Opposites in Traditional Chinese: 60 Easy Pairs for Beginners
傳統中文反義詞｜最常用的相反詞（含拼音、例句、可點音檔）
You’ll learn opposites in Traditional Chinese with pinyin (tone marks), clear meanings, and real-life example sentences. Tap the audio buttons to hear the Hanzi in Taiwan Mandarin (zh-TW).
Opposites are ridiculously useful: you learn one word, and you basically get its “mirror twin” for free. Language learning rarely gives refunds—take the win.
Quick-Use Opposites You’ll Actually Say
These pairs show up everywhere: shopping, directions, daily plans, and the eternal debate of “hot or cold?”
大 / 小
big / small
這杯大，那杯小。
Zhè bēi dà, nà bēi xiǎo.
This cup is big; that one is small.
多 / 少
many/much / few/little
今天人很多，昨天人很少。
Jīntiān rén hěn duō, zuótiān rén hěn shǎo.
There are many people today; there were few yesterday.
高 / 低
tall/high / short/low
這棟樓很高，那棟比較低。
Zhè dòng lóu hěn gāo, nà dòng bǐjiào dī.
This building is tall; that one is shorter.
快 / 慢
fast / slow
你走太快了，我走得比較慢。
Nǐ zǒu tài kuài le, wǒ zǒu de bǐjiào màn.
You’re walking too fast; I walk slower.
熱 / 冷
hot / cold
咖啡很熱，冰水很冷。
Kāfēi hěn rè, bīngshuǐ hěn lěng.
The coffee is hot; the iced water is cold.
早 / 晚
early / late
我今天來得早，你來得晚。
Wǒ jīntiān lái de zǎo, nǐ lái de wǎn.
I arrived early today; you arrived late.
開 / 關
open/turn on / close/turn off
請把窗戶打開，不用就關上。
Qǐng bǎ chuānghù dǎkāi, bùyòng jiù guānshàng.
Please open the window; close it when you don’t need it.
有 / 沒有
have / don’t have
我有票，你沒有票。
Wǒ yǒu piào, nǐ méi yǒu piào.
I have a ticket; you don’t have a ticket.
Handy “Opposite” Phrases
Chinese loves pairing contrasts inside one phrase. These are super common and sound very natural.
忽冷忽熱
sometimes cold, sometimes hot
最近天氣忽冷忽熱，要多注意。
Zuìjìn tiānqì hū lěng hū rè, yào duō zhùyì.
The weather has been hot and cold lately—be careful.
時好時壞
sometimes good, sometimes bad
我的網路時好時壞，很煩。
Wǒ de wǎnglù shí hǎo shí huài, hěn fán.
My internet is sometimes good, sometimes bad—annoying.
忽高忽低
up and down (level/price/mood)
他的聲音忽高忽低，我聽不太清楚。
Tā de shēngyīn hū gāo hū dī, wǒ tīng bù tài qīngchǔ.
His voice goes up and down; I can’t hear clearly.
大大小小
all kinds of sizes; big and small
這裡有大大小小的店。
Zhèlǐ yǒu dà dà xiǎo xiǎo de diàn.
There are shops of all sizes here.
上上下下
up and down
電梯壞了，只能走樓梯上上下下。
Diàntī huài le, zhǐnéng zǒu lóutī shàng shàng xià xià.
The elevator is broken, so we can only go up and down by stairs.
前前後後
before and after; overall
前前後後花了三個小時才到。
Qián qián hòu hòu huā le sān gè xiǎoshí cái dào.
All in all, it took three hours to arrive.
裡裡外外
inside and out
他把房間裡裡外外都打掃乾淨了。
Tā bǎ fángjiān lǐ lǐ wài wài dōu dǎsǎo gānjìng le.
He cleaned the room inside and out.
早早晚晚
sooner or later
早早晚晚你都要面對這件事。
Zǎo zǎo wǎn wǎn nǐ dōu yào miànduì zhè jiàn shì.
Sooner or later, you’ll have to face this.
有來有往
give and take; back and forth
聊天要有來有往才有趣。
Liáotiān yào yǒu lái yǒu wǎng cái yǒuqù.
A conversation is fun when there’s give and take.
有進有退
advance and retreat; flexible strategy
做計畫要有進有退，不要硬撐。
Zuò jìhuà yào yǒu jìn yǒu tuì, búyào yìng chēng.
Plans should allow advance and retreat—don’t force it.
不是…就是…
either… or… (one of two)
不是今天，就是明天。
Bùshì jīntiān, jiùshì míngtiān.
Either today or tomorrow.
要嘛…要嘛…
either… or… (casual)
要嘛走路，要嘛搭車。
Yàoma zǒulù, yàoma dā chē.
Either walk or take a ride.
A Quick Trick: “A 不 A” Questions
Want a fast, natural yes/no question? Repeat the adjective (or verb) with 不 in the middle. It’s simple, useful, and slightly unfair (in a good way).
好不好？
hǎo bù hǎo?
Is it okay or not?
忙不忙？
máng bù máng?
Are you busy?
熱不熱？
rè bù rè?
Is it hot?
可以不可以？
kěyǐ bù kěyǐ?
Is it allowed / okay?
這個貴不貴？
Zhège guì bù guì?
Is this expensive?
More Opposite Pairs, Neatly Sorted
These are the “everyday life” opposites you’ll meet in stores, conversations, and random group chats.
Size, Amount, Money
| Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning (EN) | Example (ZH) | Translation (EN) | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 長 / 短 | cháng / duǎn | long / short | 這條路很長，那條比較短。 | This road is long; that one is shorter. | |
| 厚 / 薄 | hòu / báo | thick / thin | 這件外套很厚，那件很薄。 | This jacket is thick; that one is thin. | |
| 重 / 輕 | zhòng / qīng | heavy / light | 這個箱子很重，那個比較輕。 | This suitcase is heavy; that one is lighter. | |
| 寬 / 窄 | kuān / zhǎi | wide / narrow | 這條路很寬，那條巷子很窄。 | This road is wide; that alley is narrow. | |
| 深 / 淺 | shēn / qiǎn | deep / shallow | 這裡水很深，那裡比較淺。 | The water is deep here; it’s shallower there. | |
| 遠 / 近 | yuǎn / jìn | far / near | 我家很近，你家比較遠。 | My place is near; yours is farther. | |
| 滿 / 空 | mǎn / kōng | full / empty | 這班車很滿，下一班可能比較空。 | This bus is packed; the next one might be emptier. | |
| 夠 / 不夠 | gòu / bù gòu | enough / not enough | 時間不夠，錢倒是夠。 | There isn’t enough time, but there’s enough money. | |
| 全部 / 部分 | quánbù / bùfèn | all / part | 我只懂部分內容，不懂全部。 | I only understand part of it, not all of it. | |
| 增加 / 減少 | zēngjiā / jiǎnshǎo | increase / decrease | 我們要增加人手，減少等待時間。 | We need to add staff and reduce waiting time. | |
| 便宜 / 貴 | piányí / guì | cheap / expensive | 這個很便宜，那個太貴了。 | This one is cheap; that one is too expensive. |
Time, Order, Frequency
| Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning (EN) | Example (ZH) | Translation (EN) | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 以前 / 以後 | yǐqián / yǐhòu | before / after | 以前我住台北，以後想住台中。 | Before I lived in Taipei; later I want to live in Taichung. | |
| 先 / 後 | xiān / hòu | first / after | 你先點餐，我後來再加一杯。 | You order first; I’ll add a drink later. | |
| 開始 / 結束 | kāishǐ / jiéshù | start / end | 電影七點開始，九點結束。 | The movie starts at 7 and ends at 9. | |
| 白天 / 晚上 | báitiān / wǎnshàng | daytime / evening-night | 白天很忙，晚上才有空。 | I’m busy in the day; I’m only free at night. | |
| 立刻 / 稍後 | lìkè / shāohòu | immediately / later | 我立刻回你，或是稍後再回。 | I’ll reply immediately, or I’ll reply later. | |
| 常常 / 很少 | chángcháng / hěn shǎo | often / rarely | 我常常喝咖啡，但很少喝汽水。 | I often drink coffee, but I rarely drink soda. | |
| 暫時 / 永久 | zànshí / yǒngjiǔ | temporary / permanent | 這只是暫時的，不是永久的。 | This is only temporary, not permanent. | |
| 準時 / 遲到 | zhǔnshí / chídào | on time / late | 我會準時到，你別遲到。 | I’ll be on time—don’t be late. |
Quality, Condition, Taste
| Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning (EN) | Example (ZH) | Translation (EN) | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 好 / 壞 | hǎo / huài | good / bad | 今天心情很好，昨天很壞。 | I’m in a good mood today; yesterday was bad. | |
| 對 / 錯 | duì / cuò | right / wrong | 你說得對，我剛剛說錯了。 | You’re right; I was wrong just now. | |
| 真 / 假 | zhēn / jiǎ | real / fake | 這是真的嗎？不是假的吧？ | Is this real? It’s not fake, right? | |
| 新 / 舊 | xīn / jiù | new / old | 我想買新的，不想買舊的。 | I want to buy a new one, not an old one. | |
| 乾淨 / 髒 | gānjìng / zāng | clean / dirty | 桌子不乾淨，有點髒。 | The table isn’t clean; it’s a bit dirty. | |
| 安全 / 危險 | ānquán / wēixiǎn | safe / dangerous | 這裡很安全，那裡比較危險。 | It’s safe here; it’s more dangerous there. | |
| 簡單 / 複雜 | jiǎndān / fùzá | simple / complicated | 這題很簡單，那題很複雜。 | This question is simple; that one is complicated. | |
| 重要 / 次要 | zhòngyào / cìyào | important / secondary | 先處理重要的，次要的晚點再說。 | Handle the important things first; the secondary ones can wait. | |
| 方便 / 麻煩 | fāngbiàn / máfan | convenient / troublesome | 坐捷運很方便，開車有點麻煩。 | Taking the MRT is convenient; driving is a bit troublesome. | |
| 清楚 / 模糊 | qīngchǔ / móhu | clear / blurry-vague | 你說清楚一點，我聽得很模糊。 | Say it more clearly; I’m hearing it vaguely. | |
| 濕 / 乾 | shī / gān | wet / dry | 地板很濕，衣服已經乾了。 | The floor is wet; the clothes are already dry. | |
| 軟 / 硬 | ruǎn / yìng | soft / hard | 麵包很軟，餅乾很硬。 | The bread is soft; the crackers are hard. | |
| 亮 / 暗 | liàng / àn | bright / dark | 這裡太暗了，開燈會亮一點。 | It’s too dark here; turning on the light will make it brighter. | |
| 吵 / 安靜 | chǎo / ānjìng | noisy / quiet | 外面很吵，房間裡比較安靜。 | It’s noisy outside; it’s quieter in the room. | |
| 健康 / 生病 | jiànkāng / shēngbìng | healthy / sick | 希望你一直健康，不要生病。 | Hope you stay healthy and don’t get sick. | |
| 甜 / 苦 | tián / kǔ | sweet / bitter | 這個甜，這個有點苦。 | This one is sweet; this one is a bit bitter. |
Direction, Location, Movement
| Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning (EN) | Example (ZH) | Translation (EN) | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 上 / 下 | shàng / xià | up / down | 請上樓，然後再下來。 | Go upstairs, then come back down. | |
| 左 / 右 | zuǒ / yòu | left / right | 往左轉，再往右走。 | Turn left, then walk to the right. | |
| 前 / 後 | qián / hòu | front / back | 我坐前面，你坐後面。 | I’ll sit in the front; you sit in the back. | |
| 裡 / 外 | lǐ / wài | inside / outside | 外面很冷，裡面比較暖。 | It’s cold outside; it’s warmer inside. | |
| 進 / 出 | jìn / chū | enter / exit | 請先進來，走的時候再出去。 | Please come in first; exit when you leave. | |
| 來 / 去 | lái / qù | come / go | 你要來嗎？不來我就去找你。 | Are you coming? If not, I’ll go find you. | |
| 推 / 拉 | tuī / lā | push / pull | 這個門要推，不是拉。 | This door is push, not pull. | |
| 北 / 南 | běi / nán | north / south | 他住北部，我住南部。 | He lives in the north; I live in the south. | |
| 東 / 西 | dōng / xī | east / west | 太陽從東邊升起，往西邊落下。 | The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. | |
| 一起 / 分開 | yìqǐ / fēnkāi | together / separate | 我們可以一起去，也可以分開走。 | We can go together, or we can go separately. |
Opinions, Feelings, Social Vibes
| Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning (EN) | Example (ZH) | Translation (EN) | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 同意 / 反對 | tóngyì / fǎnduì | agree / oppose | 我同意這個做法，他反對。 | I agree with this approach; he opposes it. | |
| 開心 / 難過 | kāixīn / nánguò | happy / sad | 你開心我就開心，你難過我也會難過。 | If you’re happy, I’m happy; if you’re sad, I’m sad too. | |
| 喜歡 / 討厭 | xǐhuān / tǎoyàn | like / dislike | 我喜歡這首歌，不討厭它。 | I like this song; I don’t dislike it. | |
| 放鬆 / 緊張 | fàngsōng / jǐnzhāng | relaxed / nervous | 深呼吸，放鬆一點，不要緊張。 | Take a deep breath—relax, don’t be nervous. |
Synonyms & “Stronger” Variants
When the basic word isn’t dramatic enough (or when you want to sound more specific), try these upgrades.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning / When to use | Example (ZH) | Translation (EN) | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 巨大 | jùdà | huge (stronger than 大) | 那是一棟巨大的建築。 | That’s a huge building. | |
| 迷你 | mínǐ | mini (smaller than 小) | 我想要迷你版本的。 | I want the mini version. | |
| 迅速 | xùnsù | rapid/quick (more formal than 快) | 他迅速做出決定。 | He made a decision quickly. | |
| 緩慢 | huǎnmàn | slow (more formal than 慢) | 車速緩慢，請耐心。 | Traffic is slow; please be patient. | |
| 昂貴 | ángguì | pricey (stronger than 貴) | 這家餐廳很昂貴。 | This restaurant is pricey. | |
| 划算 | huásuàn | good deal / worth it (not just “cheap”) | 這個方案很划算。 | This plan is a good deal. | |
| 整潔 | zhěngjié | neat/tidy (clean vibe) | 房間很整潔，看起來舒服。 | The room is tidy; it feels nice. | |
| 骯髒 | āngzāng | filthy (stronger than 髒) | 鞋子太骯髒了，先清理一下。 | The shoes are filthy—clean them first. |
