Sizes and Colors in Chinese Shops: Phrases That Get the Fit Right
Chinese clothing sizes run one to two steps smaller than the labels you know at home, so the letter on the tag is a starting point rather than an answer. A Chinese L often fits like a Western M, and one-size cotton tops are cut for a smaller frame.
Ask for your size, get something bigger out of the stock room, and try it on before you pay. Small stalls rarely take returns; malls almost always do, usually within seven days with the receipt.
Useful phrases
- 有我的尺码吗？Do you have my size?
尺码 is the standard word for clothing size in mainland shops. Hold up the item while you ask so the assistant knows which rack you mean.
- 我要大号。I need a large.
大号 is large, 中号 medium and 小号 small. Chinese labels run one to two steps smaller than US or European sizing.
- 有大一点的吗？Do you have a bigger one?
Ask this even when the tag says your size. A Chinese L is often closer to a Western M, so always size up rather than down.
- 这个太小了。This is too small.
太 plus an adjective plus 了 is the frame for too much of anything: 太大 for too big, 太长 for too long, 太紧 for too tight.
- 我想试一下。I'd like to try it on.
试 means to try. Small independent stalls often have no fitting room at all, so ask before you get attached to the item.
- 试衣间在哪里？Where is the fitting room?
试衣间 is the fitting room. Shopping malls always have one, sometimes on a different floor from the clothes.
- 有其他颜色吗？Do you have other colors?
颜色 is color and 其他 means other. Ask it if the display only shows the one version you do not want.
- 有黑色的吗？Do you have it in black?
黑色 is black, 白色 white, 红色 red and 蓝色 blue. Drop any of them into the same sentence to ask about a shade.
- 有没有大一号的？Do you have one size bigger?
一号 means one size. It is quicker than repeating 大一点 and shop assistants understand it straight away.
- 我喜欢这个颜色。I like this color.
喜欢 has a neutral second syllable in speech — xǐhuan, not xǐhuān. Useful when the cut fits and you want it in another shade.
- 均码是什么意思？What does one-size mean?
均码 is one-size-fits-all, common on knitwear and cotton tops in China. It rarely fits everyone, so treat it as a loose medium.
- 可以换吗？Can I exchange it?
Chain stores usually allow an exchange within seven days with the receipt. Ask before you pay, because many small stalls treat a sale as final.
- 可以量一下吗？Can you measure it?
量 means to measure. Handy at tailors and shoe shops, where the tape measure comes out and saves you a second trip.
Quick cultural tip
Chinese sizes run small
Take your usual size and go up one, sometimes two. A Chinese L fits like a Western M, and the labels on cheap cotton T-shirts follow local sizing rather than international sizing. Try everything on before you buy, even when the tag looks right.
There is no returns culture at small stalls — once you pay, the item is yours. Malls and chain stores are different: most allow an exchange within seven days, so keep the printed slip and check the policy at the counter first.