Sizes & Shapes in Chinese 大小
dàxiǎo
Size / shape in Chinese are 大小 / 形状 (dà xiǎo / xíng zhuàng).
Also searched for as: big small, shapes, circle square, size.
Does it fit? 15 essential sizes & shapes 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.
大小 (dà xiǎo) literally means 'big small', and Chinese often forms abstract nouns this way, by pairing opposites, so 长短 (cháng duǎn) means length. These words help you describe size and shape, whether you're shopping for clothes in a particular 号 (hào), size, or saying something is too 长 (cháng), long, or too 短 (duǎn), short.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 大小 | dà xiǎo | size |
| 大 | dà | big |
| 小 | xiǎo | small |
| 长 | cháng | long |
| 短 | duǎn | short |
| 高 | gāo | tall |
| 矮 | ǎi | short (height) |
| 胖 | pàng | fat |
| 瘦 | shòu | thin |
| 宽 | kuān | wide |
| 号 | hào | size (clothes) |
| 合适 | hé shì | suitable; fits |
| 圆 | yuán | round |
| 方 | fāng | square |
| 尺寸 | chǐ cun | measurements |
Usage tips
- Clothing sizes are 小号 (xiǎo hào), small, 中号 (zhōng hào), medium, and 大号 (dà hào), large, and shop assistants ask 你穿多大号的 (nǐ chuān duō dà hào de).
- 合适 (hé shì) is the natural word for something that fits, as in 这件你穿正合适 (zhè jiàn nǐ chuān zhèng hé shì), it fits you perfectly.
- Calling someone 胖 (pàng) is more direct than 'fat' in English and is sometimes said casually within families, but it can still cause offence; 瘦 (shòu), thin, is usually heard as a compliment.
Common mistakes
- Using 短 (duǎn) for a person's height; 短 is for objects and time, so 'he's short' is 他很矮 (tā hěn ǎi).
- Adding 很 to a 比 comparison, as in 他比我很高; say 他比我高 (tā bǐ wǒ gāo) or, for 'much taller', 他比我高多了 (tā bǐ wǒ gāo duō le).
Mini dialogue
- A你穿多大号的？Nǐ chuān duō dà hào de?What size do you wear?
- B中号。这件有点儿大，有没有小一点的？Zhōng hào. Zhè jiàn yǒu diǎnr dà, yǒu méi yǒu xiǎo yī diǎn de?Medium. This one's a bit big, do you have a smaller one?
- A有，你试试这件小号的。Yǒu, nǐ shì shi zhè jiàn xiǎo hào de.Yes, try this small.
- B大小正好，可是袖子有点儿长。Dà xiǎo zhèng hǎo, kě shì xiù zi yǒu diǎnr cháng.The size is right, but the sleeves are a bit long.
Example sentences
- 这双鞋大小正好。These shoes are just the right size.
- 这件衣服太大了。This top is too big.
- 有没有小一点的？Have you got a smaller one?
- 这条裙子太长了。This skirt is too long.
- 这条裤子有点儿短。These trousers are a bit short.
- 他比我高一点儿。He's a bit taller than me.
- 我弟弟比我矮。My younger brother is shorter than me.
- 我最近胖了，裤子穿不上了。I've put on weight lately and my trousers don't fit.
- 她很瘦，穿小号。She's very thin and wears a small.
- 这条裤子的裤腿太宽了。The legs on these trousers are too wide.
- 你穿多大号的？What size do you wear?
- 这件外套你穿正合适。This jacket fits you perfectly.
- 这张桌子是圆的。This table is round.
- 我想买一个方的盘子。I'd like to buy a square plate.
- 买窗帘前要量好尺寸。Measure up before you buy curtains.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Sizes & shapes speaking island has 8 everyday questions about sizes & shapes to prepare your own answers to.