFur

Footwear

individual shoes on store shelves in various colors

ChinesePinyinEnglish
袜子 wà ziSocks
长袜 cháng wàStockings
xiéShoes
鞋带 xié dàiShoelaces
运动鞋 yùn dòng xiéSneakers
人字拖 rén zì tuōFlip-flops
凉鞋 liáng xiéSandals
拖鞋 tuō xiéSlippers
靴子 xuē ziBoots
雨靴 yǔ xuēRain boots
高跟鞋 gāo gēn xiéHigh heels
皮鞋 pí xiéLeather shoes
鹿皮鞋 lù pí xiéMoccasins
帆布鞋 fān bù xiéCanvas shoes
木屐 mù jīClogs

Accessories & Other

sunglasses of different shapes and colors on store wall

ChinesePinyinEnglish
首饰 shǒu shìJewelry
项链 xiàng liànNecklace
手镯 shǒu zhuóBracelet
耳环 ěr huánEarrings
戒指 jiè zhǐRing
胸针 xiōng zhēnBrooch
手表 shǒu biǎoWatch
腰带 yāo dàiBelt
袖扣 xiù kòuCufflinks
手帕 shǒu pàHandkerchief
帽子 mào ziHat
太阳镜 tài yáng jìngSunglasses
雨伞 yǔ sǎnUmbrella
雨衣 yǔ yīRaincoat
拉链 lā liànZipper
扣子 kòu ziButton
口袋 kòu dàiPocket

 

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.

Study up and try to use some of these terms in your next Mandarin conversation to really get them in your head!

And One More Thing...

If you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU.

FluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.

FluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos—like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.

FluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions. You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.

FluentU's Learn Mode turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.

The best part is that FluentU always keeps track of your vocabulary. It customizes quizzes to focus on areas that need attention and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You have a 100% personalized experience.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

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