Opposites in Chinese – Chinese Edge

In this post I will teach you opposites in Chinese including:

Fat and Thin
Big and Small
Long and Short
Left and Right
Tall and Short
Black and White

Table of Contents

Fat and Thin in Chinese: 肥, 胖 and 瘦 (féi, pàng and shòu)

In Chinese 肥féi (féi) and 胖pàng (pàng) both mean “fat”, although the degree of fatness varies, which I will discuss below. The oppose of fat is thin, which is 瘦shòu (shòu), which can mean thin, lean or tight. You will notice that 瘦shòu (shòu) is comprised of the 疒 radical, from this you can infer that being thin, with 瘦shòu (shòu) is considered unhealthy.

You can use the word 瘦shòu shòu to mean both that a person is thin or that something is too tight, here are some examples:

English	Chinese	Pinyin Pronunciation
She was also very thin, she didn’t get much to eat.	她tā还hái很hěnssttrroonngg>>瘦shòu//ssttrroonngg>>，,没méi有yǒu多duō少shǎo东dōng西xi吃chī	tā hái hěn shòu, méiyǒu duō shào dōngxī chī
He is too thin!	他tā太tàissttrroonngg>>瘦shòu//ssttrroonngg>>了le！!	tā tài shòule!
Her face is too thin	她tā的de脸liǎn太tàissttrroonngg>>瘦shòu//ssttrroonngg>>	tā de liǎn tài shòu
The blouse is a little tight at the waist	这zhè件jiàn衬chèn衣yī腰yāo身shēnssttrroonngg>>瘦shòu//ssttrroonngg>>了le点diǎn	zhè jiàn chènyī yāoshēn shòu le diǎn
The dress was too tight for me	这zhè件jiàn连lián衣yī裙qún我wǒ穿chuān太tàissttrroonngg>>瘦shòu//ssttrroonngg>>了le	zhè jiàn liányīqún wǒ chuān tài shòu le

What is the difference between 肥 and 胖 (féi and pàng) in Chinese?

Both 胖pàng (pàng) and 肥féi (féi) mean “fat” in Chinese, however 胖pàng (pàng) is less offensive and is the best word to use. 肥féi (féi) can be used if you want to cause offence, are describing yourself (so you aren’t insulting anyone) or are talking about losing weight, in which case j减肥 is very commonly use and isn’t any more offensive than saying to lose weight in English. Many other words contain 肥féi (féi) such as soup 肥féi皂zào (féizào). 胖pàng (pàng) isn’t necessarily negative as, for example used to describe a baby is considered healthy.

Here are some examples of 胖 and 我wǒ看kàn起qǐ来laissttrroonngg>>胖pàng//ssttrroonngg>>吗ma？?wǒ kàn qǐlái pàng ma? She is too fat! 她tā太tàissttrroonngg>>肥féi//ssttrroonngg>>了le!! tā tài féi le! All my family is a little overweight 我wǒ的de家jiā人rén都dōu有yǒu点diǎnssttrroonngg>>胖pàng//ssttrroonngg>> wǒ de jiārén dōu yǒudiǎn pàng You seem to be getting more and more chubby 你nǐ好hǎo象xiàng越yuè来lái越yuèssttrroonngg>>胖pàng//ssttrroonngg>>了le nǐ hǎo xiàng yuè lái yuè pàng le You need to lose weight 你nǐ需xū要yào减jiǎnssttrroonngg>>肥féi//ssttrroonngg>> nǐ xūyào jiǎn féi

Big and Small in Chinese: 大 and 小 (dà and xiǎo)

In Chinese the words for Big is 大 (dà) and Small is 小 (xiǎo). 大 (dà) doesn’t mean only big, it can also refer to:

someone who is older or more senior than yourself such as an older brother 大dà哥gē (dàgē), literally big brother

something or someone who is great, such as a the great woods 大Dà树shù林lín (dà shùlín), literally the big woods

something that is grand such a the Grant Hotel 大dà酒jiǔ店diàn (dà jiǔdiàn) or a grand jury 大dà陪péi审shěn团tuán (dà péishěn tuán), literally Grant Hotel and Grant Jury respectively.

You will commonly see 大 (dà) used in the word everyone 大dà家jiā (dàjiā)

These are commonly used, here are some examples of 大dà (dà) in Chinese:

English Chinese Pinyin Pronunciation

The book is too big 这zhè本běn书shū太tàissttrroonngg>>大dà//ssttrroonngg>> zhè běn shū tài dà

The mouse is small 那nà只zhī老lǎo鼠shǔ很hěnssttrroonngg>>小xiǎo//ssttrroonngg>> nà zhǐ lǎoshǔ hěn

Her eyes are big 她tā的de眼yǎn睛jing很hěnssttrroonngg>>大dà//ssttrroonngg>> tā de yǎnjīng hěn dà

My feet are small 我wǒ的de脚jiǎo很hěnssttrroonngg>>小xiǎo//ssttrroonngg>> wǒ de jiǎo hěn xiǎo

I am older than you 我wǒ比bǐ你nǐssttrroonngg>>大dà//ssttrroonngg>> wǒ bǐ nǐ dà

He is older than me 他tā比bǐ我wǒ年nián纪jìssttrroonngg>>大dà//ssttrroonngg>> tā bǐ wǒ niánjì dà

Long and Short in Chinese: 长 and 短

The words for long and short in Chinese are 长cháng (cháng) and 短duǎn (duǎn), here are some examples:

English Chinese Pinyin Pronunciation

Her hair is very long 她tā的de头tóu发fa很hěnssttrroonngg>>长cháng//ssttrroonngg>> tā de tóufǎ hěn cháng

Her hair is too short 他tā的de头tóu发fa太tàissttrroonngg>>短duǎn//ssttrroonngg>> tā de tóufǎ tài duǎn

I wish your visit wasn’t going to be so brief 我wǒ希xī望wàng您nín的de来lái访fǎng时shí间jiān不bù会huì这zhè么messttrroonngg>>短duǎn//ssttrroonngg>> wǒ xīwàng nín de láifǎng shíjiān bù huì zhème duǎn

She has got short hair now but it used to be very long 她tā现xiàn在zài梳shū短duǎn发fā，,但dàn以yǐ前qián她tā是shìssttrroonngg>>长cháng//ssttrroonngg>>发fā。. tā xiànzài shū duǎnfǎ, dàn yǐqián tā shì cháng fā.

I don’t like very short hair 因yīn为wèi我wǒ不bù喜xǐ欢huan头tóu发fa太tàissttrroonngg>>短duǎn//ssttrroonngg>> Yīnwèi wǒ bù xǐhuān tóufǎ tài duǎn

I cannot stay at home for too long 我wǒ不bù能néng在zài家jiā待dài太tàissttrroonngg>>长cháng//ssttrroonngg>>时shí间jiān wǒ bùnéng zàijiā dài tài cháng shíjiān

This skirt is too short 这zhè裙qún子zi太tàissttrroonngg>>短duǎn//ssttrroonngg>>了le zhè qúnzi tài duǎn le

Note that the 长cháng has a different pronunciation being zzhhǎǎnngg which means “chief“, here are some examples:

English Chinese Pinyin Pronunciation

He said he would be a teacher when he grew up 他说他长大后将当一名教师 tā shuō tā zhǎng dà hòu jiāng dāng yī míng jiàoshī

Chief Executive Officer 执zhí行xíngssttrroonngg>>长cháng//ssttrroonngg>> zhíxíng zhǎng

I am our class team leader 我wǒ是shì我wǒ们men班bān的de小xiǎossttrroonngg>>组zǔ长zhǎng//ssttrroonngg>> wǒ shì wǒmen bān de xiǎo zǔ zhǎng

Left and Right in Chinese: 左 and 右 (zuǒ and yòu)

These Chinese words for left and right are zzuuǒǒ (左) and yyòòuu (右). You will notice the similarity in the characters, left comprising of the 工 radical (character) while right has the mouth 口 radical (character). Here are some examples of their usage:

English Chinese Pinyin Pronunciations

At the second room turn left 在zài第dì二'èr个gè房fáng间jiān处chù转zhuǎnssttrroonngg>>左zuǒ//ssttrroonngg>> zài dì èr gè fángjiān chù zhuǎn zuǒ

At the first intersection, turn left 在zài第dì一yī个gè路lù口kǒu转zhuǎnssttrroonngg>>左zuǒ//ssttrroonngg>> zài dì yī gè lùkǒu zhuǎn zuǒ

At the second intersection, turn right. At the third, go straight ahead. 第dì二'èr个gè路lù口kǒu转zhuǎnssttrroonngg>>右yòu//ssttrroonngg>>，,第dì三sān个gè路lù口kǒu向xiàng前qián直zhí行xíng dì èr gè lùkǒu zhuǎn yòu, dì sān gè lùkǒu xiàng qián zhíxíng

The toilet is on the left side of the front desk 厕cè所suǒ就jiù在zài前qián台táissttrroonngg>>左zuǒ边bian//ssttrroonngg>> cèsuǒ jiù zài qiántái zuǒbiān

A supermarket in the right side of that high building 在zài那nà幢chuáng高gāo楼lóu的dessttrroonngg>>右yòu边bian//ssttrroonngg>>是shì一yī家jiā超chāo市shì zài nà chuáng gāolóu de yòubiān shì yījiā chāoshì

A common usage of left and write in Chinese is when they are placed together 左zuǒ右yòu, to mean “more or less“. Again here are some examples of this combination in action:

English Chinese Pinyin Pronunciation

He will be studying more or less a week 他tā将jiāng学xué习xí一yī星xīng期qīssttrroonngg>>左zuǒ右yòu//ssttrroonngg>> tā jiāng xuéxí yī xīngqí zuǒyòu

Yesterday I read one hundred pages, more or less 昨zuó天tiān我wǒ看kàn了le一yī百bǎi页yèssttrroonngg>>左zuǒ右yòu//ssttrroonngg>> zuótiān wǒ kànle yībǎi yè zuǒyòu

He was ill for about a week 他tā病bìng了le一yī个gè月yuèssttrroonngg>>左zuǒ右yòu//ssttrroonngg>> tā bìngle yīgè yuè zuǒyòu

She always sends the children to be at about eight o’clock 她tā总zǒng是shì在zài88时shíssttrroonngg>>左zuǒ右yòu//ssttrroonngg>>打dǎ发fa孩hái子zi们men上shàng床chuáng睡shuì觉jiào tā zǒng shì zài 8 shí zuǒyòu dǎfā háizimen shàngchuáng shuìjiào

Tall and Short in Chinese: 高 and 矮 (gāo and ǎi)

The Chinese words for Tall and Short in Chinese are 高gāo (gāo) and 矮ǎi (ǎi). Tall 高gāo (gāo) can be used in a similar way to English, that is to talk about physical height of people or objects as well as high prices for example. Short 矮ǎi (ǎi) , can be used to mean short or low. Here are some examples:

English Chinese Pinyin Pronunciations

He was not tall enough 他tā个gè头tóu不bù够gòussttrroonngg>>高gāo//ssttrroonngg>> tā gètóu bùgòu gāo

Your price is too high 你nǐ们men的de报bào价jià太tàissttrroonngg>>高gāo//ssttrroonngg>> nǐmen de bàojià tài gāo

He asked me to stop near a tall building 他tā叫jiào我wǒ停tíng在zài一yī幢chuángssttrroonngg>>高gāo//ssttrroonngg>>楼lóu旁páng边biān tā jiào wǒ tíng zài yī chuáng gāolóu pángbiān

There is a tall building next to the bank 银yín行háng旁páng边biān有yǒu一yī座zuòssttrroonngg>>高gāo//ssttrroonngg>>楼lóu yínháng pángbiān yǒuyīzuò gāolóu

She’s short 她tā个gè子zissttrroonngg>>矮ǎi//ssttrroonngg>> tā gèzi ǎi

The truck is not low enough to go under the bridge 卡kǎ车chē不bù够gòussttrroonngg>>矮ǎi//ssttrroonngg>>而ér不bù能néng通tōng过guò桥qiáo kǎchē bùgòu ǎi ér bùnéng tōngguò qiáo.

There is a low table in the corner of the room 在zài屋wū子zi的de角jiǎo落luò里lǐ有yǒu一yī张zhāngssttrroonngg>>矮ǎi//ssttrroonngg>>桌zhuō zài wūzi de jiǎoluò li yǒu yī zhāng ǎi zhuō

You may be aware that 短duǎn (duǎn) also means short, however I have covered this above in my long and short example, so if you’d like to see some examples of 短duǎn (duǎn) check above.

Black and White in Chinese:

The words for black and white in Chinese are 黑hēi (hēi) and 白bái (bái). To say “black and white” you can simply write this as “black white” 黑hēi白bái or “black and white” 黑hēi和hé白bái (hēi hé bái) or 黑hēi即jí白bái (hēi jí bái). Here are some example sentences:

English Chinese Pinyin Pronunciations

Do you like black and white photography? 你nǐ喜xǐ欢huanssttrroonngg>>黑hēi白bái//ssttrroonngg>>照zhào片piàn吗ma？? nǐ xǐhuān hēibái zhàopiàn ma?

My experience was not this black and white 但dàn是shì，,我wǒ的de经jīng历lì并bìng非fēi这zhè么me非fēissttrroonngg>>黑hēi即jí白bái//ssttrroonngg>> dànshì, wǒ de jīnglì bìngfēi zhème fēi hēi jí bái

Without you, my life is only black and white 没méi有yǒu了le你nǐ，,我wǒ的de世shì界jiè只zhǐ剩shèngssttrroonngg>>黑hēi和hé白bái//ssttrroonngg>> méiyǒule nǐ, wǒ de shìjiè zhǐ shèng hēi hé bái

Conclusion

There are lots of opposites in Chinese, I’ve touched on only a few of them here, however I hope you’ve found this useful.

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