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.
Browse the Full List
| Grammar Word | Pinyin | Function | Meaning | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 刻苦 | kèkǔ | Other | hardworking/assiduous | |
| 刻薄 | kèbó | Other | unkind/harsh/cutting/mean/acrimony/to embezzle by making illegal deductions | |
| 剧烈 | jùliè | Other | violent | |
| 功利 | gōnglì | Other | utility | |
| 动乱 | dòngluàn | Other | turmoil/upheaval/unrest | |
| 动人 | dòngrén | Other | touching/moving | |
| 努力 | nǔlì | Other | to make an effort | |
| 劳累 | láolèi | Other | tired/exhausted/worn out/to toil | |
| 勇敢 | yǒnggǎn | Other | brave | |
| 勉强 | miǎnqiǎng | Other | to do with difficulty/to force sb to do sth/reluctant/barely enough | |
| 勤劳 | qínláo | Other | hardworking/industrious/diligent | |
| 勤奋 | qínfèn | Other | hardworking/diligent | |
| 匆忙 | cōngmáng | Other | hasty/hurried | |
| 十足 | shízú | Other | ample/complete/hundred percent/a pure shade (of some color) | |
| 单纯 | dānchún | Other | simple/pure/unsophisticated/merely/purely | |
| 单调 | dāndiào | Other | monotonous | |
| 单身 | dānshēn | Other | unmarried/single | |
| 卖 mài | to sell | Other | 这家店卖咖啡。Zhè jiā diàn mài kāfēi. | |
| 卖座 | màizuò | Other | (of a movie, show etc) to attract large audiences | |
| 卫生 | wèishēng | Other | health/hygiene/sanitation | |
| 危险 | wéixiǎn | Other | danger/dangerous | |
| 厉害 | lìhài | Other | (used to describe sb or sth that makes a very strong impression, whether favorable or unfavorable) terrible/intense/severe/devastating/amazing/awesome/outstandi | |
| 厌恶 | yànwù | Other | to loathe/to hate/disgusted with sth | |
| 厚 | hòu | Other | thick/deep or profound/kind/generous/rich or strong in flavor/to favor/to stress | |
| 原始 | yuánshǐ | Other | first/original/primitive/original (document etc) |
Free Most Common Chinese Adjectives PDF and Flashcards to Download
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