n.
clothes; clothing
衣服
Common Usage & Traps
- 穿衣服 — to wear / put on clothes
- 买衣服 — to buy clothes
- 洗衣服 — to wash clothes
- 一件衣服 — one piece of clothing
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戴衣服穿衣服戴 is only for things that sit on top of you, like hats and glasses. Clothes that wrap your body take 穿.
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买了两衣服买了两件衣服The moment you put a number on 衣服, you must add a counting word: 两件衣服.
Why can you say 穿衣服 but never 戴衣服?
穿 is for anything that wraps your body; 戴 is for anything that sits on top of it.
English uses one word, wear, for everything you put on. Chinese splits that job between 穿 and 戴, and 衣服 only ever takes 穿. 穿 wraps around you: 穿衣服, 穿裤子, 穿鞋. 戴 sits on top of you: 戴帽子, 戴眼镜, 戴手表. So 戴衣服 makes people picture you hooking a shirt over your ears. “我们有些人穿的衣服很少。” (Some of us were wearing very few clothes.) ── [《大飞机》](/read/big-airplane-beijing-trip#s5)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Thing that wraps your body | 穿衣服、穿裤子 | 戴衣服 |
| Thing that sits on top | 戴帽子、戴眼镜 | 穿帽子 |
Do you have to say 一件衣服 every time, or can you just say 衣服?
Just 衣服. A number is only needed when you are actually counting items.
衣服 never needs a number in front of it. 买衣服 means buy clothes, and that is the normal way to say it. Add 件 only when the count really matters: 我买了一件衣服. English forces a piece of or a pair of onto everything, and learners drag that habit into Chinese. Drop the habit and your sentences instantly sound less translated.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Clothes in general | 我去买衣服 | 我去买一件衣服 (sounds like exactly one) |
| Number attached | 买了两件衣服 | 买了两衣服 |
Why does 衣服 sound like yīfu and not yīfú?
衣服 is yīfu, with a light, toneless second syllable.
衣服 is yīfu, and the 服 at the end is light and toneless. Stretch the yī with a clear first tone, then let 服 fall quick and flat. Read it as yīfú with a full rising tone and you sound like a dictionary recording.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Pace | yī is long, fu is short | Both syllables the same length |
| Tone | fu carries no tone | fú with a rising tone |
Appears in Stories 3 stories
Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.
This playful poem helps you count and practice vocabulary about clothes, students, and pets. Enjoy the rhythm while learning new words.
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一两件新 衣服 ，两三本汉语书。
This simple story introduces you to a family and what each member likes to do. Learn helpful words for food and daily activities as you read about Grandpa, Grandma, Mom, Dad, and the kids.
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姐姐买 衣服 。
Read about a work trip to Beijing where a group of colleagues takes a very large airplane. Practice weather words and actions in a simple travel story.
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我们有些人穿的 衣服 很少。
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我找了一件 衣服 给他们。
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