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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 殘暴 | cánbào | Other | brutal/vicious/ruthless | |
| 殘酷 | cánkù | Other | cruel/cruelty | |
| 毒 | dú | Other | poison/to poison/poisonous/malicious/cruel/fierce/narcotics | |
| 民主 | mínzhǔ | Other | democracy | |
| 氣憤 | qìfèn | Other | indignant/furious | |
| 氣派 | qìpài | Other | impressive/stylish/magnificent/imposing manner/dignified air | |
| 沉重/沈重 | chénzhòng | Other | heavy/hard/serious/critical | |
| 沉默/沈默 | chénmò | Other | taciturn/uncommunicative/silent | |
| 沒什麼 | méishénme | Other | ||
| 沒問題 | méiwèntí | Other | no problem | |
| 沒有 | méiyǒu | Other | did not, have not | |
| 沒落 | mòluò | Other | to decline/to wane | |
| 沒關係 | méiguānxì | Other | no problem, never mind, it doesn' t matter | |
| 沒關係(˙ㄒㄧ) | méiguānxi | Other | ||
| 沖天 | chōngtiān | Other | to soar/to rocket | |
| 沙啞 | shāyǎ | Other | hoarse/rough | |
| 沮喪 | jǔsàng | Other | dispirited/dejected/dismayed | |
| 油 | yóu | Other | oil/fat/grease/petroleum/to apply tung oil, paint or varnish/oily/greasy/glib/cunning | |
| 油膩 | yóunì | Other | greasy food | |
| 注意 | zhùyì | Other | to pay attention to, to take notice of | |
| 活 | huó | Other | live, save (sb.'s life) | |
| 活潑 | huópō | Other | lively/vivacious/brisk/active/(chemistry) reactive | |
| 活該 | huógāi | Other | (coll.) serve sb right/deservedly/ought/should | |
| 活躍 | huóyuè | Other | active/lively/excited/to enliven/to brighten up | |
| 流利 | liúlì | Other | fluent |
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.
