Fashion Design Terms in Mandarin Chinese

Pattern making in Mandarin is 打版 (dǎ bǎn, literally hit/make version), and a pattern maker is 版师 (bǎn shī, version master). A pattern piece is 纸样 (zhǐ yàng, paper sample) or 版样 (bǎn yàng). A dart is 省道 (shěng dào, province road), and seam allowance is 缝份 (féng fèn, seam portion). Grading is 放码 (fàng mǎ, release code), a term unique to the Chinese garment industry. These terms are standard across Chinese factories and will be immediately recognized by any production team.

Draping is 立体裁剪 (lì tǐ cái jiǎn, three-dimensional cutting), reflecting the technique's spatial approach to pattern creation. A toile or sample garment is 样衣 (yàng yī, sample garment). The bias cut is 斜裁 (xié cái, diagonal cut), and the grainline is 布纹方向 (bù wén fāng xiàng, fabric grain direction). A notch mark is 剪口 (jiǎn kǒu, cut mouth). When communicating with Chinese pattern makers, combining these Mandarin terms with clear technical drawings or Skema3D renderings ensures that your design intent is understood precisely.

China's textile industry is vast, from cotton production in Xinjiang to silk weaving in Hangzhou and synthetic fabric manufacturing in Guangdong. Fabric is 面料 (miàn liào, surface material) or 布料 (bù liào, cloth material). Cotton is 棉 (mián), silk is 丝绸 (sī chóu), wool is 羊毛 (yáng máo, sheep hair), and linen is 亚麻 (yà má). The warp is 经纱 (jīng shā, warp yarn) and the weft is 纬纱 (wěi shā, weft yarn). Woven fabric is 梭织 (suō zhī, shuttle weaving) and knit fabric is 针织 (zhēn zhī, needle weaving).

Fabric weight is 克重 (kè zhòng, gram weight), universally expressed in grams per square meter in Chinese factories. Fabric hand or feel is 手感 (shǒu gǎn, hand feeling), a term used constantly in fabric sourcing conversations. Drape is 悬垂性 (xuán chuí xìng, hanging drape character). The selvage is 布边 (bù biān, fabric edge). When sourcing fabrics in China, always specify the fiber composition as 成分 (chéng fèn, composition), the weight in 克重, and request a swatch called 色卡 (sè kǎ, color card) or 布样 (bù yàng, fabric sample).

A shirt is 衬衫 (chèn shān), a blouse is 女衬衫 (nǚ chèn shān, female shirt), trousers are 裤子 (kù zi), a skirt is 裙子 (qún zi), a dress is 连衣裙 (lián yī qún, connected-garment skirt), and a jacket is 夹克 (jiā kè, a phonetic borrowing from English). A coat is 大衣 (dà yī, big garment), and a vest is 马甲 (mǎ jiǎ, horse armor). A T-shirt is T恤 (T xù), combining the English letter with a Chinese character for knit top.

Component terms are essential for tech pack communication. A collar is 领子 (lǐng zi), a sleeve is 袖子 (xiù zi), a cuff is 袖口 (xiù kǒu, sleeve opening), a pocket is 口袋 (kǒu dài), a zipper is 拉链 (lā liàn, pull chain), and a button is 纽扣 (niǔ kòu). The hem is 下摆 (xià bǎi, lower swing), a lining is 里布 (lǐ bù, inner fabric), and interfacing is 衬布 (chèn bù, lining fabric). Including these terms in bilingual tech packs ensures factory teams at every level — from managers to sewing operators — understand the construction requirements.

Quality control is 质量控制 (zhì liàng kòng zhì) or simply 质检 (zhì jiǎn, quality inspection). A defect is 疵点 (cī diǎn) or 瑕疵 (xiá cī), and the defect rate is 疵点率 (cī diǎn lǜ). An inspection is 检验 (jiǎn yàn), and a quality inspector is 质检员 (zhì jiǎn yuán). The AQL standard is widely used in Chinese factories and is referred to as AQL标准 (AQL biāo zhǔn). Understanding these terms is critical during factory audits and pre-shipment inspections.

Production terms include 生产 (shēng chǎn, production), 交期 (jiāo qī, delivery date/lead time), and 起订量 (qǐ dìng liàng, minimum order quantity, often abbreviated as MOQ). A fit sample is 合身样 (hé shēn yàng) or 试身样 (shì shēn yàng), and a pre-production sample is 产前样 (chǎn qián yàng). Approval is 确认 (què rèn, confirmation), and to approve a sample for bulk production is 确认大货 (què rèn dà huò, confirm bulk goods). Knowing these terms transforms factory communication from hesitant to confident.

China's garment manufacturing is concentrated in several key regions, each with specializations. Guangdong Province — particularly Guangzhou, Dongguan, and Shenzhen — is the largest cluster, producing everything from fast fashion to technical outerwear. Zhejiang Province, centered on Hangzhou and Ningbo, specializes in silk, knitwear, and woven garments. Jiangsu Province is known for high-quality cotton textiles and tailored garments. Fujian specializes in sportswear and athletic footwear. Understanding these regional strengths helps you target the right manufacturing partner.

While Mandarin (Putonghua) is the national standard language, regional dialects such as Cantonese in Guangdong, Shanghainese in the Yangtze Delta, and Hokkien in Fujian are spoken locally. Factory floor workers may primarily speak their local dialect, but all managers and office staff communicate in Mandarin. Written Chinese is standardized across all regions, so tech packs and documents in Mandarin are universally understood. When visiting factories, a bilingual agent or translator familiar with both Mandarin and the local dialect can be invaluable.

Visual communication is particularly powerful when working across languages. Skema3D renders provide a universal reference that supplements your Mandarin-annotated tech packs. Chinese factories often work with brief, image-heavy tech packs — a practice that aligns perfectly with 3D-rendered visuals. Share your Skema3D designs via WeChat (微信, wēi xìn), the dominant communication platform in Chinese business, alongside your specifications in both English and Mandarin.

For brands sourcing from China, investing in bilingual documentation pays dividends in reduced sample iterations, fewer production errors, and stronger factory relationships. Chinese manufacturers consistently report that clients who make the effort to communicate in Mandarin — even partially — receive more attentive service and better priority during peak production seasons. Combine this linguistic effort with Skema3D's visual precision to create a communication workflow that bridges cultural and language barriers effectively.