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Chinese Opposites

Mandarin Chinese Opposites

55 adjective pairs and 25 verb pairs. Tap a word to hear it, hover for the English meaning.

Adjectives

55
  1. 热rèhot
    冷lěngcold
  2. 高gāotall
    矮ǎishort
  3. 大dàbig
    小xiǎosmall
  4. 快kuàifast
    慢mànslow
  5. 开心kāixīnhappy
    难过nánguòsad
  6. 亮liàngbright
    暗àndark
  7. 新xīnnew
    旧jiùold (object)
  8. 年轻niánqīngyoung
    年老niánlǎoelderly
  9. 容易róngyìeasy
    难nándifficult
  10. 强qiángstrong
    弱ruòweak
  11. 富fùrich
    穷qióngpoor
  12. 干净gānjìngclean
    脏zāngdirty
  13. 开着kāizheopen
    关着guānzheclosed
  14. 湿shīwet
    干gāndry
  15. 满mǎnfull
    空kōngempty
  16. 重zhòngheavy
    轻qīnglight
  17. 吵chǎonoisy
    安静ānjìngquiet
  18. 软ruǎnsoft
    硬yìnghard
  19. 甜tiánsweet
    酸suānsour
  20. 贵guìexpensive
    便宜piányicheap
  21. 早zǎoearly
    晚wǎnlate
  22. 近jìnnear
    远yuǎnfar
  23. 薄báothin
    厚hòuthick
  24. 宽kuānwide
    窄zhǎinarrow
  25. 长chánglong
    短duǎnshort (length)
  26. 多duōmany
    少shǎofew
  27. 好hǎogood
    坏huàibad
  28. 对duìcorrect
    错cuòwrong
  29. 安全ānquánsafe
    危险wēixiǎndangerous
  30. 健康jiànkānghealthy
    生病shēngbìngill
  31. 忙mángbusy
    闲xiánfree / idle
  32. 饱bǎofull (not hungry)
    饿èhungry
  33. 渴kěthirsty
    不渴bù kěnot thirsty
  34. 聪明cōngmingclever
    笨bènfoolish
  35. 勇敢yǒnggǎnbrave
    胆小dǎnxiǎotimid
  36. 友好yǒuhǎofriendly
    冷淡lěngdàndistant (manner)
  37. 认真rènzhēncareful / serious
    马虎mǎhucareless
  38. 简单jiǎndānsimple
    复杂fùzácomplex
  39. 舒服shūfucomfortable
    难受nánshòuuncomfortable
  40. 有趣yǒuqùinteresting
    无聊wúliáoboring
  41. 漂亮piàoliangbeautiful
    丑chǒuugly
  42. 礼貌lǐmàopolite
    粗鲁cūlǔrude
  43. 诚实chéngshíhonest
    不诚实bù chéngshídishonest
  44. 清楚qīngchuclear
    模糊móhublurry
  45. 紧jǐntight
    松sōngloose
  46. 深shēndeep
    浅qiǎnshallow
  47. 平píngflat
    陡dǒusteep
  48. 直zhístraight
    弯wāncurved
  49. 左zuǒleft
    右yòuright
  50. 上shàngup
    下xiàdown
  51. 内nèiinner
    外wàiouter
  52. 前qiánfront
    后hòuback
  53. 相同xiāngtóngsame
    不同bùtóngdifferent
  54. 可能kěnéngpossible
    不可能bù kěnéngimpossible
  55. 重要zhòngyàoimportant
    不重要bù zhòngyàounimportant

Verbs

25
  1. 来láicome
    去qùgo
  2. 买mǎibuy
    卖màisell
  3. 打开dǎkāiopen
    关上guānshàngclose
  4. 开始kāishǐstart
    结束jiéshùend
  5. 记得jìderemember
    忘记wàngjìforget
  6. 喜欢xǐhuanlike
    讨厌tǎoyàndislike
  7. 笑xiàolaugh
    哭kūcry
  8. 赢yíngwin
    输shūlose
  9. 给gěigive
    收shōureceive
  10. 问wènask
    回答huídáanswer
  11. 进jìnenter
    出chūexit
  12. 起床qǐchuángget up
    睡觉shuìjiàogo to sleep
  13. 站zhànstand
    坐zuòsit
  14. 借入jièrùborrow
    借出jièchūlend
  15. 推tuīpush
    拉lāpull
  16. 升shēngrise
    降jiàngfall
  17. 增加zēngjiāincrease
    减少jiǎnshǎodecrease
  18. 连接liánjiēconnect
    断开duànkāidisconnect
  19. 接受jiēshòuaccept
    拒绝jùjuérefuse
  20. 找到zhǎodàofind
    丢失diūshīlose (an object)
  21. 穿上chuānshàngput on
    脱下tuōxiàtake off
  22. 同意tóngyìagree
    反对fǎnduìoppose
  23. 保存bǎocúnsave
    删除shānchúdelete
  24. 说shuōspeak
    听tīnglisten
  25. 教jiāoteach
    学xuélearn

Why this is good practice

Opposites make words easier to hold ⚖️

Opposites make vocabulary easier because each word brings a built-in partner. Big makes small clearer, and fast makes slow easier to remember. One adjective becomes part of a useful pair.

For English speakers, this builds descriptive Mandarin Chinese without memorizing random scraps. Tap to hear the word, check the meaning when needed, then test yourself by covering the translation.