Speaking · Developing beginner · 25 pages
Shop for Clothes in Mandarin: Colors, Sizes & Fit
Choose a garment, color, classifier, and size; ask to try it on; describe the fit; check the price; and complete a short clothes-shopping exchange in Mandarin.
Download free PDFNo signup. No email form. Version 1.0, updated 2026-08-26.
What’s inside
- Six high-use clothing words
- Six text-labeled colors that work in grayscale
- 件, 条, and 双 in clothing choices
- Small, medium, large, and fit language
- Try-on and fitting-room questions
- A fictional rack decision task
- A complete customer-and-staff dialogue
- A guided role-play and closed-task answers
What you’ll practice
- Identify and request several common clothing items and colors
- Choose 件, 条, or 双 for the target garment phrase
- Ask for a size and say whether an item is too big, too small, or suitable
- Ask to try something on and locate the fitting room
- Use fit, color, and price information to choose an item in a short role-play
Sample lines
- 有中号的蓝色外套吗？ · Yǒu zhōnghào de lánsè wàitào ma? · Do you have a medium blue jacket? (Use a size and color to narrow the request; store labels vary.)
- 我可以试穿吗？ · Wǒ kěyǐ shìchuān ma? · May I try it on? (A reusable permission question before trying on an item.)
- 大小合适，我买这件。 · Dàxiǎo héshì, wǒ mǎi zhè jiàn. · The size fits; I’ll buy this one. (When the noun is already clear, classifier phrases such as 这件 can stand on their own.)
Frequently asked questions
Are small, medium, and large the same in every shop?
No. Size systems, cuts, brands, and labels vary. 小号, 中号, and 大号 let you ask about the store’s labels; try the item and confirm the fit instead of assuming an equivalence.
Why are colors written with 色 and often 的?
色 makes the color reading explicit, as in 蓝色. Before a noun, 蓝色的外套 is a clear beginner frame. If the noun is already understood, 蓝色的 can mean the blue one.
Can I use 个 for every piece of clothing?
个 may appear as a broad fallback in some speech, but learning common clothing chunks is more useful here: 件 for many garments, 条 for long lower-body garments, and 双 for paired items such as shoes.
Does this workbook teach bargaining or current payment customs?
No. It teaches stable selection, fit, try-on, and price-checking language. Bargaining norms, payment methods, prices, availability, and return policies vary by seller and place.
Keep practicing
Find a Chinese measure word · Browse all free downloads
All rack items, availability, fit notes, and prices are fictional; size labels are presented as store-specific, and every color task includes a written label so meaning never depends on ink color.