牛仔裤
niúzǎikù
The Chinese word for "jeans" is 牛仔裤 (niúzǎikù).
牛仔裤 is a noun used to refer to denim trousers.
Meaning: denim trousers (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of 牛仔 (niúzǎi), meaning 'cowboy' and 裤 (kù), meaning 'trousers'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When counting a single pair of jeans, the standard measure word is 条 (tiáo). However, in retail contexts, you may sometimes see the measure word 件 (jiàn) used to refer to the jeans as an item of clothing.
How do you pronounce it?
niúzǎikù
Did you know?
- The measure word 条 (tiáo) used for 牛仔裤 is the same one used for fish, rivers and ties, as it is reserved for long and narrow objects.
- Although 牛仔 means 'cowboy', the word 牛 ('cow') is used in Chinese slang to describe something that is 'awesome' or 'impressive'.
- Chinese has a separate word for 'denim' that doesn't mention cowboys, 单宁, which is a phonetic transliteration of the English word 'denim'.
Examples in context
- 汤姆穿了破洞牛仔裤。Tom wore ripped jeans.This sentence shows how to describe ripped 牛仔裤.Tatoeba #8791848 by slo_oth, translation #7921441 by Hybrid
- 他穿了一条牛仔裤。He had jeans on.This sentence demonstrates using a measure word with 牛仔裤.Tatoeba #677046 by sysko, translation #290056 by CK
- 现在女生穿牛仔裤很流行。Jeans are now in fashion among girls.This sentence shows how to talk about the popularity of wearing 牛仔裤.Tatoeba #346767 by fucongcong, translation #267214 by CM
- 我喜欢穿牛仔裤去上学。I like to wear jeans to go to school.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are shopping for clothes in a mall.
- 浩然 Haoran这条牛仔裤很适合你。Zhè tiáo niúzǎikù hěn shìhé nǐ.These jeans suit you very well.
- 雨婷 Yuting真的吗？我觉得颜色太深了。Zhēn de ma? Wǒ juéde yánsè tài shēn le.Really? I think the color is too dark.
- 浩然 Haoran你可以试试浅一点的牛仔裤。Nǐ kěyǐ shìshì qiǎn yīdiǎn de niúzǎikù.You can try some lighter jeans.
- 雨婷 Yuting好，那我再去看看别的。Hǎo, nà wǒ zài qù kànkàn bié de.Okay, then I will go look at other things.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
