Adjectives bring colour to any sentence, but finding the right ones in Traditional Chinese can feel like a hunt. This list gathers around 1,000 of the most common adjectives you’ll actually meet – in signs, chats, and everyday conversations – not the dusty relics from a textbook appendix. Each word comes with a straightforward meaning and a practical example sentence so you see exactly how it behaves in the wild.
It’s built for general learners who want a no-fluff vocabulary boost, whether you’re polishing your reading, writing, or chat skills. No grammar lectures, just the words you need to describe people, food, moods, and everything in between.
Ready to give your Chinese vocabulary a little glow-up? Scroll to the bottom of the article for the free printable Common Traditional Chinese Adjectives vocabulary list PDF and the free downloadable printable Common Traditional Chinese Adjectives flashcards.
Want more than one list? Browse our Traditional Chinese section for more Yak Yacker study pages, printable lists, and quiz-friendly review material.
Quick Quiz
Think you’ve locked a few of these adjectives into memory? The quick quiz below gives you a friendly nudge – no grades, just a useful gauge of what’s sticking and what could use a second glance.
Browse the Full List
| Word | Pinyin | Type | Meaning | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adjective + 的 + noun | Adjective noun | Other | 漂亮的房子 | |
| Noun + 很 + adjective | Something is adjective | Other | 這杯咖啡很熱。 | |
| 一樣 | yíyàng | Other | to be the same, identical | |
| 一致 | yīzhì | Other | consistent | |
| 一般 | yībān | Other | ||
| 上進 | shàngjìn | Other | to make progress/to do better/fig. ambitious to improve oneself/to move forwards | |
| 下課 | xiàkè | Other | to get out of class, end of class | |
| 不 + adjective | Not adjective | Other | 這件衣服不貴。 | |
| 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 | ||
| 不堪 | bùkān | Other | cannot bear/cannot stand/utterly/extremely | |
| 不好意思 | bùhǎoyìsi | Other | to feel embarrassed; to be ill at ease | |
| 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 | ||
| 不得了 | bùdéliăo | Other | ||
| 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 | |
| 不敢當 | bùgǎndāng | Other | lit. I dare not (accept the honor) | |
| 不斷 | bùduàn | Adverb | unceasing/uninterrupted/continuous/constant |
Free Common Traditional Chinese Adjectives PDF and Flashcard Downloads
Download the Common Traditional Chinese Adjectives vocabulary list from the purple vocab-list button, and grab the Common Traditional Chinese Adjectives flashcards from the teal flashcards button. Both are 100% free, with no signup needed.
