襯衫 / 衬衫
chènshān
The English word "shirt" translates to Mandarin as 襯衫 / 衬衫 (chènshān). Wiktionary also lists 襯衣 / 衬衣 (chènyī).
Meaning: article of clothing (noun)
Ways to say it
| Mandarin | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 襯衫 / 衬衫 | chènshān |
| 襯衣 / 衬衣 | chènyī |
The term refers to an article of clothing, specifically a shirt.
What does it mean word for word?
襯衫 / 衬衫 (chènshān) is composed of 襯 (chèn), meaning 'to line or underlay' and 衫 (shān), meaning 'shirt or upper garment'.
Which one should you use?
While 襯衫 / 衬衫 (chènshān) is the standard term for a shirt, 襯衣 / 衬衣 (chènyī) is a slightly more traditional or formal term often used in written contexts or specific regions to refer to an undershirt or a general shirt.
How does it change in a sentence?
When counting shirts, you must use the classifier 一件 (yī jiàn), where 件 (jiàn) is the measure word for clothing.
How do you pronounce it?
chènshān
Did you know?
- In Mandarin, a T-shirt is called T恤 (T-xù), which is a clever hybrid of the English letter 'T' and the Chinese word for 'shirt'.
- The measure word 件 (jiàn) used to count a shirt is the exact same word used to count abstract 'matters' or 'affairs'.
- The word 襯 (chèn) doubles as a verb meaning 'to pad' or 'to line', reflecting the garment's historical role as a protective layer.
Examples in context
- 请问，我可以看一下 衬衫 吗？Excuse me, may I take a look at the shirt?
- 这个 上衣 很漂亮，你适合穿。This top is very beautiful, it suits you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shirt” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
