Learn Mandarin Chinese: Describe What Someone Is Wearing with Colors and Clothing
Learn to say what someone is wearing in Mandarin Chinese using the pattern 穿着 + color + clothing item. Includes five key phrases, a dialogue, common mistakes, and practice.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In Mandarin Chinese, describing what someone is wearing is a practical skill you can use every day. The core pattern is 穿着 (chuān zhe), which means 'is wearing' and links a person to a color and a clothing item. Unlike English, Mandarin does not change verb forms for he, she, or they, and it does not use articles like 'a' or 'an'. Instead, you simply say the subject, then 穿着, then the color, then the clothing item. For example, 'She is wearing a blue jacket' is 她穿着一件蓝色的夹克 (tā chuān zhe yí jiàn lán sè de jiā kè). This lesson focuses only on clothing and color, not on general appearance such as height, hair, or age. You will learn five useful phrases, a short dialogue, and how to avoid a common word-order mistake.
By the end, you can…
- describe what a person is wearing using 穿着 with a color and a clothing item.
- ask and answer simple questions about someone's clothing in Mandarin.
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她穿着一件蓝色的夹克。
She is wearing a blue jacket.
tā chuān zhe yí jiàn lánsè de jiākè
Use 她 for 'she'. 一件 (yí jiàn) is a common measure word for jackets, shirts, and coats. 蓝色的 (lán sè de) means 'blue' and comes before the clothing item.
他穿着一条黑色的裤子。
He is wearing black pants.
tā chuān zhe yì tiáo hēisè de kùzi
Use 他 for 'he'. 一条 (yì tiáo) is the measure word for pants, skirts, and long items. 黑色的 (hēi sè de) means 'black'.
我穿着一件白色的衬衫。
I am wearing a white shirt.
wǒ chuān zhe yí jiàn báisè de chènshān
Use 我 for 'I'. 白色的 (bái sè de) means 'white'. 衬衫 (chèn shān) means 'shirt'.
她穿着一双红色的鞋。
She is wearing a pair of red shoes.
tā chuān zhe yì shuāng hóngsè de xié
Use 一双 (yì shuāng) for things that come in pairs, like shoes, socks, and gloves. 红色的 (hóng sè de) means 'red'.
他穿着什么颜色的衣服？
What color clothes is he wearing?
tā chuān zhe shénme yánsè de yīfu
This is a question. 什么颜色 (shén me yán sè) means 'what color'. 衣服 (yī fu) is a general word for 'clothes'.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The main pattern is: Subject + 穿着 + measure word + color + 的 + clothing item. For example, 她穿着一件蓝色的夹克 (tā chuān zhe yí jiàn lánsè de jiākè) means 'She is wearing a blue jacket.' The measure word 一件 (yí jiàn) matches 夹克 (jiākè). If you talk about pants, use 一条 (yì tiáo): 他穿着一条黑色的裤子 (tā chuān zhe yì tiáo hēisè de kùzi). For shoes, use 一双 (yì shuāng): 她穿着一双红色的鞋 (tā chuān zhe yì shuāng hóngsè de xié). The color word always comes before 的 and before the clothing item. You can also drop the measure word and color in casual speech: 她穿着夹克 (tā chuān zhe jiākè) means 'She is wearing a jacket.'
When to use it
Use 穿着 (chuān zhe) when you describe clothes someone currently has on. It is not used for trying on clothes or for habitual wearing. For example, if you want to say 'She wears a uniform every day,' you would say 她每天穿制服 (tā měi tiān chuān zhìfú), without 着. Use 穿着 when you see the person now: 他穿着蓝色的衬衫 (tā chuān zhe lánsè de chènshān) means 'He is wearing a blue shirt.' To ask about someone's clothing, say 她穿着什么颜色的衣服？ (tā chuān zhe shénme yánsè de yīfu?) meaning 'What color clothes is she wearing?' You can answer with the full pattern or just the color and item: 蓝色的夹克 (lánsè de jiākè).
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
你看，她穿着什么颜色的衣服？
Look, what color clothes is she wearing?nǐ kàn, tā chuān zhe shénme yánsè de yīfu她穿着一件蓝色的夹克。
She is wearing a blue jacket.tā chuān zhe yí jiàn lánsè de jiākè那条裤子呢？是什么颜色的？
What about those pants? What color are they?nà tiáo kùzi ne? shì shénme yánsè de她穿着一条黑色的裤子。
She is wearing black pants.tā chuān zhe yì tiáo hēisè de kùziA little context goes a long way
In Mandarin, it is common to comment on someone's clothing as a friendly observation, but avoid direct comments about body shape. Saying 你今天穿得很漂亮 (nǐ jīntiān chuān de hěn piàoliang) means 'You are dressed beautifully today' and is generally polite. When describing a person who is present, using 她 or 他 is normal, but if the person is within earshot, you might use their name or a title instead to be more respectful.
One thing to watch for
Putting the color after the clothing item, as in 她穿着夹克蓝色的 (tā chuān zhe jiākè lánsè de).
Try this instead: In Mandarin, the color phrase comes before the clothing item. Say 她穿着一件蓝色的夹克 (tā chuān zhe yí jiàn lánsè de jiākè). The structure is color + 的 + clothing item.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'He is wearing a white shirt' in Mandarin?
Show a sample answer
他穿着一件白色的衬衫。 (tā chuān zhe yí jiàn báisè de chènshān)
This uses 他 (he), 穿着 (is wearing), 一件 (measure word for shirts), 白色的 (white), and 衬衫 (shirt). You could also drop 一件 and say 他穿着白色的衬衫, which is still correct in casual speech.
2What measure word do you use for pants?
Show a sample answer
条 (tiáo)
条 is used for long, thin items like pants, skirts, and scarves. For example, 一条裤子 (yì tiáo kùzi) means 'a pair of pants.' 件 is used for tops and jackets, and 双 for pairs like shoes.
3Translate into Chinese: 'She is wearing red shoes.'
Show a sample answer
她穿着一双红色的鞋。 (tā chuān zhe yì shuāng hóngsè de xié)
This uses 一双 (yì shuāng) because shoes come in pairs. 红色的 (hóngsè de) means 'red.' You could also say 她穿着红色的鞋, but including the measure word is more natural for a complete description.
To describe what someone is wearing in Mandarin, use the pattern: Subject + 穿着 + measure word + color + 的 + clothing item. Remember to put the color before the clothing item, and choose the right measure word like 件, 条, or 双.
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