Big and small, hot and cold, cheap and dear: the first words for describing things.
Practise this list
From these 40 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.
More about this list
A Chinese adjective does the work of a verb on its own: there is no 是 in 我很忙, “I am busy”. The 很 in that sentence is there mostly for rhythm; leave it out and the sentence sounds like a comparison (我忙, “I'm the busy one”). With 了 an adjective says that something has changed: 你瘦了, “you've lost weight”.
The words
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Adjective (38)
大big; old (in age)Adjective1
这件衣服太大了。This top is too big.
小small; youngAdjective1
这双鞋有点儿小。These shoes are a bit small.
多many; muchAdjective1
他有很多书。He has lots of books.
Before a noun it needs 很: 很多人, many people.
少few; littleAdjective1
这儿的人很少。There are very few people here.
Hardly ever directly before a noun; “few people” is said as “people are few”.
好good; wellAdjective1
今天天气很好。The weather is lovely today.
坏bad; brokenAdjective1
我的手机坏了。My phone is broken.
对right; correctAdjective1
你说得对。You're right.
On its own also an answer: “yes, that's right”.
错wrongAdjective1
这个字写错了。This character has been written wrongly.
不错not bad; pretty goodAdjective1
这家饭馆不错。This restaurant is pretty good.
Literally “not wrong”, and warmer than it sounds.
冷coldAdjective1
外面很冷，多穿点儿。It's cold outside — wrap up warm.
热hotAdjective1
北京的夏天很热。Summers in Beijing are hot.
高tall; highAdjective1
我弟弟比我高。My younger brother is taller than me.
矮short (in height); lowAdjective1
我比我妹妹矮。I'm shorter than my younger sister.
Short in length is 短.
长longAdjective1
这条裤子太长了。These trousers are too long.
As a verb, “to grow”, it is read zhǎng.
短short (in length)Adjective1
她的头发很短。Her hair is very short.
快fast; quickAdjective1
他走得很快。He walks very fast.
慢slowAdjective1
这台电脑太慢了。This computer is far too slow.
早earlyAdjective1
你今天来得很早。You're early today.
On its own also a morning greeting.
晚lateAdjective1
现在太晚了，明天再说吧。It's too late now — let's talk about it tomorrow.
新newAdjective1
我买了一个新手机。I've bought a new phone.
旧old (of things); wornAdjective1
这辆车很旧了。This car is very old now.
For people “old” is 老.
老old (of people)Adjective1
我爷爷老了，走得很慢。My grandpa has grown old and walks slowly.
Before a surname it is a friendly form of address: 老王.
年轻youngAdjective1
我们的老师很年轻。Our teacher is very young.
贵expensive; dearAdjective1
北京的房子很贵。Housing in Beijing is expensive.
便宜cheapAdjective1
这儿的水果很便宜。Fruit is cheap here.
便 here; in 方便, “convenient”, it is read biàn.
忙busyAdjective1
我这几天很忙。I've been very busy these last few days.
累tiredAdjective1
走了一天，我很累。I've been walking all day and I'm tired.
漂亮pretty; beautifulAdjective1
你的衣服真漂亮！What lovely clothes you're wearing!
好看good-looking; good to watchAdjective1
这个电影很好看。This film is very good.
难看uglyAdjective1
这个颜色太难看了。This colour is really ugly.
好听nice to listen toAdjective1
这首歌很好听。This song sounds lovely.
好玩儿funAdjective1
上海很好玩儿。Shanghai is great fun.
可爱cute; lovelyAdjective1
这只小狗真可爱！What a cute little dog!
帅handsomeAdjective1
你哥哥很帅。Your older brother is very handsome.
胖fat; plumpAdjective1
我今年胖了。I've put on weight this year.
瘦thin; slimAdjective1
你瘦了！You've lost weight!
重heavyAdjective1
这个包太重了。This bag is too heavy.
Read chóng in 重新, “again”.
轻light (in weight)Adjective1
这个箱子很轻。This suitcase is very light.
Adverb (2)
很veryAdverb1
我很好，谢谢。I'm fine, thanks.
Before an adjective it often adds little more than rhythm.
