Traditional Chinese Adjectives: 120+ Common Words + Easy Patterns
Traditional Chinese Adjectives: 120+ Common Words + Easy Patterns
Speak more naturally (and less like a robot). 形容詞（繁體中文）
This list gives you 120+ of the most common adjectives in Traditional Chinese, each with pinyin (tone marks), a clear meaning, and a real example sentence you can copy in daily life.
Bonus: you’ll also learn the grammar patterns people actually use with adjectives—like 很, 比較, 最, and 得—without a grammar lecture that makes your eyes drift into another dimension.
Yak Snark: In English we say “I’m hungry.” In Chinese you can say 我很餓—but you can also skip “am/are/is” most of the time. It’s efficient. It’s elegant. It also means you can’t hide behind “grammar” anymore. 🙂
Section 1: Quick-Grab Adjectives (Visual Cards) 8 high-utility words you’ll use constantly.
好
hǎo
good / fine
Example: 這個很好。
Zhège hěn hǎo. — This is really good.
Zhège hěn hǎo. — This is really good.
壞
huài
bad / broken
Example: 這個不壞。
Zhège bù huài. — This isn’t bad.
Zhège bù huài. — This isn’t bad.
大
dà
big
Example: 這間房子很大。
Zhè jiān fángzi hěn dà. — This room/house is big.
Zhè jiān fángzi hěn dà. — This room/house is big.
小
xiǎo
small
Example: 這杯咖啡太小了。
Zhè bēi kāfēi tài xiǎo le. — This coffee is too small.
Zhè bēi kāfēi tài xiǎo le. — This coffee is too small.
貴
guì
expensive
Example: 這個太貴了。
Zhège tài guì le. — This is too expensive.
Zhège tài guì le. — This is too expensive.
便宜
piányí
cheap / good value
Example: 這家店很便宜。
Zhè jiā diàn hěn piányí. — This shop is cheap.
Zhè jiā diàn hěn piányí. — This shop is cheap.
快
kuài
fast / quick
Example: 你走得很快。
Nǐ zǒu de hěn kuài. — You walk very fast.
Nǐ zǒu de hěn kuài. — You walk very fast.
慢
màn
slow
Example: 網路有點慢。
Wǎnglù yǒudiǎn màn. — The internet is a bit slow.
Wǎnglù yǒudiǎn màn. — The internet is a bit slow.
Section 1.01: Super-Useful Adjective Patterns (Copy-Paste) These are the “grammar moves” you’ll use daily.
A 很 + 形容詞
A hěn + xíngróngcí
“A is (very) adjective.” Most common
Example: 這家餐廳很乾淨。
Zhè jiā cāntīng hěn gānjìng. — This restaurant is very clean.
A 不 + 形容詞
A bù + xíngróngcí
“A is not adjective.”
Example: 這個不難。
Zhège bù nán. — This isn’t hard.
A 有點 + 形容詞
A yǒudiǎn + xíngróngcí
“A is a bit adjective.” (often mildly negative)
Example: 今天有點冷。
Jīntiān yǒudiǎn lěng. — It’s a bit cold today.
A 太 + 形容詞 + 了
A tài + xíngróngcí + le
“A is too adjective!” (often emotional)
Example: 這部電影太好看了！
Zhè bù diànyǐng tài hǎokàn le! — This movie is too good!
比較 + 形容詞
bǐjiào + xíngróngcí
“relatively / 비교 / more” (soft comparison)
Example: 這家比較便宜。
Zhè jiā bǐjiào piányí. — This one is cheaper (relatively).
A 比 B + 形容詞
A bǐ B + xíngróngcí
“A is more adjective than B.”
Example: 這個比那個大。
Zhège bǐ nàge dà. — This is bigger than that.
最 + 形容詞
zuì + xíngróngcí
Superlative: “the most adjective.”
Example: 這是我最喜歡的。
Zhè shì wǒ zuì xǐhuān de. — This is my favorite.
形容詞 + 一點 / 些
xíngróngcí + yìdiǎn / xiē
“a bit more adjective” (soft request / suggestion)
Example: 可以小聲一點嗎？
Kěyǐ xiǎoshēng yìdiǎn ma? — Could you be a bit quieter?
形容詞 + 得 + 形容詞
xíngróngcí/動詞 + de + xíngróngcí
Use 得 for degree (how someone does something).
Example: 他說得很清楚。
Tā shuō de hěn qīngchǔ. — He explained it clearly.
Tiny tip: 很 is often used even when you don’t mean “very.” It helps the sentence sound complete. Think of it as “adjective glue,” not “very glue.” (Yes, that’s a technical term. Totally.)
Section 2: 120+ Common Adjectives (Grouped Tables) Each word includes a natural example sentence.
A) Everyday quality & opinion
| Traditional | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Translation (EN) | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 好 | hǎo | good | 這個很好。 | This is really good. | |
| 不好 | bù hǎo | not good | 今天心情不太好。 | I’m not in a great mood today. | |
| 棒 | bàng | awesome | 你的主意很棒。 | Your idea is awesome. | |
| 讚 | zàn | great / nice (casual) | 這家店真的很讚。 | This place is genuinely great. | |
| 壞 | huài | bad / broken | 我的耳機壞了。 | My earphones are broken. | |
| 糟 | zāo | terrible | 今天的交通很糟。 | Traffic is terrible today. | |
| 完美 | wánměi | perfect | 這個時間很完美。 | This time is perfect. | |
| 普通 | pǔtōng | ordinary / so-so | 味道很普通。 | The taste is just so-so. | |
| 特別 | tèbié | special | 今天對我很特別。 | Today is special to me. | |
| 重要 | zhòngyào | important | 這件事很重要。 | This matter is important. | |
| 必要 | bìyào | necessary | 這不太必要。 | This isn’t really necessary. | |
| 有用 | yǒuyòng | useful | 這個網站很有用。 | This website is useful. | |
| 沒用 | méiyòng | useless | 這個方法沒用。 | This method doesn’t work. | |
| 方便 | fāngbiàn | convenient | 這裡交通很方便。 | Transportation here is convenient. | |
| 麻煩 | máfan | troublesome | 這樣做太麻煩。 | Doing it this way is too troublesome. | |
| 容易 | róngyì | easy | 這題很容易。 | This question is easy. | |
| 難 | nán | hard / difficult | 中文不難，只是需要時間。 | Chinese isn’t hard; it just takes time. | |
| 簡單 | jiǎndān | simple | 講簡單一點。 | Say it a bit more simply. | |
| 複雜 | fùzá | complicated | 這個問題很複雜。 | This problem is complicated. | |
| 清楚 | qīngchǔ | clear | 你講得很清楚。 | You explained it clearly. | |
| 模糊 | móhú | blurry / vague | 照片有點模糊。 | The photo is a bit blurry. |
B) Size, amount & degree
| Traditional | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Translation (EN) | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 大 | dà | big | 你的包包很大。 | Your bag is big. | |
| 小 | xiǎo | small | 我想要小一點的。 | I want a slightly smaller one. | |
| 多 | duō | many / a lot | 今天人很多。 | There are a lot of people today. | |
| 少 | shǎo | few / little | 這裡人比較少。 | There are fewer people here. | |
| 滿 | mǎn | full | 我吃飽了，肚子很滿。 | I’m full; my stomach is full. | |
| 空 | kōng | empty | 瓶子是空的。 | The bottle is empty. | |
| 高 | gāo | tall / high | 那棟大樓很高。 | That building is tall. | |
| 矮 | ǎi | short (height) | 這張椅子有點矮。 | This chair is a bit short/low. | |
| 長 | cháng | long | 這段路很長。 | This stretch of road is long. | |
| 短 | duǎn | short (length) | 會議很短。 | The meeting is short. | |
| 厚 | hòu | thick | 這本書很厚。 | This book is thick. | |
| 薄 | báo | thin (flat) | 這件外套太薄了。 | This jacket is too thin. | |
| 深 | shēn | deep | 這個游泳池很深。 | This swimming pool is deep. | |
| 淺 | qiǎn | shallow | 這裡水比較淺。 | The water is shallower here. | |
| 重 | zhòng | heavy | 這個箱子很重。 | This box is heavy. | |
| 輕 | qīng | light (weight) | 這台筆電很輕。 | This laptop is light. | |
| 夠 | gòu | enough | 時間不夠。 | There isn’t enough time. | |
| 不足 | bùzú | insufficient | 證據不足。 | The evidence is insufficient. | |
| 過分 | guòfèn | too much / excessive | 你說得有點過分。 | What you said is a bit too much. | |
| 剛好 | gānghǎo | just right | 這個溫度剛好。 | This temperature is just right. |
C) Speed, time & frequency vibe
| Traditional | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Translation (EN) | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 快 | kuài | fast | 你回得很快。 | You replied quickly. | |
| 慢 | màn | slow | 服務有點慢。 | The service is a bit slow. | |
| 早 | zǎo | early | 我今天很早起。 | I got up early today. | |
| 晚 | wǎn | late | 我昨天睡得很晚。 | I went to sleep late yesterday. | |
| 準時 | zhǔnshí | on time | 他每次都很準時。 | He’s on time every time. | |
| 常見 | chángjiàn | common | 這是很常見的問題。 | This is a very common problem. | |
| 罕見 | hǎnjiàn | rare | 這種情況很罕見。 | This situation is rare. | |
| 平常 | píngcháng | usual / normally | 我平常不喝甜的。 | I don’t usually drink sweet drinks. | |
| 臨時 | línshí | temporary / last-minute | 這是臨時的決定。 | This is a last-minute decision. | |
| 突然 | tūrán | sudden | 天氣突然變冷。 | The weather suddenly got cold. |
D) People & personality
| Traditional | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Translation (EN) | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 友善 | yǒushàn | friendly | 店員很友善。 | The staff are friendly. | |
| 親切 | qīnqiè | kind / warm | 她人很親切。 | She’s very kind. | |
| 熱情 | rèqíng | enthusiastic | 他對工作很熱情。 | He’s enthusiastic about his work. | |
| 冷淡 | lěngdàn | cold / distant | 他回覆得很冷淡。 | He replied in a distant way. | |
| 害羞 | hàixiū | shy | 我有點害羞，不敢問。 | I’m a bit shy, so I don’t dare to ask. | |
| 外向 | wàixiàng | outgoing | 他很外向，朋友很多。 | He’s outgoing and has many friends. | |
| 內向 | nèixiàng | introverted | 我比較內向。 | I’m more introverted. | |
| 聰明 | cōngmíng | smart | 你真的很聰明。 | You’re really smart. | |
| 笨 | bèn | not smart / clumsy (be careful) | 我今天有點笨手笨腳。 | I’m a bit clumsy today. | |
| 努力 | nǔlì | hardworking | 她真的很努力。 | She’s really hardworking. | |
| 懶 | lǎn | lazy | 週末我很懶，不想出門。 | I’m lazy on weekends and don’t want to go out. | |
| 耐心 | nàixīn | patient | 謝謝你這麼有耐心。 | Thanks for being so patient. | |
| 急 | jí | anxious / in a hurry | 別急，我們還有時間。 | Don’t rush; we still have time. | |
| 細心 | xìxīn | careful / attentive | 他做事很細心。 | He’s very careful in his work. | |
| 粗心 | cūxīn | careless | 我太粗心，忘了帶鑰匙。 | I was too careless and forgot my keys. | |
| 誠實 | chéngshí | honest | 他很誠實。 | He’s honest. | |
| 可靠 | kěkào | reliable | 這個朋友很可靠。 | This friend is reliable. | |
| 隨和 | suíhé | easygoing | 他很隨和，什麼都可以。 | He’s easygoing; anything is fine. | |
| 嚴格 | yángé | strict | 我老闆很嚴格。 | My boss is strict. | |
| 有禮貌 | yǒu lǐmào | polite | 他很有禮貌。 | He’s very polite. |
E) Feelings & mood (super common)
| Traditional | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Translation (EN) | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 開心 | kāixīn | happy | 我今天很開心。 | I’m happy today. | |
| 高興 | gāoxìng | glad | 見到你我很高興。 | I’m glad to see you. | |
| 難過 | nánguò | sad | 他看起來很難過。 | He looks sad. | |
| 生氣 | shēngqì | angry | 別生氣了。 | Don’t be angry. | |
| 緊張 | jǐnzhāng | nervous | 我上台前很緊張。 | I’m nervous before going on stage. | |
| 放心 | fàngxīn | relieved | 聽到你沒事，我就放心了。 | Hearing you’re okay, I’m relieved. | |
| 累 | lèi | tired | 我今天很累。 | I’m really tired today. | |
| 精神 | jīngshén | energetic | 你今天看起來很精神。 | You look energetic today. | |
| 無聊 | wúliáo | bored | 這部電影有點無聊。 | This movie is a bit boring. | |
| 有趣 | yǒuqù | interesting | 這個話題很有趣。 | This topic is interesting. | |
| 好玩 | hǎowán | fun | 跟你聊天很 好玩。 | Talking with you is fun. | |
| 可怕 | kěpà | scary | 那個聲音很可怕。 | That sound is scary. | |
| 安全 | ānquán | safe | 晚上走這條路不太安全。 | Walking this road at night isn’t very safe. | |
| 危險 | wēixiǎn | dangerous | 這樣做很危險。 | Doing this is dangerous. |
F) Looks, taste & senses
| Traditional | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Translation (EN) | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 漂亮 | piàoliang | pretty | 這件衣服很漂亮。 | This outfit is pretty. | |
| 帥 | shuài | handsome / cool | 他今天很帥。 | He looks handsome today. | |
| 可愛 | kě’ài | cute | 你的貓好可愛。 | Your cat is so cute. | |
| 醜 | chǒu | ugly | 這個顏色不醜，只是很特別。 | This color isn’t ugly; it’s just… special. | |
| 乾淨 | gānjìng | clean | 桌子很乾淨。 | The table is clean. | |
| 髒 | zāng | dirty | 你的手有點髒。 | Your hands are a bit dirty. | |
| 甜 | tián | sweet | 這個蛋糕太甜了。 | This cake is too sweet. | |
| 酸 | suān | sour | 這個檸檬好酸。 | This lemon is so sour. | |
| 鹹 | xián | salty | 湯有點鹹。 | The soup is a bit salty. | |
| 辣 | là | spicy | 我不能吃太辣。 | I can’t eat very spicy food. | |
| 苦 | kǔ | bitter | 黑咖啡有點苦。 | Black coffee is a bit bitter. | |
| 香 | xiāng | fragrant | 這個麵包好香。 | This bread smells so good. | |
| 臭 | chòu | stinky | 垃圾有點臭。 | The trash is a bit smelly. | |
| 熱 | rè | hot (temperature) | 今天很熱。 | It’s hot today. | |
| 冷 | lěng | cold | 外面很冷。 | It’s cold outside. | |
| 溫暖 | wēnnuǎn | warm (cozy) | 這裡很溫暖。 | It’s warm and cozy here. | |
| 涼 | liáng | cool | 晚上比較涼。 | It’s cooler at night. | |
| 清爽 | qīngshuǎng | refreshing | 這杯茶很清爽。 | This tea is refreshing. |
G) State & condition
| Traditional | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Translation (EN) | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 忙 | máng | busy | 我最近很忙。 | I’ve been busy lately. | |
| 閒 | xián | free / idle | 你今天有空嗎？我比較閒。 | Are you free today? I’m fairly free. | |
| 有空 | yǒu kòng | available | 你週末有空嗎？ | Are you available this weekend? | |
| 累 | lèi | tired | 走了一整天很累。 | Walking all day is tiring. | |
| 餓 | è | hungry | 我很餓，我們去吃飯吧。 | I’m hungry—let’s go eat. | |
| 渴 | kě | thirsty | 我好渴。 | I’m so thirsty. | |
| 飽 | bǎo | full (after eating) | 我吃飽了。 | I’m full. | |
| 健康 | jiànkāng | healthy | 多走路比較健康。 | Walking more is healthier. | |
| 生病 | shēngbìng | sick | 我昨天生病了。 | I got sick yesterday. | |
| 舒服 | shūfú | comfortable | 這張床很舒服。 | This bed is comfortable. | |
| 不舒服 | bù shūfú | uncomfortable | 我胃有點不舒服。 | My stomach feels a bit off. | |
| 順利 | shùnlì | smooth / going well | 祝你面試順利。 | Wish you a smooth interview. | |
| 麻煩 | máfan | troublesome | 這件事有點麻煩。 | This matter is a bit troublesome. | |
| 危險 | wēixiǎn | dangerous | 這裡晚上不太危險嗎？ | Isn’t it a bit dangerous here at night? | |
| 安全 | ānquán | safe | 這裡很安全。 | It’s safe here. |
H) Money & value (because life)
| Traditional | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Translation (EN) | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 貴 | guì | expensive | 這杯咖啡有點貴。 | This coffee is a bit expensive. | |
| 便宜 | piányí | cheap | 這個真的很便宜。 | This is really cheap. | |
| 划算 | huásuàn | worth it / good deal | 這樣買比較划算。 | Buying it this way is more worth it. | |
| 值得 | zhídé | worth (doing/buying) | 這部電影很值得看。 | This movie is worth watching. | |
| 浪費 | làngfèi | wasteful | 丟掉太浪費了。 | Throwing it away is too wasteful. | |
| 免費 | miǎnfèi | free (no cost) | 這裡的水是免費的。 | The water here is free. |
I) Color & light (basic but useful)
| Traditional | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Translation (EN) | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 黑 | hēi | black | 我想買黑色的。 | I want to buy the black one. | |
| 白 | bái | white | 白色比較耐看。 | White looks good for longer. | |
| 紅 | hóng | red | 我喜歡紅色。 | I like red. | |
| 藍 | lán | blue | 今天的天空很藍。 | The sky is very blue today. | |
| 綠 | lǜ | green | 我想要綠色那件。 | I want the green one. | |
| 黃 | huáng | yellow | 這盞燈的光有點黃。 | This lamp’s light is a bit yellow. | |
| 亮 | liàng | bright | 這裡很亮。 | It’s bright here. | |
| 暗 | àn | dark / dim | 房間有點暗。 | The room is a bit dim. |
J) Common “double” adjectives (very natural)
| Traditional | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Translation (EN) | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 乾乾淨淨 | gāngānjìngjìng | nice and clean | 把桌子擦得乾乾淨淨。 | Wipe the table nice and clean. | |
| 清清楚楚 | qīngqīngchǔchǔ | very clearly | 請你講清清楚楚。 | Please say it clearly. | |
| 慢慢 | mànmàn | slowly | 你慢慢說。 | Speak slowly. | |
| 快快 | kuàikuài | quickly (urging) | 快快回來！ | Come back quickly! | |
| 熱熱的 | rèrè de | warm/hot (pleasantly) | 我想喝熱熱的湯。 | I want to drink some nice hot soup. | |
| 冷冷的 | lěnglěng de | cold (to the touch) | 水冷冷的。 | The water is cold. |
Section 3: Handy Variants & Mini-Notes Synonyms, polite tone, and “don’t say it weird” tips.
| Topic | Useful Forms | Meaning / When to use | Example (ZH) | Translation (EN) | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| “Very” options | 很 / 真 / 超 / 非常 / 特別 | 很 = default; 真 = really; 超 = super (casual); 非常 = very (formal-ish); 特別 = especially. | 這家店超便宜！ | This shop is super cheap! | |
| Softening (polite) | 有點 / 不太 / 比較 | Use these to sound less harsh. Great for reviews, feedback, and being a decent human. | 我覺得這個有點貴。 | I think this is a bit expensive. | |
| Adjective + 的 | 形容詞 + 的 | Turns an adjective into “the … one / …-ish thing.” Very common. | 我想要便宜的那個。 | I want the cheaper one. | |
| Degree with 得 | 動詞 + 得 + 形容詞 | Use 得 when describing how someone does something. | 你唱得很好。 | You sing very well. | |
| Comparison | A 比 B + 形容詞 | Direct comparison: A is more adjective than B. | 今天比昨天冷。 | Today is colder than yesterday. | |
| Superlative | 最 + 形容詞 | “The most …” (favorite, best, etc.) | 這是我最想吃的。 | This is what I want to eat the most. | |
| Too much | 太 + 形容詞 + 了 | Emotional “too/so” (complaint or praise). | 你太客氣了！ | You’re too polite! (So kind of you.) | |
| Not that… | 不 + 太/那麼 + 形容詞 | “Not that…” / “Not so…” (soft negative) | 這裡不太安靜。 | It’s not very quiet here. | |
| Just a bit | 形容詞 + 一點 | Polite request or adjustment. | 可以快一點嗎？ | Could you be a bit faster? |
Yak Snark: If you say 我很漂亮, it can sound like you’re declaring yourself the main character. (Not illegal, just… bold.) Safer: 我覺得我今天看起來還不錯—humblebrag with style.
