Adjectives are far easier to remember in opposing pairs than as an alphabetical list, and Chinese rewards this doubly: many of the single characters that name a quality also name the dimension you ask about. Learn 高 (gāo, "tall") and you get 多高 ("how tall?") for free; learn 长 (cháng, "long") and 多长 ("how long?") comes with it. This page groups the highest-frequency pairs, shows how they predicate, and turns each into a question.
Learning adjectives in pairs
Like all Chinese adjectives, these predicate directly with 很 and negate with 不 — no 是. In a plain positive statement 很 is required as a neutral prop (这个房子很大); without it, a bare adjective implies a hidden comparison (这个大 = "this one's bigger"). See why adjectives take a default 很.
这个房子很大，那个很小。
zhè ge fángzi hěn dà, nà ge hěn xiǎo
This house is big, that one is small. — 大/小 predicating with 很.
这件衣服不贵，很便宜。
zhè jiàn yīfu bú guì, hěn piányi
This piece of clothing isn't expensive, it's cheap. — 贵/便宜, negated with 不.
今天人很多，昨天人很少。
jīntiān rén hěn duō, zuótiān rén hěn shǎo
There are lots of people today; yesterday there were few. — 多/少.
The reference table
| Positive | Opposite | Dimension | Question (多 + adj.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 大 (dà) big | 小 (xiǎo) small | size / age | 多大 (how big / how old) |
| 高 (gāo) tall, high | 矮 (ǎi) short (height) | height | 多高 (how tall) |
| 长 (cháng) long | 短 (duǎn) short (length) | length | 多长 (how long) |
| 多 (duō) many | 少 (shǎo) few | quantity | 多少 (how many/much) |
| 快 (kuài) fast | 慢 (màn) slow | speed | 多快 (how fast) |
| 好 (hǎo) good | 坏 (huài) bad | quality | — |
| 新 (xīn) new | 旧 (jiù) old (of things) | age of thing | — |
| 贵 (guì) expensive | 便宜 (piányi) cheap | price | 多贵 (how expensive) |
| 远 (yuǎn) far | 近 (jìn) near | distance | 多远 (how far) |
| 胖 (pàng) fat | 瘦 (shòu) thin | build | — |
Pairs that unlock questions: 多 + adjective
Put 多 (duō, here "to what extent") in front of the positive-pole adjective and you have a "how _?" question — no question word, no 吗. 多高 = "how tall," 多长 = "how long," 多大 = "how big / how old." A common fuller frame adds 有: 有多高 ("[to] how tall does it reach?"). By convention you ask with the positive pole (多高, not 多矮), because it names the neutral dimension. See asking "how" with 多 + adjective.
你哥哥有多高？
nǐ gēge yǒu duō gāo
How tall is your older brother? — 有多高, built on 高.
这条河有多长？
zhè tiáo hé yǒu duō cháng
How long is this river? — 多长 from 长.
这个西瓜有多大？
zhè ge xīguā yǒu duō dà
How big is this watermelon? — 多大 from 大 (also 'how old' of people).
Watch the near-synonyms: 矮/短 and 旧/老
Two pairs of "short" and two words for "old" are the classic traps. 矮 (ǎi) is short in height — people, trees, buildings; 短 (duǎn) is short in length — roads, hair, ropes, time. And 旧 (jiù) is old for things (worn, used); 老 (lǎo) is old for people/living beings (aged) and also "long-standing." Mixing them is a giveaway.
他个子矮，可是跑得很快。
tā gèzi ǎi, kěshì pǎo de hěn kuài
He's short, but he runs very fast. — 矮 for a person's height (and note 跑得很快, a 得 complement).
这条裤子太长了，我要短一点的。
zhè tiáo kùzi tài cháng le, wǒ yào duǎn yìdiǎn de
These trousers are too long — I want a shorter pair. — 长/短 for length.
我的手机是新的，他的很旧了。
wǒ de shǒujī shì xīn de, tā de hěn jiù le
My phone is new; his is very old. — 旧 for an old object, not 老.
Common Mistakes
1. Using 矮 for length or 短 for height. 矮 = short in height (people/things standing up); 短 = short in length.
❌ 这条路很矮。
Incorrect — a road's shortness is length: 这条路很短.
✅ 这条路很短。
zhè tiáo lù hěn duǎn
This road is very short. — 短 for length.
2. Using 老 for an old object. Things wear out with 旧; only people/animals get 老.
❌ 我的电脑很老。
Incorrect — an old, worn object takes 旧: 我的电脑很旧.
✅ 我的电脑很旧。
wǒ de diànnǎo hěn jiù
My computer is very old. — 旧 for a worn-out thing.
3. Asking with the negative pole. "How _?" questions use the positive dimension word.
❌ 你妹妹有多矮？
Odd — a neutral height question uses the positive pole: 有多高.
✅ 你妹妹有多高？
nǐ mèimei yǒu duō gāo
How tall is your younger sister? — 多高, the neutral question.
4. Dropping 很 in a plain statement. A bare adjective implies comparison; a neutral statement needs 很.
❌ 这个包大。
Incomplete/comparative — a plain statement needs a prop: 这个包很大.
✅ 这个包很大。
zhè ge bāo hěn dà
This bag is big. — 很 gives a neutral positive statement.
Key Takeaways
- Learn adjectives in opposing pairs: 大/小, 高/矮, 长/短, 多/少, 快/慢, 好/坏, 新/旧, 贵/便宜.
- They predicate with 很, negate with 不, and take no 是.
- 多 + [positive adjective] makes a "how _?" question: 多高, 多长, 多大 (often with 有: 有多高).
- Ask with the positive pole; 多大 also means "how old" for people.
- Keep the near-synonyms straight: 矮 (height) vs 短 (length); 旧 (old things) vs 老 (old people).
Now practice Chinese
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Start learning Chinese→Related Topics
- Color WordsHSK 1 — Chinese colors — 红 (red), 蓝 (blue), 黄 (yellow), 绿 (green), 黑 (black), 白 (white) — are adjectives that predicate directly with 很, take 色 to name the color (红色), and attach to nouns with 的 (红色的车).
- The Default 很 (Linking hěn)HSK 1 — A plain predicate adjective normally takes an unstressed 很 (hěn) that does NOT mean 'very' — it is a neutral linker that makes the description sound complete: 我很好 'I'm fine', 他很高 'he's tall'.
- 多 and 少 as Special AdjectivesHSK 3 — 多 (duō) 'many' and 少 (shǎo) 'few' break the normal adjective rules: before a noun they need a helper (很多人, 不少), before a verb they mean 'more / less' (多喝水, 少说话), and 多 builds the question words 多大 / 多长 / 多少.