100 Essential Adjectives in Chinese: A Comprehensive Guide

Adjectives are indispensable when it comes to expressing descriptions, emotions, and states of being. By mastering them, you will dramatically improve your conversational skills and writing ability in Chinese. This comprehensive post provides 100 essential Chinese adjectives, divided into practical categories, along with example sentences and usage tips.

Understanding Adjectives in Chinese

Before diving into the list, let’s quickly review how adjectives function in Chinese:

Adjectives as Verbs:
Chinese adjectives often serve as stative verbs, which means they act like “to be” verbs in English:
- 他很聪明 (Tā hěn cōngmíng) – He is smart.
Using 很 (hěn):
很 (hěn), meaning “very,” is commonly used before adjectives. However, it doesn’t always intensify the meaning; sometimes it’s just a connector:
- 他很高 (Tā hěn gāo) – He is tall.
Negation:
To negate adjectives, use 不 (bù) before the adjective:
- 我不累 (Wǒ bù lèi) – I am not tired.
Comparisons:
Use 比 (bǐ) to compare two things:

她比我漂亮 (Tā bǐ wǒ piàoliang) – She is prettier than me.

100 Adjectives in Chinese

1. Describing Size and Shape

1.1. 大 (dà) – Big

Example: 这只猫很大。
(Zhè zhī māo hěn dà.)
This cat is big.

1.2. 小 (xiǎo) – Small

Example: 他的书包很小。
(Tā de shūbāo hěn xiǎo.)
His backpack is small.

1.3. 长 (cháng) – Long

Example: 她的头发很长。
(Tā de tóufà hěn cháng.)
Her hair is long.

1.4. 短 (duǎn) – Short (length)

Example: 这条裤子太短了。
(Zhè tiáo kùzi tài duǎn le.)
These pants are too short.

1.5. 高 (gāo) – Tall

Example: 我哥哥很高。
(Wǒ gēge hěn gāo.)
My older brother is tall.

1.6. 矮 (ǎi) – Short (height)

Example: 他的妹妹很矮。
(Tā de mèimei hěn ǎi.)
His younger sister is short.

1.7. 宽 (kuān) – Wide

Example: 这条路很宽。
(Zhè tiáo lù hěn kuān.)
This road is wide.

1.8. 窄 (zhǎi) – Narrow

Example: 这个走廊很窄。
(Zhège zǒuláng hěn zhǎi.)
This hallway is narrow.

2. Describing Colors

2.1. 红 (hóng) – Red

Example: 他的车是红色的。
(Tā de chē shì hóngsè de.)
His car is red.

2.2. 蓝 (lán) – Blue

Example: 她喜欢蓝色的裙子。
(Tā xǐhuan lánsè de qúnzi.)
She likes blue skirts.

2.3. 绿 (lǜ) – Green

Example: 草很绿。
(Cǎo hěn lǜ.)
The grass is green.

2.4. 黄 (huáng) – Yellow

Example: 小鸟的羽毛是黄色的。
(Xiǎo niǎo de yǔmáo shì huángsè de.)
The bird’s feathers are yellow.

2.5. 黑 (hēi) – Black

Example: 他的头发很黑。
(Tā de tóufà hěn hēi.)
His hair is very black.

2.6. 白 (bái) – White

Example: 墙是白色的。
(Qiáng shì báisè de.)
The wall is white.

3. Describing Weather

3.1. 热 (rè) – Hot

Example: 今天的天气很热。
(Jīntiān de tiānqì hěn rè.)
The weather today is very hot.

3.2. 冷 (lěng) – Cold

Example: 冬天的时候很冷。
(Dōngtiān de shíhòu hěn lěng.)
It’s very cold in winter.

3.3. 暖和 (nuǎnhuo) – Warm

Example: 春天很暖和。
(Chūntiān hěn nuǎnhuo.)
Spring is warm.

3.4. 凉快 (liángkuai) – Cool

Example: 傍晚的时候很凉快。
(Bàngwǎn de shíhòu hěn liángkuai.)
It’s cool in the evening.

4. Describing Personality

4.1. 聪明 (cōngmíng) – Smart

Example: 他的学生很聪明。
(Tā de xuésheng hěn cōngmíng.)
His student is very smart.

4.2. 懒 (lǎn) – Lazy

Example: 他有点懒。
(Tā yǒudiǎn lǎn.)
He is a bit lazy.

4.3. 热情 (rèqíng) – Enthusiastic

Example: 她对朋友很热情。
(Tā duì péngyǒu hěn rèqíng.)
She is very enthusiastic toward her friends.

4.4. 内向 (nèixiàng) – Introverted

Example: 他很内向，不喜欢说话。
(Tā hěn nèixiàng, bù xǐhuan shuōhuà.)
He is introverted and doesn’t like to talk.

4.5. 外向 (wàixiàng) – Extroverted

Example: 我妹妹很外向。
(Wǒ mèimei hěn wàixiàng.)
My younger sister is very extroverted.

5. Describing Taste and Smell

5.1. 好吃 (hǎochī) – Delicious

Example: 这道菜很好吃！
(Zhè dào cài hěn hǎochī!)
This dish is delicious!

5.2. 难吃 (nánchī) – Unpleasant to Eat

Example: 这个菜有点难吃。
(Zhège cài yǒudiǎn nánchī.)
This dish is a bit unpleasant to eat.

5.3. 甜 (tián) – Sweet

Example: 蛋糕很甜。
(Dàngāo hěn tián.)
The cake is very sweet.

5.4. 咸 (xián) – Salty

Example: 这个汤有点咸。
(Zhège tāng yǒudiǎn xián.)
This soup is a bit salty.

5.5. 酸 (suān) – Sour

Example: 柠檬很酸。
(Níngméng hěn suān.)
Lemons are sour.

5.6. 辣 (là) – Spicy

Example: 这个辣椒很辣！
(Zhège làjiāo hěn là!)
This chili pepper is very spicy!

6. Describing Emotions and Feelings

6.1. 开心 (kāixīn) – Happy

Example: 听到这个消息，我很开心。
(Tīngdào zhège xiāoxi, wǒ hěn kāixīn.)
I am very happy to hear this news.

6.2. 难过 (nánguò) – Sad

Example: 她看起来很难过。
(Tā kàn qǐlái hěn nánguò.)
She looks very sad.

6.3. 生气 (shēngqì) – Angry

Example: 他因为迟到而生气了。
(Tā yīnwèi chídào ér shēngqì le.)
He got angry because he was late.

6.4. 放松 (fàngsōng) – Relaxed

Example: 周末的时候我很放松。
(Zhōumò de shíhòu wǒ hěn fàngsōng.)
I feel very relaxed on weekends.

6.5. 兴奋 (xīngfèn) – Excited

Example: 孩子们对生日派对很兴奋。
(Háizimen duì shēngrì pàiduì hěn xīngfèn.)
The children are excited about the birthday party.

6.6. 害怕 (hàipà) – Afraid

Example: 我害怕高的地方。
(Wǒ hàipà gāo de dìfāng.)
I am afraid of heights.

6.7. 孤单 (gūdān) – Lonely

Example: 他一个人在家觉得很孤单。
(Tā yí gè rén zài jiā juéde hěn gūdān.)
He feels very lonely at home by himself.

6.8. 紧张 (jǐnzhāng) – Nervous

Example: 演讲前我很紧张。
(Yǎnjiǎng qián wǒ hěn jǐnzhāng.)
I get very nervous before giving a speech.

6.9. 疲惫 (píbèi) – Exhausted

Example: 工作了一天，我感到很疲惫。
(Gōngzuò le yì tiān, wǒ gǎndào hěn píbèi.)
After working all day, I feel exhausted.

6.10. 满意 (mǎnyì) – Satisfied

Example: 客人对服务很满意。
(Kèrén duì fúwù hěn mǎnyì.)
The customers are very satisfied with the service.

7. Describing Physical Conditions

7.1. 痛 (tòng) – Painful

Example: 我的头很痛。
(Wǒ de tóu hěn tòng.)
My head hurts.

7.2. 舒服 (shūfu) – Comfortable

Example: 这把椅子坐起来很舒服。
(Zhè bǎ yǐzi zuò qǐlái hěn shūfu.)
This chair is very comfortable to sit on.

7.3. 幸福 (xìngfú) – Blessed, Happy

Example: 我觉得自己很幸福。
(Wǒ juéde zìjǐ hěn xìngfú.)
I feel very blessed.

7.4. 痒 (yǎng) – Itchy

Example: 我的手很痒。
(Wǒ de shǒu hěn yǎng.)
My hand feels itchy.

7.5. 饱 (bǎo) – Full (from eating)

Example: 我已经吃饱了。
(Wǒ yǐjīng chī bǎo le.)
I am already full.

7.6. 饿 (è) – Hungry

Example: 我很饿，想吃点东西。
(Wǒ hěn è, xiǎng chī diǎn dōngxī.)
I’m very hungry and want to eat something.

7.7. 累 (lèi) – Tired

Example: 我工作了一整天，很累。
(Wǒ gōngzuò le yì zhěng tiān, hěn lèi.)
I worked all day and feel very tired.

7.8. 生病 (shēngbìng) – Sick

Example: 他感冒了，现在生病了。
(Tā gǎnmào le, xiànzài shēngbìng le.)
He caught a cold and is now sick.

7.9. 凉 (liáng) – Cool (temperature)

Example: 晚上的风很凉。
(Wǎnshàng de fēng hěn liáng.)
The wind at night is cool.

7.10. 硬 (yìng) – Hard

Example: 这个床垫很硬。
(Zhège chuángdiàn hěn yìng.)
This mattress is very hard.

8. Describing Situations and Conditions

8.1. 危险 (wēixiǎn) – Dangerous

Example: 夜里开车很危险。
(Yèlǐ kāichē hěn wēixiǎn.)
Driving at night is very dangerous.

8.2. 安全 (ānquán) – Safe

Example: 这个地方很安全。
(Zhège dìfāng hěn ānquán.)
This place is very safe.

8.3. 简单 (jiǎndān) – Simple

Example: 这个问题很简单。
(Zhège wèntí hěn jiǎndān.)
This question is very simple.

8.4. 复杂 (fùzá) – Complicated

Example: 这个工程很复杂。
(Zhège gōngchéng hěn fùzá.)
This project is very complicated.

8.5. 快 (kuài) – Fast

Example: 他跑得很快。
(Tā pǎo de hěn kuài.)
He runs very fast.

8.6. 慢 (màn) – Slow

Example: 他开车很慢。
(Tā kāichē hěn màn.)
He drives very slowly.

8.7. 贵 (guì) – Expensive

Example: 这块手表很贵。
(Zhè kuài shǒubiǎo hěn guì.)
This watch is very expensive.

8.8. 便宜 (piányi) – Cheap

Example: 这些衣服很便宜。
(Zhèxiē yīfú hěn piányi.)
These clothes are very cheap.

8.9. 有趣 (yǒuqù) – Interesting

Example: 这本书很有趣。
(Zhè běn shū hěn yǒuqù.)
This book is very interesting.

8.10. 无聊 (wúliáo) – Boring

Example: 这部电影很无聊。
(Zhè bù diànyǐng hěn wúliáo.)
This movie is very boring.

9. Describing Appearance

9.1. 美丽 (měilì) – Beautiful

Example: 那座山很美丽。
(Nà zuò shān hěn měilì.)
That mountain is very beautiful.

9.2. 漂亮 (piàoliang) – Pretty

Example: 她穿的衣服很漂亮。
(Tā chuān de yīfú hěn piàoliang.)
The clothes she is wearing are very pretty.

9.3. 英俊 (yīngjùn) – Handsome

Example: 他是一个英俊的男人。
(Tā shì yí gè yīngjùn de nánrén.)
He is a handsome man.

9.4. 丑 (chǒu) – Ugly

Example: 这幅画很丑。
(Zhè fú huà hěn chǒu.)
This painting is very ugly.

9.5. 老 (lǎo) – Old (age)

Example: 她的爷爷很老了。
(Tā de yéye hěn lǎo le.)
Her grandfather is very old.

9.6. 年轻 (niánqīng) – Young

Example: 她看起来很年轻。
(Tā kàn qǐlái hěn niánqīng.)
She looks very young.

9.7. 胖 (pàng) – Fat

Example: 那只猫很胖。
(Nà zhī māo hěn pàng.)
That cat is very fat.

9.8. 瘦 (shòu) – Thin

Example: 他比以前瘦了很多。
(Tā bǐ yǐqián shòu le hěn duō.)
He is much thinner than before.

9.9. 高大 (gāodà) – Tall and Strong

Example: 他是一个高大的运动员。
(Tā shì yí gè gāodà de yùndòngyuán.)
He is a tall and strong athlete.

9.10. 矮小 (ǎixiǎo) – Short and Small

Example: 那个孩子很矮小。
(Nà gè háizi hěn ǎixiǎo.)
That child is very short and small.

10. Describing Time and Frequency

10.1. 快 (kuài) – Quick

Example: 时间过得很快。
(Shíjiān guò de hěn kuài.)
Time passes quickly.

10.2. 慢 (màn) – Slow

Example: 他工作速度很慢。
(Tā gōngzuò sùdù hěn màn.)
His work speed is very slow.

10.3. 早 (zǎo) – Early

Example: 我今天起得很早。
(Wǒ jīntiān qǐ de hěn zǎo.)
I got up very early today.

10.4. 晚 (wǎn) – Late

Example: 我们来得太晚了。
(Wǒmen lái de tài wǎn le.)
We arrived too late.

10.5. 短暂 (duǎnzàn) – Short (time)

Example: 假期很短暂。
(Jiàqī hěn duǎnzàn.)
The holiday is very short.

10.6. 永久 (yǒngjiǔ) – Permanent

Example: 这个决定是永久的。
(Zhège juédìng shì yǒngjiǔ de.)
This decision is permanent.

10.7. 长久 (chángjiǔ) – Long-lasting

Example: 我们的友谊很长久。
(Wǒmen de yǒuyì hěn chángjiǔ.)
Our friendship is long-lasting.

10.8. 短暂 (duǎnzàn) – Temporary

Example: 这个问题是短暂的。
(Zhège wèntí shì duǎnzàn de.)
This problem is temporary.

10.9. 平时 (píngshí) – Usual

Example: 平时他很准时。
(Píngshí tā hěn zhǔnshí.)
Usually, he is very punctual.

10.10. 偶尔 (ǒu’ěr) – Occasional

Example: 他偶尔会迟到。
(Tā ǒu’ěr huì chídào.)
He is occasionally late.

Wrap-Up

This list of 100 essential Chinese adjectives serves as a solid foundation for describing people, things, situations, and emotions. To maximize your learning:

Practice daily: Use these adjectives in sentences and conversations.
Focus on categories: Learn adjectives relevant to your immediate needs (e.g., emotions, weather, appearance).
Combine with verbs and nouns: This will help you understand how adjectives fit into sentence structures.