Clothing (衣服, yī fú) and fashion (时尚, shí shàng) are an important part of daily life in China. From shopping in malls and boutiques to discussing trends with friends, knowing how to describe clothes, ask for sizes, and express your preferences will help you communicate confidently and fit in with local style.
In this blog post, we will cover essential vocabulary, useful phrases, and sample dialogues so you can talk about fashion like a local.
Describing Clothing Items
When talking about clothes, it’s important to know the names of common items:
上衣 (shàng yī) – Top, shirt
裤子 (kù zi) – Pants
裙子 (qún zi) – Skirt
鞋子 (xié zi) – Shoes
外套 (wài tào) – Jacket or coat
帽子 (mào zi) – Hat
Example sentence:
我想买一件红色的上衣 (wǒ xiǎng mǎi yí jiàn hóng sè de shàng yī) – I want to buy a red top.
You can also describe style and material:
这条裙子很漂亮 (zhè tiáo qún zi hěn piào liang) – This skirt is very pretty
这件外套是棉的 (zhè jiàn wài tào shì mián de) – This coat is made of cotton
Talking About Sizes and Fit
Asking about sizes (尺码, chǐ mǎ) is essential when shopping:
我可以试一下吗? (wǒ kě yǐ shì yí xià ma) – Can I try it on?
有大一点的尺码吗? (yǒu dà yì diǎn de chǐ mǎ ma) – Do you have a bigger size?
这件衣服很合身 (zhè jiàn yī fú hěn hé shēn) – This piece of clothing fits well
Example dialogue:
A: 这双鞋子有我的尺码吗? (zhè shuāng xié zi yǒu wǒ de chǐ mǎ ma) – Do these shoes come in my size?
B: 有, 这是你的尺码 (yǒu, zhè shì nǐ de chǐ mǎ) – Yes, here is your size
A: 太好了, 我试试 (tài hǎo le, wǒ shì shì) – Great, I’ll try them on
Discussing Colors and Patterns
Colors (颜色, yán sè) and patterns (图案, tú àn) are commonly discussed when choosing clothes:
红色 (hóng sè) – Red
蓝色 (lán sè) – Blue
黑色 (hēi sè) – Black
白色 (bái sè) – White
条纹 (tiáo wén) – Striped
格子 (gé zi) – Checked, plaid
Example sentence:
我喜欢这件蓝色的衬衫, 上面有格子 (wǒ xǐ huān zhè jiàn lán sè de chèn shān, shàng miàn yǒu gé zi) – I like this blue shirt; it has a plaid pattern.
Expressing Preferences and Opinions
You can express what you like or dislike about fashion using these phrases:
我觉得这件衣服很时尚 (wǒ jué dé zhè jiàn yī fú hěn shí shàng) – I think this piece of clothing is very fashionable
我不太喜欢条纹的裤子 (wǒ bù tài xǐ huān tiáo wén de kù zi) – I don’t really like striped pants
你觉得哪件更好看? (nǐ jué dé nǎ jiàn gèng hǎo kàn) – Which one do you think looks better?
Example dialogue:
A: 你觉得这件外套怎么样? (nǐ jué dé zhè jiàn wài tào zěn me yàng) – What do you think about this coat?
B: 我觉得很适合你, 很时尚 (wǒ jué dé hěn shì hé nǐ, hěn shí shàng) – I think it suits you; it’s very fashionable
Talking About Shopping and Prices
Shopping (购物, gòu wù) is an essential context for discussing clothing:
多少钱? (duō shǎo qián) – How much is it?
可以便宜一点吗? (kě yǐ pián yi yì diǎn ma) – Can it be a little cheaper?
我只看一下 (wǒ zhǐ kàn yí xià) – I’m just looking
Example sentence:
这双鞋子多少钱? (zhè shuāng xié zi duō shǎo qián) – How much are these shoes?
五百块, 可以便宜一点吗? (wǔ bǎi kuài, kě yǐ pián yi yì diǎn ma) – 500 yuan, can it be a bit cheaper?
Talking About Fashion Trends
Discussing trends (流行, liú xíng) is common among friends and online:
最近很流行穿运动鞋 (zuì jìn hěn liú xíng chuān yùn dòng xié) – Recently, wearing sneakers is very popular
这件衣服很时髦 (zhè jiàn yī fú hěn shí máo) – This clothing is very trendy
你跟上潮流了吗? (nǐ gēn shàng cháo liú le ma) – Are you keeping up with the trends?
Example dialogue:
A: 今年秋天什么颜色最流行? (jīn nián qiū tiān shén me yán sè zuì liú xíng) – What colors are most popular this fall?
B: 棕色和绿色很流行 (zōng sè hé lǜ sè hěn liú xíng) – Brown and green are very trendy
Sample Full Conversation About Clothing
A: 你好, 我想看看这件外套 (nǐ hǎo, wǒ xiǎng kàn kàn zhè jiàn wài tào) – Hello, I want to look at this coat
B: 好, 你需要试穿吗? (hǎo, nǐ xū yào shì chuān ma) – Sure, do you want to try it on?
A: 可以, 我穿L号的 (kě yǐ, wǒ chuān L hào de) – Yes, I wear size L
B: 这件蓝色的很适合你 (zhè jiàn lán sè de hěn shì hé nǐ) – This blue one suits you very well
A: 我觉得很时尚, 多少钱? (wǒ jué dé hěn shí shàng, duō shǎo qián) – I think it’s fashionable; how much is it?
B: 三百块 (sān bǎi kuài) – 300 yuan
A: 可以便宜一点吗? (kě yǐ pián yi yì diǎn ma) – Can it be a little cheaper?
B: 好, 二百八十块 (hǎo, èr bǎi bā shí kuài) – OK, 280 yuan
New Words
- 衣服 (yī fú) – Clothes
- 时尚 (shí shàng) – Fashion
- 上衣 (shàng yī) – Top, shirt
- 裤子 (kù zi) – Pants
- 裙子 (qún zi) – Skirt
- 尺码 (chǐ mǎ) – Size
- 图案 (tú àn) – Pattern
- 流行 (liú xíng) – Trend, popular
- 试穿 (shì chuān) – Try on clothes
- 时髦 (shí máo) – Trendy, stylish
