Day 22: Clothes & Shopping — Learn Chinese in 30 Days
Learn Chinese clothing vocabulary and shopping phrases — sizes, colors, fitting rooms, and how to get the best deal in Chinese stores.
Today's Vocabulary
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 衣服 | Clothes | |
| 裤子 | Pants / Trousers | |
| 裙子 | Skirt / Dress | |
| 鞋子 | Shoes | |
| 大小 | Size | |
| 合适 | Fits well / Suitable | |
| 试穿 | To try on | |
| 打折 | On sale / Discount | |
| 换 | To exchange / Change | |
| 退款 | Refund |
What You’ll Learn Today
Shopping for clothes in China combines great variety, affordable prices, and — at markets — the art of bargaining. Today you’ll learn the vocabulary to navigate Chinese stores, get the right size, and handle returns.
Clothes Vocabulary
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 上衣 | shàng yī | Top / Shirt |
| T恤 | T xù | T-shirt |
| 外套 | wài tào | Jacket / Coat |
| 毛衣 | máo yī | Sweater |
| 牛仔裤 | niú zǎi kù | Jeans |
| 内衣 | nèi yī | Underwear |
| 袜子 | wà zi | Socks |
| 帽子 | mào zi | Hat / Cap |
| 围巾 | wéi jīn | Scarf |
| 包 | bāo | Bag |
Sizes in China
Chinese clothing sizes differ from Western sizes. General guidance:
- XS / S / M / L / XL / XXL — International sizes are widely used
- Chinese women’s sizes often run 1–2 sizes smaller than US/European equivalents
- Always try things on — sizing is inconsistent across brands
Useful phrases:
有没有大一点的？— Yǒu méi yǒu dà yī diǎn de? — Do you have a larger size? 有没有小一点的？— Yǒu méi yǒu xiǎo yī diǎn de? — Do you have a smaller size?
Sentence Patterns
Pattern 1: Asking to try something on
我可以试穿吗？— Wǒ kě yǐ shì chuān ma? — Can I try this on? 试衣间在哪里？— Shì yī jiān zài nǎ lǐ? — Where is the fitting room?
Pattern 2: Saying it fits / doesn’t fit
这件很合适！— Zhè jiàn hěn hé shì! — This one fits great! 这件太大了。— Zhè jiàn tài dà le. — This one is too big. 这件不适合我。— Zhè jiàn bù shì hé wǒ. — This doesn’t suit me.
Pattern 3: Asking about discounts
现在打几折？— Xiàn zài dǎ jǐ zhé? — What’s the discount right now?
Chinese discount system: 打八折 (dǎ bā zhé) = 80% of the price = 20% off.
Cultural Note
Taobao (淘宝) and JD.com (京东) are China’s dominant online shopping platforms. The shopping volume on China’s Singles’ Day (光棍节 — November 11, written 11/11) surpasses Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined. Many Chinese people rarely shop in physical stores for everyday items.
Counterfeit goods are common at tourist markets — the Silk Market in Beijing and similar venues. If you see “branded” items at unusually low prices, they’re almost certainly copies. Buying them isn’t illegal for tourists but is ethically complex.
Practice Exercise
- How do you ask to try something on?
- The shirt fits well — how do you say so?
- You need a bigger size — what do you ask?
- Where is the fitting room?
Answers: 1) 我可以试穿吗？2) 这件很合适！3) 有没有大一点的？4) 试衣间在哪里？