Lessons 4, 5, 9, 13: Emphasis and evaluation: 简直, 实在, 算, 够

Four words used to emphasize or evaluate degree: simply, really, can be considered, enough.

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她汉语说得简直跟中国人一样，真让人羡慕。

Tā Hànyǔ shuō de jiǎnzhí gēn Zhōngguó rén yíyàng, zhēn ràng rén xiànmù.

She speaks Chinese just like a Chinese person; it's enviable.

Explanation

简直 goes before a verb as an adverbial to emphasize that something is completely or almost so; it has an exaggerated tone.

实在

A. Honest, not false (adjective). B. Truly, really (adverb), placed before a verb or adjective: 实在不容易, 实在不知道, 实在不能……

算 means can be said to be, can be considered; 算 can be followed by a noun, verb, or adjective.

够 as an adverb: A. indicates a very high degree, used before an adjective, and the sentence usually ends with 了, 的, or 的了; B. reaches a certain level, placed before an adjective with a positive meaning (not used with the corresponding opposite word). 够 as a verb: A. to reach for something hard to reach with the hand or a tool; B. to satisfy or reach the required quantity, standard, or degree (够用); C. as a resultative complement, it indicates exceeding the necessary standard, expressing tiredness or dislike (吃够了).

Structure

1
简直V / Adj
Used before a verb as an adverbial; emphasizes completely or almost so, with an exaggerated tone.
- 这三天里，她简直成了我的导游，带我去了南京有名的地方。
  Zhè sān tiān li, tā jiǎnzhí chéng le wǒ de dǎoyóu, dài wǒ qù le Nánjīng yǒumíng de dìfang.
  For these three days she has practically been my guide, taking me to famous places in Nanjing.
- 他说的是什么？我简直一点儿也听不懂。
  Tā shuō de shì shénme? Wǒ jiǎnzhí yìdiǎnr yě tīng bù dǒng.
  What is he saying? I can't understand a thing.
- 她汉语说得简直跟中国人一样，真让人羡慕。
  Tā Hànyǔ shuō de jiǎnzhí gēn Zhōngguó rén yíyàng, zhēn ràng rén xiànmù.
  She speaks Chinese just like a Chinese person; it's enviable.
- 我当时还小，什么事也不懂，简直是个小傻瓜。
  Wǒ dāngshí hái xiǎo, shénme shì yě bù dǒng, jiǎnzhí shì ge xiǎo shǎguā.
  I was young then and didn't understand anything; I was simply a fool.
2
实在不 / 没…
The adverb "really, truly"; or the adjective "honest, not false".
- 要把汉语说得跟中国人一样好，实在不容易。
  Yào bǎ Hànyǔ shuō de gēn Zhōngguó rén yíyàng hǎo, shízài bù róngyì.
  Speaking Chinese as well as a Chinese person is really not easy.
- 这件事你去问她自己吧，我实在不知道。
  Zhè jiàn shì nǐ qù wèn tā zìjǐ ba, wǒ shízài bù zhīdào.
  Go ask her about this yourself; I really don't know.
- 我实在不能再喝了，已经喝了不少了。
  Wǒ shízài bù néng zài hē le, yǐjīng hē le bù shǎo le.
  I really can't drink any more; I've already drunk quite a lot.
- 跟这个小伙子没交谈几句，就觉得他挺实在。
  Gēn zhège xiǎohuǒzi méi jiāotán jǐ jù, jiù juéde tā tǐng shízai.
  After talking with this young man for only a few sentences, I could see he is quite honest.
- 我开始想，不是说有空儿就让我去吗？怎么会这样不实在？
  Wǒ kāishǐ xiǎng, bú shì shuō yǒu kòngr jiù ràng wǒ qù ma? Zěnme huì zhèyàng bù shízai?
  I started to think: didn't he say he'd let me go when he was free? Why is he being so insincere?
3
算N / V / Adj
Can be said to be, can be considered.
- 这几天还不算太冷。
  Zhè jǐ tiān hái bú suàn tài lěng.
  These past few days haven't been what you'd call very cold.
- 爸爸妈妈的身体还算健康。
  Bàba māma de shēntǐ hái suàn jiànkāng.
  My parents' health is also fairly good.
- 一个人到底有多少钱，有多大权力算是得到了幸福，没有人能说清楚。
  Yí ge rén dàodǐ yǒu duōshao qián, yǒu duō dà quánlì suàn shì dédào le xìngfú, méiyǒu rén néng shuō qīngchu.
  How much money and power does a person need to have in order to be considered happy? No one can say for sure.
4
够Adjadjective的 (phó từ, mức độ cao / đạt mức nhất định)
An adverb before an adjective; the sentence end often has 的, 了, or 的了.
- 家务事就够我为难的，想出去玩玩，哪怕看一场电影都不行。
  Jiāwùshì jiù gòu wǒ wéinán de, xiǎng chūqu wánwan, nǎpà kàn yì chǎng diànyǐng dōu bùxíng.
  Housework alone is enough to make things hard for me; I can't go out to have fun, not even to watch a movie.
- 他一个人又上班又要带孩子，够难的。
  Tā yí ge rén yòu shàngbān yòu yào dài háizi, gòu nán de.
  He has to go to work and take care of the child all by himself; it's really tough.
- 你一个人住一个房间够好的了，我们都是两个人住一个房间。
  Nǐ yí ge rén zhù yí ge fángjiān gòu hǎo de le, wǒmen dōu shì liǎng ge rén zhù yí ge fángjiān.
  You have a room all to yourself, which is very good; we all share rooms two to a room.
- 今年夏天天气够热的。
  Jīnnián xiàtiān tiānqì gòu rè de.
  This summer it's really hot.
5
够 + V / V + 够 (động từ: với tới; đủ; chán)
A verb: to reach (够不着), to be enough in quantity/standard (够用), or a resultative complement meaning excessive, fed up (吃够了).
- 要站在椅子上，不然够不着。
  Yào zhàn zài yǐzi shang, bùrán gòubuzháo.
  You have to stand on a chair, otherwise you can't reach.
- 你够得着上边的那本书吗？
  Nǐ gòudezháo shàngbian de nà běn shū ma?
  Can you reach the book up there?
- 你一个月一千块钱够用吗？
  Nǐ yí ge yuè yìqiān kuài qián gòu yòng ma?
  Is a thousand yuan a month enough for you?
- 你买的牛奶够我们喝两天。
  Nǐ mǎi de niúnǎi gòu wǒmen hē liǎng tiān.
  The milk you bought is enough for us to drink for two days.
- 每天吃这个，我早就吃够了。
  Měitiān chī zhège, wǒ zǎo jiù chīgòu le.
  Eating this every day, I got sick of it long ago.

Usage notes

够 + adjective is only used with adjectives with a positive meaning, not with the corresponding opposite words.
V + 够 (吃够了, 干够了) indicates being fed up or disliking something.

Practice

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