Chinese words on Taobao and Weidian listings: a cheat sheet
Size chart headings, colors, stock notes and fit tips, with pinyin and where each word shows up.
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The Chinese words on Taobao and Weidian listings that matter for buying come from a short list: size chart headings, colors, stock and shipping notes, fabric details and the seller’s fit tips. The tables give each word’s pinyin (how it sounds), its meaning and where you’ll see it.
Translators help, but they can trip over shop words, so keep the original Chinese visible. To compare the numbers with your own clothes, see our Chinese size chart guide.
Chinese words for sizes and measurements
| Chinese (pinyin) | Meaning | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|
| 尺码 (chǐmǎ) | Size | Chart, options |
| 码 (mǎ) | Size, as in L码 (size L) | After a size |
| 均码 (jūnmǎ) | One size | Options |
| 衣长 (yīcháng) | Top length, shoulder or collar to hem | Chart |
| 胸围 (xiōngwéi) | Chest, usually all the way around | Chart |
| 肩宽 (jiānkuān) | Shoulder width | Chart |
| 袖长 (xiùcháng) | Sleeve length | Chart |
| 腰围 (yāowéi) | Waist, flat or all the way around | Chart |
| 臀围 (túnwéi) | Hips | Chart |
| 裤长 (kùcháng) | Total pants length, not the inseam | Chart |
| 厘米 (límǐ) or cm | Centimeters | Chart |
| 平铺 (píngpū) | Laid flat | Chart notes |
Charts usually give the item’s measurements in cm, often laid flat (平铺), though some give body measurements. 胸围 means around the chest, so it’s usually the full chest, but some sellers put the flat width there. 半胸围 or 1/2胸围 means half chest. If the number is about double your tee’s flat width, it’s probably the full chest.
Shoe listings use 鞋码 (xiémǎ, shoe size) and sometimes 脚长 (jiǎocháng, foot length). See the shoe size guide.
How jin (斤) works in size suggestions
Sellers often suggest a size by height and weight, like 175cm 130斤 建议L. Treat it as a starting point. On mainland Chinese listings, 1 斤 (jīn) is 500 g, as the MDBG dictionary entry shows, so 1 kg is 2 斤. So halve it for kg: 100斤 is 50 kg (about 110 lb), 140斤 is 70 kg (about 154 lb).
Size tips and fit notes
| Chinese (pinyin) | Meaning | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|
| 身高 (shēngāo) | Height | Size tips |
| 体重 (tǐzhòng) | Body weight | Size tips |
| 斤 (jīn) | 500 g, half a kilogram | Size tips |
| 建议 (jiànyì) | Suggested, recommended | Size tips |
| 偏大 (piāndà) | Runs large | Size notes |
| 偏小 (piānxiǎo) | Runs small | Size notes |
| 正常尺码 (zhèngcháng chǐmǎ) | Normal sizing, not cut big or small | Size notes |
| 建议拍大一码 (jiànyì pāi dà yī mǎ) | We suggest ordering one size up | Size notes |
| 宽松 (kuānsōng) | Loose fit | Title, notes |
| 修身 (xiūshēn) | Slim fit | Title, notes |
| 仅供参考 (jǐn gōng cānkǎo) | For reference only | Under charts |
These notes are the seller’s opinion, so compare the chart with clothes you own.
Color words
Colors show up in the color menu (颜色分类). Many end in 色 (sè, color), which sellers sometimes leave off. 深 (shēn) means dark and 浅 (qiǎn) means light, so 深灰 is dark gray and 浅灰 is light gray.
| Chinese (pinyin) | Color |
|---|---|
| 黑色 (hēisè) | Black |
| 白色 (báisè) | White |
| 灰色 (huīsè) | Gray |
| 藏青 (zàngqīng) | Navy blue |
| 深蓝 (shēnlán) | Dark blue |
| 卡其色 (kǎqísè) | Khaki |
| 杏色 (xìngsè) | Apricot |
| 米白色 (mǐbáisè) | Off white, cream |
Shades vary by seller and screen. Sellers call that 色差 (sèchā, color difference), so check the color in your QC photos (your agent’s photos of your actual item).
Stock, presale and shipping words
| Chinese (pinyin) | Meaning | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|
| 现货 (xiànhuò) | In stock, ready to ship | Title, options |
| 预售 (yùshòu) | Presale: ships later | Title, options |
| 发货 (fāhuò) | Ship out, dispatch | Shipping notes |
| 7天内发货 (qī tiān nèi fāhuò) | Ships within 7 days | Shipping notes |
| 缺货 (quēhuò) | Out of stock | Options, notes |
| 断码 (duànmǎ) | Some sizes sold out | Title, notes |
| 下架 (xiàjià) | Removed from sale | Listing page |
| 包邮 (bāoyóu) | Free shipping inside China | Title, price area |
| 不退不换 (bù tuì bù huàn) | No returns, no exchanges | Notes |
包邮 only covers delivery to your agent’s warehouse in China, not international shipping. With 预售, your other items’ storage and return deadlines keep running while you wait. See 不退不换? Ask your agent what it means for your order before you buy.
Fabric and option words
| Chinese (pinyin) | Meaning | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|
| 成分 (chéngfèn) | Composition, like 棉95% | Details |
| 棉 (mián) | Cotton | Details |
| 纯棉 (chúnmián) | 100% cotton | Title, details |
| 涤纶 (dílún) or 聚酯纤维 (jùzhǐ xiānwéi) | Polyester | Details |
| 氨纶 (ānlún) | Spandex, elastane | Details |
| 重磅 (zhòngbàng) | Heavyweight fabric | Title |
| 克重 (kèzhòng) | Fabric weight in grams per square meter (GSM) | Title, details |
| 颜色分类 (yánsè fēnlèi) | Color options | Option menu |
| 款式 (kuǎnshì) | Style, design | Option menu |
| 套装 (tàozhuāng) | Set of matching pieces | Options, title |
| 单件 (dānjiàn) | Single piece, not the full set | Options |
A higher 克重 means heavier, thicker fabric. The starting price may only be for 单件, not the whole 套装, so check the price of your option.
Translating a whole listing
A camera translator saves time on long descriptions, but check key words against these tables. Three words to watch: 码 can come out as code or yard, 拍 as shoot (on a listing it means to order) and 斤 as catty. Look up anything else in a dictionary like MDBG instead of guessing.
Still hunting for the item? See how to find items on Weidian and Taobao.
Questions?
What does 斤 mean on Taobao size charts?
斤 (jīn) is a Chinese unit of weight. On mainland Chinese listings 1 斤 is 500 g, so 130斤 is 65 kg, about 143 lb.
Is 胸围 half chest or full chest?
It means around the chest, so it’s usually the full chest. Some sellers put the flat width there, so compare it with a tee you own or check the diagram.
What do 现货 and 预售 mean on Taobao?
现货 means in stock and ready to ship. 预售 means presale: the item ships later, so check the shipping time on the listing.
What does 偏小 mean on a Chinese listing?
It means the item runs small, and 建议拍大一码 means the seller suggests ordering one size up. Check the measurements before you size up.
What is 均码 size?
均码 means one size. There’s only one option, so check the measurements to see if it fits you.
Does 包邮 mean free shipping to my country?
No. 包邮 covers shipping inside China to your agent’s warehouse. You still pay your agent for international shipping.