More Adjectives (Easy, Hard, Interesting) in Chinese 形容词二
xíngróngcí èr
Common adjectives in Chinese is 常用形容词 (cháng yòng xíng róng cí).
Also searched for as: more adjectives, easy difficult, interesting, adjectives list.
More ways to say what something is like. 15 essential describing words 2 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.
Once you have the basic opposites, this second set lets you give opinions: 有意思 (yǒu yì si), interesting, 方便 (fāng biàn), convenient, and 热闹 (rè nao), lively. These are the words people actually use to talk about films, neighbourhoods and lessons. 热闹 is a good example of a Chinese word with no neat English match: it describes busy, noisy places, usually as a good thing.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 简单 | jiǎn dān | simple |
| 难 | nán | difficult |
| 容易 | róng yì | easy |
| 重要 | zhòng yào | important |
| 有意思 | yǒu yì si | interesting |
| 没意思 | méi yì si | boring |
| 奇怪 | qí guài | strange |
| 方便 | fāng biàn | convenient |
| 安静 | ān jìng | quiet |
| 热闹 | rè nao | lively; bustling |
| 干净 | gān jìng | clean |
| 脏 | zāng | dirty |
| 一样 | yī yàng | the same |
| 不同 | bù tóng | different |
| 特别 | tè bié | special; especially |
Usage tips
- 热闹 (rè nao) is usually positive, for a lively market, a festival or a busy family dinner; if a place is unpleasantly noisy, say 吵 (chǎo) instead.
- 方便 (fāng biàn) is also used when arranging things: 你明天方便吗？ (nǐ míng tiān fāng biàn ma), 'does tomorrow suit you?'
- 一样 (yī yàng) is usually paired with 跟 (gēn) or 和 (hé): 我的跟你的一样 (wǒ de gēn nǐ de yī yàng), 'mine is the same as yours'.
Common mistakes
- Saying 我很没意思 for 'I'm bored': 没意思 (méi yì si) describes the thing, as in 这个电影没意思 (zhè ge diàn yǐng méi yì si); for 'I'm bored', say 我很无聊 (wǒ hěn wú liáo).
- Using 简单 (jiǎn dān) for 'easy to do': 简单 means 'simple, not complicated', while 'easy to' plus a verb is 容易 (róng yì), as in 容易写 (róng yì xiě), 'easy to write'.
Mini dialogue
- A你住的地方怎么样？Nǐ zhù de dì fang zěn me yàng?What's your area like?
- B很方便，旁边有地铁站，晚上也很热闹。Hěn fāng biàn, páng biān yǒu dì tiě zhàn, wǎn shang yě hěn rè nao.Very convenient, there's a metro station nearby and it's lively in the evenings too.
- A不吵吗？Bù chǎo ma?Isn't it noisy?
- B我的房间很安静，而且很干净。Wǒ de fáng jiān hěn ān jìng, ér qiě hěn gān jìng.My room is quiet, and it's very clean too.
Example sentences
- 这道题很简单。This question is easy.
- 中文难吗？Is Chinese difficult?
- 这个汉字很容易写。This character is easy to write.
- 这件事很重要。This matter is important.
- 这本书很有意思。This book is really interesting.
- 这个电影没意思。This film is boring.
- 今天他有点儿奇怪。He's a bit strange today.
- 住在这儿很方便。Living here is very convenient.
- 图书馆里很安静。It's very quiet in the library.
- 夜市很热闹。The night market is really lively.
- 房间很干净。The room is very clean.
- 你的鞋太脏了。Your shoes are really dirty.
- 我们的手机一样。Our phones are the same.
- 这两个字不同。These two characters are different.
- 今天是一个特别的日子。Today is a special day.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Describing words 2 speaking island has 8 everyday questions about describing words 2 to prepare your own answers to.