US vs China Sizes and Units: Shoes, Clothes, Cups, °F and School Grades

Life in the USOct 31, 2026 · 6 min read

In short: US shoe sizes are about 33 less than the Chinese 码 for men (US 9 ≈ 42.5) and 31 less for women (US 7 ≈ 38). US clothing runs about two sizes larger than Chinese letters, so compare chest and waist in cm. A cup of flour is 120 g, not 237 g. Fever starts at 100.4 °F (38 °C). 1 lb is 0.9 斤. And your child's US grade comes from their age on the state's kindergarten cutoff date, usually Sept 1.

The first weeks in the US come with a lot of small numbers that don't match what you know: shoe boxes that say 9 instead of 42, a T-shirt labeled M that fits like an XL, recipes in cups, weather in Fahrenheit, a doctor's scale in pounds. Our free US ⇄ China Converters handle each of these in one step and show the full reference table underneath. This guide explains what is going on behind each one.

Shoes: US size, Chinese 码 and the mm number

US shoe sizes count in thirds of an inch and come in separate men's, women's and kids' scales. Shoes sold in mainland China are mostly marked in the European size, so "China size" and "EU size" are the same number. The third number on most boxes, like 270 or "27 cm", is a length-based size close to foot length. China's national standard GB/T 3293.1-1998 numbers shoes this way, by foot length in mm in 5 mm steps (the same idea as the international Mondopoint system, ISO 9407).

Men: US 8 = EU 41 = 26 cm, US 9 = EU 42.5 = 27 cm, US 10 = EU 44 = 28 cm.
Women: US 6 = EU 36.5 = 23 cm, US 7 = EU 38 = 24 cm, US 8 = EU 39 = 25 cm.
Kids: sizes ending in C (little kids) run up to 13.5C, then start again at 1Y (big kids). 13C = EU 31, 1Y = EU 32.

These come from Nike's published charts, which most sneaker shops follow; other brands can differ by half a size. If you can, measure your foot in cm and add about half a centimeter of toe room. The shoe size converter does this for you.

Clothes: S/M/L vs 170/88A

Chinese clothes carry a 号型 label from the GB/T 1335 standard. In 170/88A, 170 is your height in cm, 88 is your chest (or waist, on pants) in cm, and A is the body type: the gap between chest and waist. A men's 170/88A is the classic Chinese M; for women it is 160/84A.

US letter sizes have no national standard and are cut looser. A US men's M fits a 38–40 inch chest (97–102 cm), which is a Chinese XL to XXL. A US women's S (size 4–6) is roughly a Chinese L. The safest approach is to measure your chest and waist and compare centimeters with the brand's chart. US pants like 32×30 are waist and inseam in inches: a 32-inch waist is 81 cm, or about 2尺4.

For kids, Chinese sizes are simply height in cm (90, 100, 110…). US 2T fits about 84–90 cm, 3T about 90–98 cm and 4T about 98–104 cm. The clothing size converter turns your measurements into a 号型 and the matching US and Chinese letters.

Kitchen: cups, spoons and grams

A US cup is a volume of 236.6 ml, so how much it weighs depends on the ingredient. Following King Arthur Baking's chart, a cup of all-purpose flour is 120 g, granulated sugar 198 g, packed brown sugar 213 g, butter 227 g (two sticks), and honey 336 g. A cup of uncooked long-grain rice is 185 g per USDA. One tablespoon is 3 teaspoons, or 14.8 ml.

Two traps: the small cup that comes with a rice cooker is usually 180 ml, not a US cup, and Chinese flour types map only roughly (中筋 ≈ all-purpose, 高筋 ≈ bread flour, 低筋 ≈ cake flour). A kitchen scale solves most problems. The cups to grams converter covers 24 common ingredients.

Temperature, weight and height

°F to °C: subtract 32, then multiply by 5/9. Ovens: 350 °F = 177 °C (recipes say 180 °C). Weather: 68 °F = 20 °C, 86 °F = 30 °C.
Fever: 100.4 °F (38 °C) or higher, per the American Academy of Pediatrics. 98.6 °F = 37 °C.
Weight: 1 lb = 0.4536 kg = 0.907 斤, since 1 斤 is exactly 500 g. 150 lb ≈ 68 kg ≈ 136 斤.
Height: 1 in = 2.54 cm. 5′10″ = 177.8 cm, 5′4″ = 162.6 cm. A US foot (30.48 cm) is not a Chinese 尺 (33.3 cm).

See the °F ⇄ °C converter and the pounds, 斤 and height converter for full charts.

School: which grade will my child be in?

US public schools place children by age, not by the grade they finished abroad. Each state sets a kindergarten cutoff: a child who turns 5 on or before that date starts kindergarten that fall, and moves up one grade a year. Most states use Sept 1, but the dates range from June 30 (West Virginia) to Oct 15 (Maine). Some states, such as New York, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, leave it to districts; New York City uses Dec 31.

Chinese grades line up from grade 1: US 1st–6th ≈ 小学, 7th–9th ≈ 初中, 10th–12th ≈ 高中, and kindergarten ≈ 幼儿园大班. Because most Chinese provinces use an Aug 31 cutoff, a child born in early September can land one grade higher in the US. The school grade calculator shows the year-by-year grade for every state, with each state's source.

Paper

US offices use Letter paper (8.5 × 11 in, 216 × 279 mm), not A4 (210 × 297 mm). To print an A4 document on Letter, choose "Fit to page" or scale to 94%. More paper sizes.

FAQ

What is a US men's size 9 shoe in China?

On Nike's chart a US men's 9 is EU / China 42.5 and CM/JP 27, printed as 270 on Chinese and Japanese boxes. Many shops round it to 42 or 43, so check the brand's own chart.

Is a US M bigger than a Chinese M?

Usually by about two sizes. A US men's M fits a 38–40 in (97–102 cm) chest, which is XL to XXL on the Chinese 号型 scale. Compare your chest and waist in cm rather than the letter.

How many grams is 1 cup of flour?

120 g of all-purpose flour when spooned into the cup and leveled, per King Arthur Baking. A cup of sugar is 198 g and a cup of butter (2 sticks) is 227 g.

What temperature is a fever in Fahrenheit?

100.4 °F (38.0 °C) or higher, the threshold used by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC. 98.6 °F is 37 °C.

How is a child's school grade decided in the US?

By age on the state's kindergarten cutoff date. In most states a child who turns 5 on or before Sept 1 starts kindergarten that fall; cutoffs range from June 30 (West Virginia) to Oct 15 (Maine), and some states let districts decide.

Sources

Last updated 2026-10-31. Sizes vary by brand and school placement is up to your district; use this guide as a starting point and confirm with the brand chart or your school district.

Shoe and clothing sizes, cups to grams, °F to °C, pounds to 斤 and your child's US grade, each with a full reference table.

Open US ⇄ China Converters