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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
- Winter Clothing
- Formal & Traditional Clothing
- Clothing Materials
- Footwear
- Accessories & Other
- And One More Thing...
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
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)
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.)
