卫衣
wèiyī
In Chinese, the word for sweatshirt is 卫衣 (wèiyī).
A 卫衣 refers to a loose shirt, usually made of a knit fleece, used for athletic wear or as casual apparel.
Meaning: loose shirt, usually made of a knit fleece, for athletic wear and now often used as casual apparel (noun)
Which one should you use?
While 卫衣 specifically refers to a sweatshirt, the term 运动衫 (yùndòngshān) is a more general term that can describe any athletic shirt or sportswear. If you are specifically referring to a hoodie, you can use the more precise term 连帽卫衣 (liánmào wèiyī).
How do you pronounce it?
wèiyī
Did you know?
- Unlike the English 'sweatshirt' which highlights the function of absorbing moisture, the Chinese term focuses entirely on the 'protection' and 'clothing' aspect, completely ignoring the concept of 'sweat'.
- The term 卫衣 (wèiyī) contains the character 卫 (wèi), which means 'to defend' or 'to protect'. It literally translates to 'protection clothing', suggesting the garment acts as a shield for the body.
- In many Chinese online shopping contexts, you will see 卫衣 paired with the word 潮 (cháo), which means 'trend' or 'fashion'. This transforms the word from a simple garment description into a marker of street style.
Examples in context
- 这件卫衣很舒服。Zhè jiàn wèiyī hěn shūfu.This sweatshirt is very comfortable.
- 我喜欢穿宽松的卫衣。Wǒ xǐhuān chuān kuānsong de wèiyī.I like wearing loose sweatshirts.
- 你在找哪件卫衣？Nǐ zài zhǎo nǎ jiàn wèiyī?Which sweatshirt are you looking for?
Example conversation
At a clothing store, Jia Yi and Jun Jie are shopping.
- 佳怡 Jiayi这件灰色的卫衣怎么样？Zhè jiàn huīsè de wèiyī zěnmeyàng?How about this grey sweatshirt?
- 俊杰 Junjie我觉得很适合你。Wǒ juéde hěn shìhé nǐ.I think it suits you well.
- 佳怡 Jiayi那我去试穿一下吧。Nà wǒ qù shìchuān yíxià ba.Then I will go try it on.
- 俊杰 Junjie好的，我在这里等你。Hǎo de, wǒ zài zhèlǐ děng nǐ.Okay, I will wait for you here.
