Adjectives are the color in your Mandarin sentences – without them, everything’s just ‘good’ or ‘not good’. That gets old fast. This list gathers around 1,000 of the most common Chinese adjectives you’ll actually use, from 大 to 漂亮, so you can describe people, food, places, and moods with precision.
Every entry pairs a clear meaning with a natural example sentence, so you see exactly how the adjective behaves in real Chinese – not a lifeless translation. There’s audio playback right in the table, because your ears need practice just as much as your eyes.
Ready to give your Chinese vocab a little extra sparkle? Scroll to the bottom of this article to find the free downloadable printable Most Common Chinese Adjectives flashcards and the free printable Most Common Chinese Adjectives vocabulary list PDF, both made to help you review with less stress and a lot more confidence.
Want more than one list? Browse our Chinese section for more Yak Yacker study pages, printable lists, and quiz-friendly review material.
Quick Quiz
Think you can match an adjective to its meaning in a flash? Give the quick quiz below a go – no pressure, just a friendly check.
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| Grammar Word | Pinyin | Function | Meaning | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 一样 | yīyàng | Other | same/like/equal to/the same as/just like | |
| 一致 | yīzhì | Other | consistent | |
| 一般 | yībān | Other | same/ordinary/so-so/common/general/generally/in general | |
| 上进 | shàngjìn | Other | to make progress/to do better/fig. ambitious to improve oneself/to move forwards | |
| 不便 | bùbiàn | Other | inconvenient/inappropriate/unsuitable/short of cash | |
| 不公 | bùgōng | Other | unjust/unfair | |
| 不凡 | bùfán | Other | out of the ordinary/out of the common run | |
| 不同 | bùtóng | Other | different/distinct/not the same/not alike | |
| 不堪 | bùkān | Other | cannot bear/cannot stand/utterly/extremely | |
| 不安 | bù'ān | Other | unpeaceful/unstable/uneasy/disturbed/restless/worried | |
| 不宜 | bùyí | Other | not suitable/inadvisable/inappropriate | |
| 不少 | bùshǎo | Other | many/a lot/not few | |
| 不平 | bùpíng | Other | uneven/injustice/unfairness/wrong/grievance/indignant/dissatisfied | |
| 不幸 | bùxìng | Other | misfortune/adversity/unfortunate/sad/unfortunately | |
| 不当 | bùdàng | Other | unsuitable | |
| 不得了 | bùdéliǎo | Other | desperately serious/disastrous/extremely/exceedingly | |
| 不得已 | bùdéyǐ | Other | to act against one's will/to have no alternative but to/to have to/to have no choice/must | |
| 不惜 | bùxí | Other | not stint/not spare/not hesitate (to do sth)/not scruple (to do sth) | |
| 不懈 | bùxiè | Other | untiring/unremitting/indefatigable | |
| 不敢当 | bùgǎndāng | Other | lit. I dare not (accept the honor) | |
| 不断 | bùduàn | Adverb | unceasing/uninterrupted/continuous/constant | |
| 不满 | bùmǎn | Other | resentful/discontented/dissatisfied | |
| 不良 | bùliáng | Other | bad/harmful/unhealthy | |
| 不足 | bùzú | Other | insufficient/lacking/deficiency/not enough/inadequate/not worth/cannot/should not | |
| 不错 | bùcuò | Other | correct/right/not bad/pretty good |
Free Most Common Chinese Adjectives PDF and Flashcards to Download
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