Lesson 9
In this lesson you will learn how to say various types of clothing and accessories, the measure words to use with each, how to say you want to do something and how to use “这” and “那” to refer to specific things.
Measure words for clothing
If you need a refresher on measure words, check out “The Mystery of Measure Words”.
| 件 | jiàn | measure word for clothing articles |
| 条 | tiáo | measure word for long, thin things |
| 双 | shuāng | pair |
| 顶 | dǐng | measure word used for some types of headwear, such as hats or caps |
Clothing and accessories
| Chinese（中文） | Pinyin （拼音） | English （英文） | Measure word (量词) |
| 衣服 | yīfu | clothes | 件 |
| 上衣 | shàngyī | top | 件 |
| 衬衣 | chènyī | t-shirt | 件 |
| 衬衫 | chènshān | shirt | 件 |
| 裤子 | kùzi | pants | 条 |
| 牛仔裤 | niúzǎikù | jeans | 条 |
| 连衣裙 | liányīqún | dress | 条 |
| 裙子 | qúnzi | skirt | 条 |
| 外套 | wàitào | coat; jacket | 件 |
| 毛衣 | máoyī | sweater | 件 |
| 鞋 | xié | shoes | 双 |
| 运动鞋 | yùndòngxié | sneakers | 双 |
| 皮带 | pídài | belt | 条 |
| 手套 | shǒutào | gloves | 双 |
| 袜子 | wàzi | socks | 双 |
| 帽子 | màozi | hat | 顶 |
Supplementary Vocabulary
| 想 | xiǎng | to want; to think |
| 买 | mǎi | to buy |
| 一些 | yīxiē | some |
| 这 | zhè | this |
| 那 | nà | that |
| 有点儿 | yǒudiǎnr | a little |
Key Expressions
| 我想买一些衣服。 | Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yìxiē yīfú. | I want to buy some clothes. |
| 你想买什么？ | Nǐ xiǎng mǎi shénme? | What would you like to buy? |
| 我想买一条连衣裙。 | Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yì tiáo liányīqún. | I want to buy a dress. |
| 我想买一件衬衣和一双运动鞋。 | Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yí jiàn chènyī hé yì shuāng yùndòngxié. | I want to buy a T-shirt and a pair of sneakers. |
| 我想买这条裤子。 | Wǒ xiǎng mǎi zhè tiáo kùzi. | I want to buy this pair of pants. |
| 你要买什么？ | Nǐ yào mǎi shénme? | What are you buying? |
| 我要买一件外套、两双鞋和一顶帽子。 | Wǒyào mǎi yí jiàn wàitào、 liǎng shuāng xié hé yì dǐng màozi. | I’m going to buy a coat, two pairs of shoes and a hat. |
| 这件毛衣有点儿大。 | Zhèjiàn máoyī yǒudiǎnr dà. | This sweater is a little big. |
| 这件外套有点儿小。 | Zhèjiàn wàitào yǒudiǎnr xiǎo. | This jacket is a little small. |
Notes
要 vs 想
In general, both “要” (yào) and “想” (xiǎng) can be translated as “want” in English, but they have some differences in meaning and usage:
“要” is often used to indicate a need or requirement. At the same time, it can also be used to indicate intention, as in “我要买一件连衣裙。”which means “I’m going to buy a dress.”
“想” is used to express a desire or preference. For example, “我想买一些衣服。” which means, “I want to buy some clothes.” Furthermore, it can also be used to indicate an idea or thought.
Therefore, the sentence “我想买这顶帽子。”expresses the speaker’s desire to purchase that particular hat. Meanwhile, the sentence “我要买这顶帽子。”implies that the speaker has the intention of buying that hat. So, this sentence might be said to the sales assistant at the store.
Saying this/that
You have already learnt that“这”and “那”can mean “this” and “that” respectively. To use them to refer to a particular object, we must use them with a measure word in the format: 这/那 + measure word + noun.
Example:
- 这条牛仔裤 (Zhè tiáo niúzǎikù) This pair of jeans.
- 那条牛仔裤 (Nà tiáo niúzǎikù) That pair of jeans.
Practice using measure words
The quiz below will test you on what measure word is required for each article of clothing. As you answer the questions in the quiz below, be sure to also take note of what each sentence means.
Next lesson ->