Describing People
intermediate描述人物
Learn how to describe people in Chinese — from physical appearance and personality traits to age, clothing, and first impressions.
37 words12 phrases2 dialogues~30 min study time
Vocabulary
37 words — click any row for an example sentence
Appearance
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 高 | gāo | tall | adjective |
| 矮 | ǎi | short (in height) | adjective |
| 胖 | pàng | fat / overweight | adjective |
| 瘦 | shòu | thin / slim | adjective |
| 帅 | shuài | handsome | adjective |
| 漂亮 | piàoliang | beautiful / pretty | adjective |
| 头发 | tóufa | hair | noun |
| 眼睛 | yǎnjing | eyes | noun |
| 脸 | liǎn | face | noun |
| 皮肤 | pífū | skin | noun |
| 好看 | hǎokàn | good-looking | adjective |
| 长相 | zhǎngxiàng | appearance / looks | noun |
| 像 | xiàng | to look like / to resemble | verb |
Personality
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 内向 | nèixiàng | introverted | adjective |
| 外向 | wàixiàng | extroverted / outgoing | adjective |
| 聪明 | cōngming | smart / clever | adjective |
| 幽默 | yōumò | humorous / funny | adjective |
| 认真 | rènzhēn | serious / earnest / conscientious | adjective |
| 大方 | dàfang | generous / natural and poised | adjective |
| 热情 | rèqíng | warm / enthusiastic / hospitable | adjective |
| 害羞 | hàixiū | shy / bashful | adjective |
| 善良 | shànliáng | kind-hearted / good-natured | adjective |
| 脾气 | píqi | temper / temperament | noun |
| 耐心 | nàixīn | patient / patience | adjective |
Age
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 年轻 | niánqīng | young | adjective |
| 老 | lǎo | old (in age) | adjective |
| 岁 | suì | years old (age) | measure word |
| 中年 | zhōngnián | middle-aged | noun |
| 看起来 | kàn qǐlái | to look like / to appear | verb |
Clothing Descriptions
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 穿 | chuān | to wear (clothing) | verb |
| 戴 | dài | to wear (accessories / glasses / hat) | verb |
| 眼镜 | yǎnjìng | glasses / spectacles | noun |
| 帽子 | màozi | hat / cap | noun |
| 裙子 | qúnzi | skirt / dress | noun |
| 西装 | xīzhuāng | suit (Western-style) | noun |
| 打扮 | dǎban | to dress up / to get dressed up | verb |
| 时尚 | shíshàng | fashionable / trendy | adjective |
Key Phrases
Essential expressions
他长什么样？
Tā zhǎng shénme yàng?
What does he look like?
Asking someone to describe a person's appearance.
他个子很高，很瘦。
Tā gèzi hěn gāo, hěn shòu.
He is very tall and thin.
Giving a basic description of someone's build.
她长得很好看。
Tā zhǎng de hěn hǎokàn.
She is very good-looking.
A general compliment about someone's appearance.
他是什么性格的人？
Tā shì shénme xìnggé de rén?
What kind of personality does he have?
Asking about someone's character or temperament.
她性格很开朗。
Tā xìnggé hěn kāilǎng.
She has a cheerful personality.
Describing someone with an upbeat, outgoing personality.
你看起来很年轻！
Nǐ kàn qǐlái hěn niánqīng!
You look very young!
A common compliment in Chinese culture, especially to older adults.
他穿着一件黑色的外套。
Tā chuānzhe yī jiàn hēisè de wàitào.
He is wearing a black coat.
Describing what someone is wearing to help identify them.
那个戴眼镜的女生就是她。
Nàge dài yǎnjìng de nǚshēng jiù shì tā.
The girl wearing glasses is her.
Identifying a specific person by what they are wearing.
他跟他爸爸长得一模一样。
Tā gēn tā bàba zhǎng de yī mú yī yàng.
He looks exactly like his father.
Commenting on a strong family resemblance.
她今天打扮得很漂亮。
Tā jīntiān dǎban de hěn piàoliang.
She is dressed up very nicely today.
Complimenting someone who has put extra effort into their appearance.
他看起来很精神。
Tā kàn qǐlái hěn jīngshen.
He looks full of energy / well put together.
Complimenting someone who appears healthy and energetic.
第一印象很重要。
Dì yī yìnxiàng hěn zhòngyào.
First impressions are important.
Talking about the importance of how you present yourself.
Dialogues
Practice conversations
Describing a Friend
Xiao Li is meeting Xiao Wang's friend at a coffee shop. She has never met the friend before and needs a description to recognize him.
Speaker A
你朋友长什么样？我怕认不出来。
Speaker B
他个子很高，大概一米八，比较瘦。
Speaker A
戴眼镜吗？
Speaker B
对，他戴一副黑框眼镜。今天他应该穿蓝色的外套。
Speaker A
好的。他是什么性格的人？
Speaker B
他很外向，说话很幽默，你们一定聊得来。
Speaker A
听起来不错！他多大了？
Speaker B
他二十八岁，不过看起来很年轻，像二十出头的样子。
Cultural note: In Chinese, asking someone's age (他多大了？ or 你多大了？) is generally not considered rude, especially when talking about someone casually. However, for elderly people, the polite form 您多大年纪了？ (Nín duō dà niánjì le?) is more respectful.
Complimenting a Colleague
Two coworkers are chatting during their lunch break about a new colleague who joined the team.
Speaker A
你见过新来的同事了吗？
Speaker B
见过了，那个穿西装的男生吧？长得很帅。
Speaker A
对对对！他性格也很好，特别热情，跟谁都聊得来。
Speaker B
是吗？他看起来很年轻，多大了？
Speaker A
好像三十岁了，但是看起来像二十五六岁。
Speaker B
他穿衣服的品味也不错，每天都打扮得很精神。
Speaker A
听说他工作也很认真。领导对他印象很好。
Speaker B
又帅又聪明又认真，这样的同事太少了！
Cultural note: Discussing a colleague's appearance in a positive way is quite common in Chinese workplace culture. Phrases like 长得很帅 (he is handsome) or 打扮得很精神 (he looks sharp) are considered normal, friendly observations rather than inappropriate comments.
Cultural Notes
Context that textbooks miss
Test Yourself
8 questions covering vocabulary, phrases, and dialogue comprehension.
Take the Describing People Quiz (8 questions)→HSK Level Overlap
35 of 37 words appear in HSK levels
Further Reading
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