胖

胖 (pàng) is the adjective for 'fat' or 'chubby,' applied to people and animals. It refers to body weight, not to thick objects (use 厚 hòu for thick books or walls, 粗 cū for thick ropes or fingers). The cultural register is different from English: in older speech and among family, calling a child 胖 is often warm and even praising — a sign of being well-fed and healthy. The reduplicated form 胖胖的 ('chubby') is openly cute.

With adults today, however, especially urban women, 胖 can sting just like 'fat' in English; softer alternatives include 有点胖 ('a bit heavy') or 丰满 (fēngmǎn, 'curvy / fuller-figured'). The change-of-state pattern is common: 我胖了 ('I've gained weight') / 她瘦了 ('she's lost weight'). Opposite: 瘦 (shòu, thin).