{"id":182063,"date":"2022-01-12T11:36:49","date_gmt":"2022-01-12T16:36:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/chinese-adjectives\/"},"modified":"2025-06-09T04:58:09","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T08:58:09","slug":"chinese-adjectives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/chinese\/chinese-adjectives\/","title":{"rendered":"The 50 Most Useful Chinese Adjectives for Everyday Conversation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Without adjectives, you won’t be able to describe anything<\/em>.<\/p>\n

When you’re learning Chinese, you’ll find it insanely difficult to communicate when simple, key adjectives are missing from your vocabulary.<\/p>\n

So today, I’m here to teach you 50 of the most common Chinese adjectives you’ll hear (and use) all day every day.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

1. \u6f02\u4eae (pi\u00e0o liang)<\/em> \u2014 pretty<\/h2>\n

Like in English, Chinese has several ways to express that you find someone or something pleasing to the eyes. One of the most common choices is \u6f02\u4eae.<\/p>\n

\u6211\u7684\u5988\u5988\u5f88\u6f02\u4eae\u3002
\n<\/strong>(W\u01d2 de m\u0101 ma h\u011bn pi\u00e0o liang.)
\n<\/em>My mom is so pretty.<\/p>\n

2. \u597d (h\u01ceo)<\/em> \u2014 good<\/h2>\n

\u597d can be used the same way the words “good” or “well” are used in English.<\/p>\n

While \u597d can be used by Chinese speakers to describe positive experiences, feelings, or things, it’s also commonly used in conjunction with other words to make new, logical meanings.<\/p>\n

For example, you might recognize it from likely the first phrase you ever learned in Chinese: \u4f60\u597d<\/strong> (n\u01d0 h\u01ceo)<\/em>. You already know this means “hello,” but it literally translates to “you good.” Interesting how language works, right?<\/p>\n

\u4ed6\u5531\u6b4c\u5531\u7684\u975e\u5e38\u597d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(T\u0101 ch\u00e0ng g\u0113 ch\u00e0ng de f\u0113i ch\u00e1ng h\u01ceo.)
\n<\/em>He sings very good\/well.<\/p>\n

3. \u4e0d\u597d \/ \u574f (b\u00f9 h\u01ceo<\/em> \/ hu\u00e0i)<\/em> \u2014 bad<\/h2>\n

Saying “bad” is quite simple in Mandarin\u2014just say “not good!”<\/p>\n

Or, opt for the word \u574f.<\/p>\n

\u4eca\u5929\u7684\u5929\u6c14\u770b\u8d77\u6765\u4e0d\u597d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(J\u012bn ti\u0101n de ti\u0101n q\u00ec k\u00e0n q\u01d0 l\u00e1i b\u00f9 h\u01ceo.)
\n<\/em>Today’s weather looks bad.<\/p>\n

\u5979\u7684\u813e\u6c14\u5f88\u574f\u3002
\n<\/strong>(T\u0101 de p\u00ed q\u00ec h\u011bn hu\u00e0i.)
\n<\/em>Her temper is very bad.<\/p>\n

4. \u7f8e (m\u011bi)<\/em> \u2014 beautiful<\/h2>\n

Remember how we talked about the multiple ways to express attractiveness or beauty? Here’s another! Except, \u7f8e is a bit stronger than \u6f02\u4eae, similar to how “beautiful” is stronger than “pretty” in English.<\/p>\n

\u8fd9\u91cc\u7684\u73af\u5883\u771f\u7f8e\u3002
\n<\/strong>(Zh\u00e8 li de hu\u00e1n j\u00ecng zh\u0113n m\u011bi.)
\n<\/em>The environment here is really beautiful.<\/p>\n

5. \u5927 (d\u00e0)<\/em> \u2014 big<\/h2>\n

To remember this Chinese word, many learners imagine the character as a stick figure holding his arms out to say, “It was this<\/em> big!”<\/p>\n

\u90a3\u4e2a\u662f\u6700\u5927\u7684\u3002
\n<\/strong>(N\u00e0 ge sh\u00ec zu\u00ec d\u00e0 de.)
\n<\/em>That one is the biggest.<\/p>\n

6. \u5c0f (xi\u01ceo)<\/em> \u2014 small<\/h2>\n

As with \u597d, Chinese speakers use \u5c0f to make many related words. For example, the word “snack” is \u5c0f\u5403 (xi\u01ceo ch\u012b)<\/em>, which literally means “small eat.”<\/p>\n

\u6211\u7684\u88d9\u5b50\u592a\u5c0f\u4e86\u3002
\n<\/strong>(W\u01d2 de q\u00fan zi t\u00e0i xi\u01ceo le.)
\n<\/em>My dress is too small.<\/p>\n

7. \u80d6 (p\u00e0ng)<\/em> \u2014 fat<\/h2>\n

This Chinese adjective might become useful after the holidays, like when you’ve eaten one too many \u6708\u997c (yu\u00e8 b\u01d0ng) <\/em>\u2014 moon cakes during \u4e2d\u79cb\u8282 (zh\u014dng qi\u016b ji\u00e9)<\/em> \u2014 Mid-Autumn Festival.<\/p>\n

\u6211\u7684\u5c0f\u72d7\u5f88\u80d6\u3002
\n<\/strong>(W\u01d2 de xi\u01ceo g\u01d2u h\u011bn p\u00e0ng.)
\n<\/em>My puppy is fat.<\/p>\n

8. \u7626 (sh\u00f2u)<\/em> \u2014 skinny\/thin<\/h2>\n

The opposite of \u80d6 is \u7626. When I first learned this word, I remembered it by thinking, “If you want your muscles to \u7626 (sh\u00f2u)<\/em>, you need to be thin.” Scientific truthfulness aside, it’s an easy mnemonic that worked for me.<\/p>\n

\u4f60\u5e94\u8be5\u591a\u5403\u4e00\u70b9\uff0c\u4f60\u592a\u7626\u4e86\uff01
\n<\/strong>(N\u01d0 y\u012bng g\u0101i du\u014d ch\u012b y\u00ec di\u01cen, n\u01d0 t\u00e0i sh\u00f2u le!)
\n<\/em>You should eat a bit more, you’re too skinny!<\/p>\n

9. \u9ad8 (g\u0101o)<\/em> \u2014 tall<\/h2>\n

The Mandarin word for “tall” is \u9ad8, which looks like a tall building. It even has a roof on top!<\/p>\n

\u6211\u7684\u7537\u670b\u53cb\u5f88\u9ad8\u3002
\n<\/strong>(W\u01d2 de n\u00e1n p\u00e9ng you h\u011bn g\u0101o.)
\n<\/em>My boyfriend is very tall.<\/p>\n

10. \u77ee (\u01cei)<\/em> \u2014 short (in height)<\/h2>\n

\u6211\u6bd4\u5979\u77ee\u3002
\n<\/strong>(W\u01d2 b\u01d0 t\u0101 \u01cei.)
\n<\/em>I’m shorter than her.<\/p>\n

11. \u957f (ch\u00e1ng)<\/em> \u2014 long<\/h2>\n

In Chinese, there are two ways to say “long,” but they have slightly different meanings. This one, \u957f (ch\u00e1ng)<\/em>, refers to length. The other word, \u4e45 (ji\u01d4)<\/em>, refers to time.<\/p>\n

\u6211\u6bd4\u8f83\u559c\u6b22\u957f\u5934\u53d1\u7684\u5973\u751f\u3002
\n<\/strong>(W\u01d2 b\u01d0 ji\u00e0o x\u01d0 hu\u0101n ch\u00e1ng t\u00f3u fa de n\u01da sh\u0113ng.)
\n<\/em>I prefer girls with long hair.<\/p>\n

12. \u77ed (du\u01cen)<\/em> \u2014 short (in length)<\/h2>\n

Similar to the last adjective, \u77ed means “short” and refers to length while the adjective \u77ee refers to height, as we learned earlier.<\/p>\n

\u6211\u59b9\u59b9\u7684\u5934\u53d1\u5f88\u77ed\u3002
\n<\/strong>(W\u01d2 me\u00ec mei de t\u00f3u fa h\u011bn du\u01cen.)
\n<\/em>My little sister’s hair is very short.<\/p>\n

13. \u5fd9 (m\u00e1ng)<\/em> \u2014 busy<\/h2>\n

Chinese speakers also use this as a way to say, “What’s up?” or “What have you been up to lately?”<\/p>\n

\u4f60\u6700\u8fd1\u5fd9\u4ec0\u4e48\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(N\u01d0 zu\u00ec j\u00ecn m\u00e1ng sh\u00e9n me?)
\n<\/em>What’s up? \/ What have you been up to lately?<\/p>\n

\u4eca\u5929\u592a\u5fd9\u4e86\uff0c\u6211\u6ca1\u6709\u7a7a\u3002
\n<\/strong>(J\u012bn ti\u0101n t\u00e0i m\u00e1ng le, w\u01d2 m\u00e9i y\u01d2u k\u00f2ng.)
\n<\/em>Today is too busy, I don’t have free time.<\/p>\n

14. \u7d2f (l\u00e8i)<\/em> \u2014 tired<\/h2>\n

I don’t know about you, but when I’m really tired, all I want to do is \u7d2f (l\u00e8i)<\/em> down.<\/p>\n

\u4ed6\u6628\u5929\u5de5\u4f5c\u5230\u5f88\u665a\uff0c\u6240\u4ee5\u4eca\u5929\u89c9\u5f97\u5f88\u7d2f\u3002
\n<\/strong>(T\u0101 zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n g\u014dng zu\u00f2 d\u00e0o h\u011bn w\u01cen, su\u01d2 y\u01d0 j\u012bn ti\u0101n ju\u00e9 de h\u011bn le\u00ec.)
\n<\/em>He worked late yesterday, so today (he) feels very tired.<\/p>\n

15. \u591a (du\u014d)<\/em> \u2014 many, a lot<\/h2>\n

\u591a\u00a0is a powerful, multifaceted little word. It can be used as an adjective, a quantity and a question word.<\/p>\n

You’ve probably heard it in phrases like “\u591a\u5c11\u94b1 (du\u014d sh\u01ceo qi\u00e1n)<\/em> \u2014 How much does it cost?” and “\u591a\u957f\u65f6\u95f4 (du\u014d ch\u00e1ng sh\u00ed ji\u0101n)<\/em> \u2014 How long?”<\/p>\n

But you can also use it when you want to say there’s a lot (or too much) of something, like in the example sentence below.<\/p>\n

\u4eba\u592a\u591a\u4e86\uff0c\u6211\u770b\u4e0d\u6e05\u695a\u3002
\n<\/strong>(R\u00e9n t\u00e0i du\u014d le, w\u01d2 k\u00e0n b\u00f9 q\u012bng chu.)
\n<\/em>There are too many people, I can’t see clearly.<\/p>\n

16. \u5c11 (sh\u01ceo)<\/em> \u2014 few<\/h2>\n

Like \u591a, \u5c11 has a myriad of uses, making it a handy adjective to know. You can use it in combination with \u591a to ask questions<\/a>\u2014like how much something costs (\u591a\u5c11\u94b1 \u2014 du\u014d sh\u01ceo qi\u00e1n<\/em>)\u2014or to say there isn’t a lot or enough of something.<\/p>\n

\u6211\u7684\u94b1\u592a\u5c11\u4e86\uff0c\u6211\u4e70\u4e0d\u8d77\u3002
\n<\/strong>(W\u01d2 de qi\u00e1n t\u00e0i sh\u01ceo le, w\u01d2 m\u01cei b\u00f9 q\u01d0.)
\n<\/em>I have too little money, I can’t afford it.<\/p>\n

17. \u53ef\u7231 (k\u011b \u00e0i)<\/em> \u2014 cute<\/h2>\n

\u53ef comes from the word \u53ef\u4ee5 (k\u011b y\u01d0)<\/em> which means “can” and \u7231 (\u00e0i)<\/em> means “love,” so if you translate it part-by-part, this adjective means “can love.”<\/p>\n

\u6240\u6709\u7684\u5c0f\u72d7\u90fd\u5f88\u53ef\u7231\u3002
\n<\/strong>(Su\u01d2 y\u01d2u de xi\u01ceo g\u01ceo d\u014du h\u011bn k\u011b \u00e0i!)
\n<\/em>All puppies are cute!<\/p>\n

18. \u597d\u5403 (h\u01ceo ch\u012b)<\/em> \u2014 delicious<\/h2>\n

Remember how I said \u597d can be combined with other words to make new adjectives? Well, this is one of them. \u597d\u5403 literally means “good eat.”<\/p>\n

\u90a3\u4e2a\u9910\u5385\u7684\u996d\u5f88\u597d\u5403\u3002
\n<\/strong>(N\u00e0 ge c\u0101n t\u012bng de f\u00e0n h\u011bn h\u01ceo ch\u012b.)
\n<\/em>That restaurant’s food is delicious.<\/p>\n

19. \u96be\u5403 (n\u00e1n ch\u012b)<\/em> \u2014 not delicious<\/h2>\n

\u96be\u00a0means “hard” or “difficult,” so to say something doesn’t taste good, all you need to say is that it’s literally “hard to eat” with the word \u96be\u5403!<\/p>\n

\u6211\u505a\u7684\u996d\u5f88\u96be\u5403\u3002
\n<\/strong>(W\u01d2 zu\u00f2 de f\u00e0n h\u011bn n\u00e1n ch\u012b.)
\n<\/em>The food I cooked is very awful.<\/p>\n

20. \u597d\u73a9 (h\u01ceo w\u00e1n)<\/em> \u2014 fun<\/h2>\n

Another \u597d combination, the word for “fun” in Chinese literally means “good play.”<\/p>\n

\u4ed6\u662f\u4e2a\u5f88\u597d\u73a9\u7684\u4eba\u3002
\n<\/strong>(T\u0101 sh\u00ec g\u00e8 h\u011bn h\u01ceo w\u00e1n de r\u00e9n.)
\n<\/em>He is a fun person.<\/p>\n

21. \u6709\u8da3 (y\u01d2u q\u00f9)<\/em> \u2014 interesting, funny<\/h2>\n

There are two ways to say “interesting” in Mandarin: \u6709\u8da3 and \u6709\u610f\u601d (y\u01d2u y\u00ec si).<\/em> Textbooks usually teach \u6709\u610f\u601d first, but in my opinion, you’re better off getting comfortable with \u6709\u8da3.<\/p>\n

Why? For one, it means both interesting\u00a0and<\/em> funny. Kill two birds with one stone by learning one word with two useful meanings.<\/p>\n

And second, \u6709\u8da3 just seems (in my personal experience) to be used more often by native speakers.<\/p>\n

\u5bf9\u6211\u6765\u8bf4\uff0c\u5386\u53f2\u662f\u6700\u6709\u8da3\u7684\u79d1\u76ee\u3002
\n<\/strong>(Du\u00ec w\u01d2 l\u00e1i shu\u014d, l\u00ec sh\u01d0 sh\u00ec zu\u00ec y\u01d2u q\u00f9 de k\u0113 m\u00f9.)
\n<\/em>To me, history is the most interesting subject.<\/p>\n

22. \u65e0\u804a (w\u00fa li\u00e1o)<\/em> \u2014 boring, bored<\/h2>\n

Like many adjectives, \u65e0\u804a can be used to say that something\/someone is boring or someone is bored. For example:<\/p>\n

\u6211\u4e0d\u592a\u559c\u6b22\u90a3\u4e2a\u7535\u89c6\u5267\uff0c\u56e0\u4e3a\u5b83\u592a\u65e0\u804a\u4e86\u3002
\n<\/strong>(W\u01d2 b\u00fa t\u00e0i x\u01d0 hu\u0101n n\u00e0 ge di\u00e0n sh\u00ec j\u00f9. y\u012bn w\u00e8i t\u0101 t\u00e0i w\u00fa li\u00e1o le.)
\n<\/em>I don’t really like that TV show, because it is too boring.<\/p>\n

\u6211\u5728\u5bb6\u5f85\u4e86\u4e00\u6574\u5929\uff0c\u611f\u89c9\u5f88\u65e0\u804a\u3002
\n<\/strong>(W\u01d2 z\u00e0i ji\u0101 d\u0101i le y\u00ec zh\u011bng ti\u0101n, g\u01cen ju\u00e9 h\u011bn w\u00fa li\u00e1o.)
\n<\/em>I stayed at home the whole day (and I) feel very bored.<\/p>\n

23. \u5feb (ku\u00e0i)<\/em> \u2014 fast<\/h2>\n

I wish I had a clever mnemonic or interesting fact for this adjective, but the best I have is that \u5feb sounds similar to “quick.”<\/p>\n

\u4ed6\u8dd1\u6b65\u8dd1\u5f97\u90a3\u4e48\u5feb\u554a\uff01
\n<\/strong>(T\u0101 p\u01ceo b\u00f9 p\u01ceo de n\u00e0 me ku\u00e0i a!)
\n<\/em>He runs so fast!<\/p>\n

24. \u6162 (m\u00e0n)<\/em> \u2014 slow<\/h2>\n

I know several people whose pet peeve is a \u6162 (m\u00e0n)<\/em> walking or driving too slow.<\/p>\n

\u8bf7\u8bf4\u6162\u4e00\u70b9\u3002
\n<\/strong>(Q\u01d0ng shu\u014d m\u00e0n y\u00ec di\u01cen.)
\n<\/em>Please speak slower.<\/p>\n

25. \u5bb9\u6613 (r\u00f3ng y\u00ec)<\/em> \u2014 easy<\/h2>\n

\u4e2d\u6587\u6bd4\u82f1\u6587\u5bb9\u6613\u3002
\n<\/strong>(Zh\u014dng w\u00e9n b\u01d0 y\u012bng w\u00e9n r\u00f3ng y\u00ec.)
\n<\/em>Chinese is easier than English.<\/p>\n

26. \u96be (n\u00e1n)<\/em> \u2014 hard<\/h2>\n

First introduced with the adjective \u96be\u5403, \u96be\u00a0means “hard” or “difficult.”<\/p>\n

\u4f60\u89c9\u5f97\u5b66\u4e2d\u6587\u96be\u5417\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(N\u01d0 ju\u00e9 de xu\u00e9 zh\u014dng w\u00e9n n\u00e1n ma?)
\n<\/em>Do you think learning Chinese is hard? \/ Do you find it difficult to learn Chinese?<\/p>\n

27. \u65b0 (x\u012bn)<\/em> \u2014 new<\/h2>\n

To me, \u65b0 sounds like “shiny.” So when I hear it, I think of shiny\u00a0new things.<\/p>\n

\u8fd9\u662f\u6211\u7684\u65b0\u8f66 \u3002
\n<\/strong>(Zh\u00e8 sh\u00ec w\u01d2 de x\u012bn ch\u0113.)
\n<\/em>This is my new car.<\/p>\n

28. \u8001 (l\u01ceo)<\/em> \u2014 old<\/h2>\n

Another multi-use word, \u8001 can describe someone or something’s age, but is also used in conjunction with other words to create new meanings (especially when denoting authority or superiority in status).<\/p>\n

Take words like \u8001\u5e08 (l\u01ceo sh\u012b)<\/em> \u2014 teacher,<\/em> \u8001\u516c (l\u01ceo g\u014dng)<\/em> \u2014 husband and \u8001\u677f (l\u01ceo b\u01cen)<\/em> \u2014 boss as examples of this.<\/p>\n

\u6211\u5f88\u559c\u6b22\u8001\u623f\u5b50\u3002
\n<\/strong>(W\u01d2 h\u011bn x\u01d0 huan l\u01ceo f\u00e1ng zi.)
\n<\/em>I really like old houses.<\/p>\n

29. \u806a\u660e (c\u014dng m\u00edng)<\/em> \u2014 smart<\/h2>\n

\u660e, the last part of \u806a\u660e, literally means “bright.” This is helpful since “bright” can be used in English to mean smart or clever.<\/p>\n

\u6211\u7684\u5973\u513f\u5f88\u806a\u660e\u3002
\n<\/strong>(W\u01d2 de n\u01da \u00e9r h\u011bn c\u014dng m\u00edng.)
\n<\/em>My daughter is smart.<\/p>\n

30. \u8fdc (yu\u01cen)<\/em> \u2014 far<\/h2>\n

This word is easy to mix up with \u5143 (yu\u00e1n)<\/em>, the Chinese currency. Just remember that \u8fdc\u00a0has a third tone instead of a second!<\/p>\n

You can remember this by imagining the dip in the third tone represents a valley, and the other side is far away.<\/p>\n

\u4f60\u5bb6\u79bb\u6211\u7684\u529e\u516c\u5ba4\u5f88\u8fdc\u3002
\n<\/strong>(N\u01d0 ji\u0101 l\u00ed w\u01d2 de b\u00e0n g\u014dng sh\u00ec h\u011bn yu\u01cen.)
\n<\/em>Your home\/house is far from my office.<\/p>\n

31. \u8fd1 (j\u00ecn)<\/em> \u2014 close<\/h2>\n

The opposite of \u8fdc is \u8fd1. Try using the mnemonic “Jean is close” to remember this one!<\/p>\n

\u6211\u4f4f\u5f97\u5f88\u8fd1\u3002
\n<\/strong>(W\u01d2 zh\u00f9 de h\u011bn j\u00ecn.)
\n<\/em>I live close by.<\/p>\n

32. \u4fbf\u5b9c (pi\u00e1n yi)<\/em> \u2014 cheap<\/h2>\n

This adjective is one we all find useful! No matter how much \u94b1 (qi\u00e1n)<\/em> \u2014 money you have, I’m willing to bet everyone here is a sucker for great deals.<\/p>\n

\u8fd9\u4e2a\u5546\u5e97\u6709\u5f88\u591a\u4fbf\u5b9c\u7684\u8863\u670d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(Zh\u00e8 ge sh\u0101ng di\u00e0n y\u01d2u h\u011bn du\u014d pi\u00e1n yi de y\u012b fu.)
\n<\/em>This shop has a lot of cheap clothes.<\/p>\n

33. \u8d35 (gu\u00ec)<\/em> \u2014 expensive<\/h2>\n

No matter how much haggling you might do, some things will just always be expensive. In this case, you might want to tell the shop owner or the street vendor that the item you’re looking at is just a tad over budget.<\/p>\n

\u8fd9\u4ef6\u6bdb\u8863\u592a\u8d35\u4e86\u3002
\n<\/strong>(Zh\u00e8 ji\u00e0n m\u00e1o y\u012b t\u00e0i gu\u00ec le.)
\n<\/em>This sweater is too expensive.<\/p>\n

34. \u5feb\u4e50 (ku\u00e0i l\u00e8)<\/em> \u2014 happy<\/h2>\n

\u5feb\u4e50 is helpful for describing emotions<\/a>, but it’s also the word you use to wish someone a happy holiday\u2014like in the phrase, \u65b0\u5e74\u5feb\u4e50\uff01(x\u012bn ni\u00e1n ku\u00e0i l\u00e8!)<\/em> \u2014 Happy New Year<\/a>!<\/p>\n

\u5979\u89c9\u5f97\u81ea\u5df1\u5f88\u5feb\u4e50\u3002
\n<\/strong>(T\u0101 ju\u00e9 de z\u00ec j\u01d0 h\u011bn ku\u00e0i l\u00e8.)
\n<\/em>She thinks she is very happy.<\/p>\n

35. \u4f24\u5fc3 (sh\u0101ng x\u012bn)<\/em> \u2014 sad<\/h2>\n

\u4f24\u5fc3 literally means “hurt heart.” Good luck trying to convince me there’s a more perfect way to describe sadness.<\/p>\n

\u8fd9\u662f\u4e00\u90e8\u4ee4\u4eba\u4f24\u5fc3\u7684\u7535\u5f71\u3002
\n<\/strong>(Zh\u00e8 sh\u00ec y\u00ed b\u00f9 l\u00ecng r\u00e9n sh\u0101ng x\u012bn de di\u00e0n y\u01d0ng.)
\n<\/em>This is a movie that is breaking people’s heart\/This is a sad movie.<\/p>\n

36. \u6709\u540d (y\u01d2u m\u00edng)<\/em> \u2014 famous<\/h2>\n

Hopefully, by now you’re starting to see that Chinese words have a lot of sense behind them. This one is no different. The word “famous” is \u6709\u540d, which literally means “has name.”<\/p>\n

\u6211\u7684\u670b\u53cb\u5f88\u6709\u540d\u3002
\n<\/strong>(W\u01d2 de p\u00e9ng y\u01d2u h\u011bn y\u01d2u m\u00edng.)
\n<\/em>My friend is famous.<\/p>\n

37. \u5185\u5411\u00a0(n\u00e8i xi\u00e0ng)<\/em> \u2014 introverted<\/h2>\n

The word \u5185 means “inside, within,” and \u5411\u00a0means “orientation, direction.” So to say someone is introverted is like saying they’re inner-oriented. That sounds much cooler than our English version if you ask me!<\/p>\n

\u5979\u975e\u5e38\u5185\u5411\uff0c\u4e0d\u559c\u6b22\u548c\u4eba\u804a\u5929\u3002
\n<\/strong>(T\u0101 f\u0113i ch\u00e1ng n\u00e8i xi\u00e0ng, b\u00f9 x\u01d0 hu\u0101n h\u00e9 r\u00e9n li\u00e1o ti\u0101n.)
\n<\/em>She’s very introverted and doesn’t like to chat with people.<\/p>\n

38. \u5916\u5411 (w\u00e0i xi\u00e0ng)<\/em> \u2014 extroverted\/outgoing<\/h2>\n

After learning \u5185\u5411, you could probably guess what this adjective means just by looking at it. It means extroverted, which makes perfect sense once you realize that \u5916\u00a0<\/em>means “outside.”<\/p>\n

\u6211\u7684\u670b\u53cb\u5f88\u559c\u6b22\u805a\u4f1a\uff0c\u56e0\u4e3a\u4ed6\u662f\u4e2a\u5916\u5411\u7684\u4eba\u3002
\n<\/strong>(W\u01d2 de p\u00e9ng you h\u011bn x\u01d0 hu\u0101n j\u00f9 hu\u00ec, y\u012bn w\u00e8i t\u0101 sh\u00ec ge w\u00e0i xi\u00e0ng de r\u00e9n.)
\n<\/em>My friend likes to party because he is an extroverted\/outgoing person.<\/p>\n

39. \u70ed (r\u00e8)<\/em> \u2014 hot<\/h2>\n

All it takes to remember this Chinese adjective is thinking of the English phrase red-hot<\/strong><\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u6628\u5929\u665a\u4e0a\u592a\u70ed\u4e86\uff0c\u6211\u7761\u4e0d\u7740\u89c9\u3002
\n<\/strong>(Zu\u00f3 ti\u0101n w\u01cen sh\u00e0ng t\u00e0i r\u00e8 le, w\u01d2 shu\u00ec b\u00f9 zh\u00e1o ji\u00e0o.)
\n<\/em>Last night was too hot, I couldn’t fall asleep.<\/p>\n

40. \u51b7 (l\u011bng) <\/em>\u2014 cold<\/h2>\n

How should you remember this word? Breathing in cold air can make your \u51b7 (l\u011bng)<\/em>s hurt.<\/p>\n

\u6211\u73b0\u5728\u5f88\u51b7\uff0c\u56e0\u4e3a\u6211\u6ca1\u6709\u7a7f\u6bdb\u8863\u3002
\n<\/strong>(W\u01d2 xi\u00e0n z\u00e0i h\u011bn l\u011bng, y\u012bn w\u00e8i w\u01d2 m\u00e9i y\u01d2u chu\u0101n m\u00e1o y\u012b.)
\n<\/em>I’m cold now because I don’t wear a sweater.<\/p>\n

41. \u52aa\u529b (n\u01d4 l\u00ec)<\/em> \u2014 hard working<\/h2>\n

By itself, \u529b means “force” or “power.” When combined with \u52aa, it becomes “hard-working”.<\/p>\n

\u52aa\u529b is paired with a verb and depending on context, it can mean either to “do something hard” or “do something with effort.”<\/p>\n

In the first example sentence, \u52aa\u529b is used with the verb \u5b66 (xu\u00e9)<\/em> to mean “study hard.” In the second, it’s simply used as an adjective to describe someone’s character.<\/p>\n

\u6211\u5988\u5988\u544a\u8bc9\u6211\uff0c\u5982\u679c\u4f60\u60f3\u627e\u4e00\u4efd\u597d\u5de5\u4f5c\uff0c\u4f60\u5c31\u9700\u8981\u52aa\u529b\u5b66\u4e60\u3002
\n<\/strong>(W\u01d2 m\u0101 ma g\u00e0o s\u00f9 w\u01d2, r\u00fa gu\u01d2 n\u01d0 xi\u01ceng zh\u01ceo y\u00ed f\u00e8n h\u01ceo g\u014dng zu\u00f2, n\u01d0 ji\u00f9 x\u016b y\u00e0o n\u01d4 l\u00ec xu\u00e9 x\u00ed.)
\n<\/em>My mom told me, if you want to find a good job, you need to study hard.<\/p>\n

\u6211\u60f3\u627e\u4e00\u4e2a\u5f88\u52aa\u529b\u7684\u7537\u670b\u53cb\u3002
\n<\/strong>(W\u01d2 xi\u01ceng zh\u01ceo y\u00ed g\u00e8 h\u011bn n\u01d4 l\u00ec de n\u00e1n p\u00e9ng y\u01d2u.)
\n<\/em>I want to find a hard-working boyfriend.<\/p>\n

42. \u61d2 (l\u01cen)<\/em> \u2014 lazy<\/h2>\n

This word might come in handy on the weekends when your friends want to go out but all you want to do is stay home to have a movie marathon<\/a> on the couch.<\/p>\n

\u6211\u4e00\u5230\u665a\u4e0a\u5c31\u53d8\u5f97\u5f88\u61d2\u3002
\n<\/strong>(W\u01d2 y\u00ed d\u00e0o <\/em>w\u01cen sh\u00e0ng ji\u00f9 bi\u00e0n de h\u011bn l\u01cen.)
\n<\/em>When the evening comes, I become lazy\/I become lazy at night.<\/p>\n

43. \u5e05 (shu\u00e0i)<\/em> \u2014 handsome<\/h2>\n

You might hear this word in the phrase \u5e05\u54e5\u7f8e\u5973 (shu\u00e0i g\u0113 m\u011bi n\u01da)<\/em>, which is used to describe a good-looking group of young people and literally means “handsome man beautiful woman.”<\/p>\n

Even more common is just \u5e05\u54e5 (shu\u00e0i g\u0113)<\/em><\/a> by itself, which you’ll hear a lot if you fancy Chinese dramas. This is like the Chinese version of the Korean “oppa.” But in English, we’d usually just say “handsome\/cute boy” or “a lady’s man.”<\/p>\n

\u6211\u7684\u7537\u670b\u53cb\u53c8\u806a\u660e\u53c8\u5e05\u3002
\n<\/strong>(W\u01d2 de n\u00e1n p\u00e9ng you y\u00f2u c\u014dng m\u00edng y\u00f2u shu\u00e0i.)
\n<\/em>My boyfriend is both smart and handsome.<\/p>\n

44. \u597d\u770b (h\u01ceo k\u00e0n)<\/em> \u2014 good-looking<\/h2>\n

And here we have another \u597d combination adjective! Since the word \u770b\u00a0can mean “see, look, read or watch,” \u597d\u770b can be used the same way. Check out the examples to see how agile this adjective is.<\/p>\n

\u4f60\u7a7f\u8fd9\u4e2a\u957f\u88d9\u597d\u770b\u3002
\n<\/strong>(N\u01d0 chu\u0101n zh\u00e8 ge ch\u00e1ng q\u00fan h\u01ceo k\u00e0n.)
\n<\/em>You look good in this dress.<\/p>\n

\u8fd9\u672c\u4e66\u5f88\u597d\u770b\u3002
\n<\/strong>(Zh\u00e8 b\u011bn sh\u016b h\u011bn h\u01ceo k\u00e0n.)
\n<\/em>This book is a good read.<\/p>\n

\u8fd9\u90e8\u7535\u5f71\u5f88\u597d\u770b\u3002
\n<\/strong>(Zh\u00e8 b\u00f9 di\u00e0n y\u01d0ng h\u011bn h\u01ceo k\u00e0n.)
\n<\/em>This movie is a good watch.<\/p>\n

45. \u96be\u770b (n\u00e1n k\u00e0n)<\/em> \u2014 bad-looking, ugly<\/h2>\n

Remember how \u96be\u5403 literally meant “hard to eat?” Well, bad-looking in Chinese is literally “hard to look at”: \u96be\u770b.<\/p>\n

\u90a3\u4e2a\u989c\u8272\u5f88\u96be\u770b\u3002
\n<\/strong>(N\u00e0 ge y\u00e1n s\u00e8 h\u011bn n\u00e1n k\u00e0n.)
\n<\/em>That color is ugly.<\/p>\n

46. \u751c (ti\u00e1n)<\/em> \u2014 sweet<\/h2>\n

\u8fd9\u4e2a\u86cb\u7cd5\u592a\u751c\u4e86\u3002
\n<\/strong>(Zh\u00e8 ge d\u00e0n g\u0101o t\u00e0i ti\u00e1n le.)
\n<\/em>This cake is too sweet.<\/p>\n

47. \u8fa3 (l\u00e0)<\/em> \u2014 spicy, hot<\/h2>\n

Spicy is one of those flavors you either love or hate. Either way, you’ll be using this word a lot when talking about food<\/a>, especially if you visit \u56db\u5ddd\u7701 (s\u00ec chu\u0101n sh\u011bng)<\/em> \u2014 Sichuan Province, which has long been known for its spicy cuisine<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u6211\u4e0d\u592a\u80fd\u5403\u8fa3\u7684\u4e1c\u897f\u3002
\n<\/strong>(W\u01d2 b\u00fa t\u00e0i n\u00e9ng ch\u012b l\u00e0 de d\u014dng xi.)
\n<\/em>I can’t eat spicy things that much.<\/p>\n

48. \u9178 (su\u0101n)<\/em> \u2014 sour<\/h2>\n

In my opinion, \u9178 is the perfect pronunciation for a word that means “sour.” When your lips pucker up from sourness, repeating “su\u0101n<\/em>” is a fool-proof way to straighten them back out.<\/p>\n

\u4f60\u559c\u6b22\u751c\u7684\u98df\u7269\u8fd8\u662f\u9178\u7684\u98df\u7269\uff1f
\n<\/strong>(N\u01d0 x\u01d0 huan ti\u00e1n de sh\u00ed w\u00f9 h\u00e1i sh\u00ec su\u0101n de sh\u00ed w\u00f9?)
\n<\/em>Do you like sweet or sour food?<\/p>\n

49. \u5e72\u51c0 (g\u0101n j\u00ecng)<\/em> \u2014 clean<\/h2>\n

\u5e72\u51c0 is both an adjective\u00a0and<\/em> a verb (meaning “to clean”)!<\/p>\n

\u4f60\u7684\u623f\u95f4\u6bd4\u6211\u7684\u623f\u95f4\u5e72\u51c0\u3002
\n<\/strong>(N\u01d0 de f\u00e1ng ji\u0101n b\u01d0 w\u01d2 de f\u00e1ng ji\u0101n g\u0101n j\u00ecng.)
\n<\/em>Your room is cleaner than mine.<\/p>\n

50. \u810f (z\u0101ng)<\/em> \u2014 dirty<\/h2>\n

Last but not least, we have the opposite of \u5e72\u51c0.<\/p>\n

\u6211\u5f1f\u5f1f\u7684\u8863\u670d\u603b\u662f\u5f88\u810f\u3002
\n<\/strong>(W\u01d2 d\u00ec di de y\u012b fu z\u01d2ng sh\u00ec h\u011bn z\u0101ng.)
\n<\/em>My little brother’s clothes are always dirty.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Chinese adjectives are the perfect tools for adding flavor to your speech, sounding more like a native and getting one step closer to fluency.<\/p>\n

While there are many more out there, learning these 50 will give you the solid foundation you need to memorize others. You can keep learning beyond this post of course, by looking for more adjectives in Chinese through programs like FluentU<\/a>.

FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n

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