Body types

(note: if you are reading this in an RSS reader, you probably won't be able to see the pinyin tooltips, in which case you should click on the link to the original post.)

Here are some useful expressions to describe somebody's 身材 (figure)

苗条 - slim
高挑 - tall
矮胖 - short and fat
倒梯形 - broad shouldered and slim (see below)
魔鬼身材 - a beautiful slender figure (see below)
天使的面孔 - the face of an angel (nothing to do with the figure, but I thought it was relevant)

梯形 describes the shape of a Chinese ladder, which is wider at the bottom than the top, like a trapezoid. So 倒梯形 is the same shape inverted, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, hence describing somebody who has broad shoulders and a slim waist.

魔鬼身材 - 魔鬼 is a kind of demon or gremlin (it's actually where the word Mogwai comes from in the Gremlins movies). I guess Chinese demons are all hot chicks! So if you want to compliment a Chinese girl, tell her she has the body of a Gremlin!!!

(Important! Don't get the last two confused. If you tell a girl she has the face of a gremlin and the body of an angel you'll get a slap in the face - apparently Chinese angels are little fat things
. . . with very pretty faces!)

Tags: CSL, chinese, mandarin, language