Traditional Chinese adjectives vocabulary guide

Common Traditional Chinese Adjectives — Free PDF and Flashcards

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

WordPinyinTypeMeaningAudio
miàoOtherclever/wonderful
妥善tuǒshànOtherappropriate
妥當tuǒdàngOtherappropriate/proper/ready
委屈wěiqūOtherto feel wronged/to cause sb to feel wronged/grievance
孝順xiàoshùnOtherfilial/dutiful/devoted to one's parents (and grandparents etc)/to show filial piety towards (an older family member)/filial piety
孤單gūdānOtherlone/lonely/loneliness
孤獨gūdúOtherlonely/solitary
孤立gūlìOtherto isolate/isolated/unrelated
安全ānquánOthersafety / to be safe, secure
安定āndìngOther
安寧ānníngOtherpeaceful/tranquil/calm/composed/free from worry
安心ānxīnOther
安詳ānxiángOtherserene
安靜ānjìngOtherto be quiet, calm, peaceful
安靜ānjìngadjectivequiet
wánOtherto finish, to complete (something)
完善wánshànOther(of systems, facilities etc) comprehensive/well-developed/excellent/to refine/to improve
完整wánzhěngOthercomplete/intact
完美wánměiOtherperfect
宏偉hóngwěiOthergrand/imposing/magnificent
客氣kèqìOtherto be polite
客氣(˙ㄑㄧ)kèqiOther
客觀kèguānOtherobjective/impartial
害怕hàipàOtherbe afraid / scared
害羞hàixiūOther

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.