Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 厲害 / 厉害 | lìhài | |
| 了不起 | liǎobùqǐ | |
| 牛逼 | niúbī | vulgar |
| 牛 | niú | |
| 酷 | kù | |
| 酷斃 / 酷毙 | kùbì | |
| 棒 | bàng |
In Chinese, the way you say 'awesome' depends on whether you are praising someone's skills, describing something stylish or using slang. 棒 is a neutral term used to praise performance, skills or things like movies or food as being excellent or great. 酷 is a direct loanword from English used specifically to describe something as stylish or trendy. For a more formal context regarding outstanding performance, you might use 出色 (chū sè) or to describe something that is leaving a deep impression, you can use 令人印象深刻 (lìng rén yìn xiàng shēn kè).
What does it mean word for word?
The term 牛 literally translates to 'ox' and is used informally to mean 'awesome' or 'amazing'.
Which one should you use?
While 厲害 / 厉害 can mean 'awesome' in the sense of being highly capable, it can also mean 'severe' or 'fierce' depending on the context. In contrast, 了不起 is used to describe an achievement or a person's quality that is truly remarkable or extraordinary, rather than just a casual 'awesome'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
There is a wide range of registers for these terms. 出色 (chū sè) and 令人印象深刻 (lìng rén yìn xiàng shēn kè) are formal. 棒 is neutral. 酷 and 赞 (which means 'praise' or 'commendation') are informal. 牛 is a slang term. 牛逼 is very common slang but is vulgar and should be avoided in formal or polite settings. 牛 is a milder, more socially acceptable slang version of it. 了不起 and 厲害 / 厉害 are neutral.
How does it change in a sentence?
To intensify the meaning to 'extremely awesome', you can use the structure 太 [adjective] 了 with words like 棒 or 厲害 / 厉害. For example, you can say 棒极了 (bàng jí le) to signify something is fantastic or awesome or use the colloquial 厉害了 (lì hài le) for an enthusiastic expression.
How do you pronounce it?
lìhài
Did you know?
- In digital Chinese culture, the word 赞 functions similarly to the 'Like' button on social media to signify that something is 'awesome'.
- The slang term 牛 uses the word for 'ox' to convey 'awesome' because oxen are traditionally seen as powerful and sturdy animals in Chinese culture.
- The character for 牛 began as a pictogram of a bull's head featuring two horns and two ears.
Examples in context
- 好棒！Awesome!This sentence is useful for a short exclamation of 'Awesome!' using 棒.Tatoeba #4970070 by wzhd, translation #433512 by CK
- 太棒了Awesome.This sentence is useful for saying 'Awesome.' using 棒.Tatoeba #13142057 by JackyJiaqiSun, translation #11790290 by ddnktr
- 太棒了。It's really awesome.Tatoeba #1746049 by sadhen, translation #1745765 by Spamster
- 你的演讲真厉害!Your presentation was really awesome!
- 你的画真出色!Your painting is really awesome!
- 这场表演真是令人印象深刻!This performance is really awesome!
- 这顿饭非常棒!This meal is really awesome!
- 太牛了!That's awesome!
- 真是棒极了!It's really awesome!
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “awesome” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 牛, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
