Lessons 1, 3, 5, 8: Expressing a high degree: 太 · 真 · 好 · 多, 极了, 得很, 着呢

Ways to emphasize a high degree or express exclamation in Chinese.

Hanyu textbook · Hanyu 3 · Lesson 1 · Hanyu 3 · Lesson 3 · Hanyu 3 · Lesson 5 · Hanyu 3 · Lesson 8

这儿的风景真美！

Zhèr de fēngjǐng zhēn měi!

The scenery here is really beautiful!

Explanation

Exclamatory sentences express feeling and are not used for objective description. There are two patterns: 太 / 真 + adjective, and 好 / 多 + adjective (often with 啊 at the end of the sentence). Because they are not used for objective description, you don't say *他是一个真好的老师; you say 他是一个很好的老师.

There are also ways of expressing a high degree that go after an adjective (or certain verbs): ……极了 (extremely, the highest degree); ……得很 (the adverb 很 as a complement); ……着呢 (equivalent to 很, used after adjectives or certain verbs of feeling).

Structure

1
太 / 真 + 形容词；好 / 多 + 形容词 (+ 啊)
Carries an exclamatory tone; sentences with 好/多 often end with 啊.
- 太好了！
  Tài hǎo le!
  So good!
- 这儿的风景真美！
  Zhèr de fēngjǐng zhēn měi!
  The scenery here is really beautiful!
- 真好！
  Zhēn hǎo!
  Fantastic!
- 他写得多好啊！
  Tā xiě de duō hǎo a!
  How well he writes!
- 这个公园好漂亮啊！
  Zhège gōngyuán hǎo piàoliang a!
  This park is so beautiful!
- 你听，这支歌的歌词写得多好啊！
  Nǐ tīng, zhè zhī gē de gēcí xiě de duō hǎo a!
  Listen, how well these song lyrics are written!
- 她的字写得真不错。
  Tā de zì xiě de zhēn bú cuò.
  Her handwriting is really quite good.
2
形容词 / 动词极了
Expresses the highest degree.
- 好极了
  hǎo jí le
  wonderful
- 大极了
  dà jí le
  extremely big
- 冷极了
  lěng jí le
  extremely cold
- 美极了
  měi jí le
  extremely beautiful
- 高兴极了
  gāoxìng jí le
  extremely happy
- 喜欢极了
  xǐhuan jí le
  extremely fond of
- 往山下一看，风景美极了。
  Wǎng shān xià yí kàn, fēngjǐng měi jí le.
  Looking down from the foot of the mountain, the scenery is extremely beautiful.
3
形容词 / 动词得很
The adverb 很 as a complement expresses a high degree.
- 今天倒霉得很。
  Jīntiān dǎoméi de hěn.
  I'm so unlucky today.
- 听说北京的冬天冷得很。
  Tīngshuō Běijīng de dōngtiān lěng de hěn.
  I hear winters in Beijing are very cold.
- 昨天的晚会开得好得很。
  Zuótiān de wǎnhuì kāi de hǎo de hěn.
  The party last night went very well.
4
形容词 / 心理动词着呢
Expresses degree, equivalent to 很.
- 时间还早着呢。
  Shíjiān hái zǎo zhe ne.
  It's still very early.
- 今天外边冷着呢。
  Jīntiān wàibian lěng zhe ne.
  It's very cold outside today.
- A：你的肚子疼吗？ B：疼着呢。
  A: Nǐ de dùzi téng ma? B: Téng zhe ne.
  A: Does your stomach hurt? B: It really hurts.

Common mistakes

~~她是一个真好的老师~~
她是一个很好的老师
the exclamatory 真 + adjective is not used for objective description

Practice

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