HSK 4 · Lesson 21这身衣服怎么样？ How do I look in this?

Looks and clothes: shopping, outfits, haircuts. 不怎么 “not very”, 穿 / 戴 / 脱 “wear / put on / take off”, 一身衣服 “an outfit”, 看样子 “it looks like”, the suffix 性 and the written 无.

Speed:Male voice:

Dialogues

Buying a jacket

B
天冷了，我想买一件厚外套。
Tiān lěng le, wǒ xiǎng mǎi yí jiàn hòu wàitào.
It’s got cold — I want to buy a thick jacket.
A
你看这件怎么样？现在很流行。
Nǐ kàn zhè jiàn zěnmeyàng? Xiànzài hěn liúxíng.
What about this one? It’s really in fashion now.
B
样子不错，可是颜色不怎么适合我。
Yàngzi búcuò, kěshì yánsè bù zěnme shìhé wǒ.
The style is nice, but the colour doesn’t really suit me.
A
那试试这件蓝色的吧，穿上一定很帅。
Nà shìshi zhè jiàn lánsè de ba, chuānshang yídìng hěn shuài.
Then try this blue one — you’ll look great in it.
B
嗯，很合适。再看看帽子和袜子。
Ǹg, hěn héshì. Zài kànkan màozi hé wàzi.
Mm, it fits well. Let’s look at hats and socks too.
A
外边风大，买了帽子就戴上吧。
Wàibian fēng dà, mǎile màozi jiù dàishang ba.
It’s windy out — put the hat on as soon as you buy it.

Getting ready for a date

B
你今天怎么这么漂亮？还去理发了！
Nǐ jīntiān zěnme zhème piàoliang? Hái qù lǐfà le!
Why are you looking so nice today? You’ve even had your hair done!
A
晚上有个约会。你看我这身衣服怎么样？
Wǎnshang yǒu ge yuēhuì. Nǐ kàn wǒ zhè shēn yīfu zěnmeyàng?
I’ve got a date tonight. What do you think of this outfit?
B
很美！不过这双皮鞋不怎么好看，换一双吧。
Hěn měi! Búguò zhè shuāng píxié bù zěnme hǎokàn, huàn yì shuāng ba.
Lovely! But these shoes aren’t great — change them.
A
好。我戴不戴眼镜？
Hǎo. Wǒ dài bu dài yǎnjìng?
OK. Should I wear my glasses?
B
不戴更好看。别紧张，看样子你很重视这次约会啊。
Bú dài gèng hǎokàn. Bié jǐnzhāng, kàn yàngzi nǐ hěn zhòngshì zhè cì yuēhuì a.
You look better without. Don’t be nervous — looks like this date really matters to you.

New words

📝 Worksheet for this lesson

Grammar

1. 不怎么 “not very, not really”

不怎么 + adj. / verb

不怎么 softens a negative: “not very, not really”: 颜色不怎么适合我 “the colour doesn’t really suit me”, 这双鞋不怎么好看, 我不怎么喜欢吃辣的 “I’m not really into spicy food”. It is gentler than plain 不.

我不怎么喜欢吃辣的。
Wǒ bù zěnme xǐhuan chī là de.
I’m not really into spicy food.
这个电影不怎么好看。
Zhège diànyǐng bù zěnme hǎokàn.
This film isn’t very good.

2. 穿, 戴, 脱

穿 is “to put on, to wear” clothes and shoes: 穿外套, 穿皮鞋, 穿袜子. 戴 is for things worn that aren’t clothes: 戴帽子, 戴眼镜, 戴手表. 脱 is “to take off” clothes and shoes: 进门先脱鞋 “take your shoes off at the door”.

外边风大，戴上帽子吧。
Wàibian fēng dà, dàishang màozi ba.
It’s windy outside — put your hat on.
在中国，很多人进门先脱鞋。
Zài Zhōngguó, hěn duō rén jìn mén xiān tuō xié.
In China many people take their shoes off when they come in.

3. 一身衣服 “an outfit”; 样子 and 看样子 “it looks like”

身 is “body”, and as a measure word “a set of clothes worn”: 这身衣服 “this outfit”, 一身汗 “covered in sweat”. 样子 is “look, style”: 样子不错 “a nice style”; 看样子 means “it looks like, apparently”: 看样子要下雨了.

你看我这身衣服怎么样？
Nǐ kàn wǒ zhè shēn yīfu zěnmeyàng?
What do you think of this outfit?
看样子要下雨了。
Kàn yàngzi yào xià yǔ le.
It looks like rain.

4. The suffix 性 and the written 无

性 after a word turns it into a “quality”: 重要 “important” → 重要性 “importance”, 可能 → 可能性 “possibility”. Hence 男性 / 女性 “male / female”, 性格 “character”. 无 is written “there is no, without” (= 没有): 无人 “nobody”, 无法 “unable”, 无聊 “boring”.

这种可能性很小。
Zhè zhǒng kěnéngxìng hěn xiǎo.
That possibility is small.
房间里无人。
Fángjiān li wú rén.
There’s nobody in the room.
美丽的城市。
Měilì de chéngshì.
A beautiful city.

Exercises

1. Listen and choose the translation

  1. Answer
    这个颜色不怎么适合我。 Zhège yánsè bù zěnme shìhé wǒ. — This colour doesn’t really suit me.

  2. Answer
    他的胳膊很粗。 Tā de gēbo hěn cū. — His arms are very thick.

  3. Answer
    请把门拉开。 Qǐng bǎ mén lākāi. — Please pull the door open.

  4. Answer
    现在这种外套很流行。 Xiànzài zhè zhǒng wàitào hěn liúxíng. — This kind of jacket is very fashionable now.

2. Choose the correct option

  1. 外边冷，你___上帽子吧。

    Answer
    戴
  2. 天热了，把毛衣___了吧。

    Answer
    脱
  3. “I’m not really into spicy food”

    Answer
    我不怎么喜欢吃辣的。
  4. “Importance” is…

    Answer
    重要性

3. Build the sentence

  1. I want to buy a thick jacket.

    Answer
    我想买一件厚外套。 Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yí jiàn hòu wàitào.
  2. It looks like rain.

    Answer
    看样子要下雨了。 Kàn yàngzi yào xià yǔ le.
  3. You look better without glasses.

    Answer
    不戴眼镜更好看。 Bú dài yǎnjìng gèng hǎokàn.
  4. She had her hair cut yesterday.

    Answer
    她昨天去理发了。 Tā zuótiān qù lǐfà le.

4. Dialogue: answer as the speaker

You are speaker B. Pick the right reply and the conversation goes on.

A
你穿这件毛衣真好看！
Nǐ chuān zhè jiàn máoyī zhēn hǎokàn!
You look really nice in that sweater!
B
谢谢！这是我妈妈送我的。
Xièxie! Zhè shì wǒ māma sòng wǒ de.
Thanks! My mum gave it to me.
A
颜色很适合你。在哪儿买的？
Yánsè hěn shìhé nǐ. Zài nǎr mǎi de?
The colour suits you. Where was it bought?
B
不知道，我不怎么关心这些。
Bù zhīdào, wǒ bù zěnme guānxīn zhèxiē.
No idea — I don’t really care about these things.
A
你今天还戴了新眼镜？
Nǐ jīntiān hái dàile xīn yǎnjìng?
And you’re wearing new glasses today?
B
对，旧的坏了，昨天刚买的。
Duì, jiù de huài le, zuótiān gāng mǎi de.
Yes, the old ones broke — I only bought these yesterday.

5. Translate into Chinese

  1. This book isn’t very good.
    Answer
    这本书不怎么好看。
  2. Put your hat on — it’s cold outside.
    Answer
    戴上帽子吧，外边很冷。
  3. It looks like he won’t come today.
    Answer
    看样子他今天不来了。

💡 Did you know?: The qipao

The best-known Chinese women’s dress is the 旗袍 qípáo, close-fitting, with a high mandarin collar and a fastening at the side. Its modern form took shape in Shanghai in the 1920s–30s. Today the qipao is worn at weddings, festivals and formal receptions. At a Chinese wedding the bride often chooses red: red brings good luck, while white is traditionally linked with mourning.

Phrase audio — Microsoft speech synthesis (voices Xiaoxiao, Yunyang, Yunxi); syllables and some words — native recordings (audio-cmn, CC BY-SA).