Basic Adjectives (Big, Small, Good) in Chinese 形容词一
xíngróngcí yī
Adjective in Chinese is 形容词 (xíng róng cí).
Also searched for as: describing words, adjectives, big small, good bad.
What's it like? Start with opposites. 15 essential describing words 1 words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
Chinese adjectives work rather like verbs, so 'this room is big' is simply 这个房间很大 (zhè ge fáng jiān hěn dà), with no word for 'is'. This list pairs common opposites, 大 (dà) and 小 (xiǎo), 快 (kuài) and 慢 (màn), 新 (xīn) and 旧 (jiù), so you learn two words at once. Note that 很 (hěn) here usually just links the subject and adjective rather than meaning 'very'.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 大 | dà | big |
| 小 | xiǎo | small |
| 多 | duō | many; much |
| 少 | shǎo | few; little |
| 长 | cháng | long |
| 短 | duǎn | short (length) |
| 新 | xīn | new |
| 旧 | jiù | old (things) |
| 快 | kuài | fast |
| 慢 | màn | slow |
| 好 | hǎo | good |
| 坏 | huài | bad; broken |
| 早 | zǎo | early |
| 晚 | wǎn | late |
| 对 | duì | right |
Usage tips
- 旧 (jiù) is 'old' for things, while 老 (lǎo) is 'old' for people and long-standing relationships, as in 老朋友 (lǎo péng you), 'old friend'.
- 坏 (huài) means both 'bad' and 'broken': 电脑坏了 (diàn nǎo huài le) means the computer has broken down.
- 得 (de) after a verb lets you comment on how something is done: 你说得对 (nǐ shuō de duì), 'you're right', or 他跑得很快 (tā pǎo de hěn kuài), 'he runs fast'.
Common mistakes
- Adding 是 before an adjective, as in 他是高: drop it and use 很 (hěn), 他很高 (tā hěn gāo).
- Using 老 (lǎo) for old objects, as in 老手机: say 旧手机 (jiù shǒu jī).
- Confusing 少 (shǎo) and 小 (xiǎo): 少 is about quantity and 小 about size, so 'there aren't many people' is 人很少 (rén hěn shǎo).
Mini dialogue
- A你的手机是新的吗？Nǐ de shǒu jī shì xīn de ma?Is your phone new?
- B是，旧的坏了。Shì, jiù de huài le.Yes, the old one broke.
- A新的怎么样？Xīn de zěn me yàng?What's the new one like?
- B很好，比旧的快多了，就是有点儿大。Hěn hǎo, bǐ jiù de kuài duō le, jiù shì yǒu diǎnr dà.Really good, much faster than the old one, just a bit big.
Example sentences
- 这个房间很大。This room is very big.
- 我的手机太小了。My phone is too small.
- 今天人很多。There are lots of people today.
- 这里人很少。There are very few people here.
- 她的头发很长。Her hair is very long.
- 这条裤子太短了。These trousers are too short.
- 这是我的新手机。This is my new phone.
- 这件衣服太旧了。This piece of clothing is too old.
- 地铁比公交车快。The metro is faster than the bus.
- 请开慢一点儿。Please drive a bit slower.
- 今天天气很好。The weather is good today.
- 我的电脑坏了。My computer is broken.
- 你今天来得很早。You came very early today.
- 太晚了，睡觉吧。It's late, go to bed.
- 你说得对。You're right.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Describing words 1 speaking island has 8 everyday questions about describing words 1 to prepare your own answers to.