3 · 41 words

Clothes and buying them

Garments, sizes, fabrics and the words for whether something fits.

Chinese has one verb for clothes and another for what is added to them: you 穿(chuān) a shirt, trousers or shoes, but 戴(dài) a hat, gloves, glasses or a watch. Each kind of garment has its measure word — tops take 件(jiàn), long things such as trousers, skirts and scarves 条(tiáo), and things in pairs 双(shuāng) or 副(fù). Clothes and shoes are sized in 码(mǎ), and in a market the price is still open to discussion.

The words

Verb (5)

流行(liúxíng)to be in fashion; popularVerb3

这(zhè)种(zhǒng)颜色(yánsè)今年(jīnnián)很(hěn)流行(liúxíng)。This colour is very fashionable this year.

打扮(dǎban)to dress up; to make oneself look niceVerb3

她(tā)今天(jīntiān)打扮(dǎban)得(de)很(hěn)漂亮(piàoliang)。She is very nicely dressed up today.

适合(shìhé)to suit; to be right forVerb3

红色(hóngsè)很(hěn)适合(shìhé)你(nǐ)。Red really suits you.

A verb with an object: 适合(shìhé)你(nǐ). 合适(héshì) is an adjective and takes none.

挑(tiāo)to pick; to chooseVerb3

她(tā)挑(tiāo)了(le)半天(bàntiān)，最后(zuìhòu)什么(shénme)也(yě)没(méi)买(mǎi)。She spent ages choosing and in the end bought nothing.

砍价(kǎnjià)to haggle; to beat down the priceVerb3

她(tā)很(hěn)会(huì)砍价(kǎnjià)，一百(yìbǎi)块(kuài)的(de)东西(dōngxi)六十(liùshí)就(jiù)买(mǎi)下来(xiàlai)了(le)。She is good at haggling: she got a hundred-yuan item for sixty.

Colloquial, literally "to chop the price".

This list belongs to Shopping, clothes and money — seven lists and 282 words that can also be practised as a whole.

Practise this list

Multiple choice and gaps, drawn from exactly these 41 words. Whatever you get wrong comes back tomorrow.