All the following degree adverbs indicate that a certain quality of something or a mental activity reaches a high degree.
As the very first degree adverb you might learn, 很 means “very” in English. The degree it reaches is higher than normal.
“很” can be used as an adverbial modifier. It’s often put before an adjective or mental verb.
很 + Adjective / Mental Verb
e.g.
花园很漂亮。(Huāyuán hěn piàoliang.) The garden is beautiful.
我很想你。(Wǒ hěn xiǎng nǐ.) I miss you very much.
他跑得很快。(Tā pǎo de hěn kuài.) He runs very fast.
老师很不喜欢学生迟到。(Lǎoshī hěn bù xǐhuān xuéshēng chídào.) Teachers don’t like students being late.
Note that certain adjectives can’t be used with 很, such as “男、女、错” etc.
e.g.
✘ 他说很错了。(Tā shuō hěn cuòle.)
✔ 他说错了。(Tā shuō cuòle.) He said it wrong.
✘ 她是很女的。(Tā shì hěn nǚ de.)
✔ 她是女的。(Tā shì nǚ de.) She is female.
“非常” is used very likely as “很”. “非常” reaches a degree that is much higher than normal.
“非常” can be used as an adverbial modifier as well. It’s often put before an adjective or mental verb.
非常 + Adjective / Mental Verb
e.g.
弟弟非常高。(Dìdi fēicháng gāo.) The younger brother is very tall.
我非常不喜欢吃肉。(Wǒ fēicháng bù xǐhuān chī ròu.) I don’t like meat very much.
他穿得非常多。(Tā chuān de fēicháng duō.) He wears a lot.
Note that 非常 can be used duplicated in spoken Chinese to strengthen the tone. But 很 can’t be used in this way.
e.g.
✘ 我很很快乐。(Wǒ hěn hěn kuàilè.)
✔ 我非常非常快乐。(Wǒ fēicháng fēicháng kuàilè.) I am very, very happy.
✘ 我很很喜欢这首歌。(Wǒ hěn hěn xǐhuān zhè shǒu gē.)
✔ 我非常非常喜欢这首歌。(Wǒ fēicháng fēicháng xǐhuān zhè shǒu gē.) I like this song very, very much.
“太” is used to express one’s opinion, judgment, emotion and etc.
Subject + 太 + Mental Verb + (Object) + 了
Subject + 太 + Adjective + 了
e.g.
这个超市太远了。为什么还没到?(Zhège chāoshì tài yuǎnle. Wèishénme hái méi dào?) This supermarket is too far. Why hasn’t it arrived yet?
这个菜太辣,你喝点水吧。(Zhège cài tài là, nǐ hē diǎn shuǐ ba.) This dish is too spicy, please drink some water.
现在的孩子太喜欢玩电脑了。(Xiànzài de háizi tài xǐhuān wán diànnǎole.) Today’s children love to play with computers too much.
In this case, “太” can be used as an attribute.
e.g.
大家都不喜欢太笨的人。(Dàjiā dōu bù xǐhuān tài bèn de rén.) Everyone doesn’t like stupid people.
我不想买太贵的衣服。(Wǒ bùxiǎng mǎi tài guì de yīfu.) I don’t want to buy too expensive clothes.
e.g.
太棒了!你又得第一名了。(Tài bàngle! Nǐ yòu dé dì yī míng le.) Marvelous! You got first place again.
你的中文太好了!(Nǐ de zhōngwén tài hǎole!) Your Chinese is so good!
我太喜欢和你聊天了!(Wǒ tài xǐhuān hé nǐ liáotiānle!) I love chatting with you so much!
“真” is often used in exclamatory sentences. It often expresses the speaker’s current feelings or emotions.
Subject + 真 + Adjective / Mental Verb
e.g.
今天的天气真冷啊!(Jīntiān de tiānqì zhēn lěng a!) It’s so cold today!
我真不爱听这音乐。(Wǒ zhēn bù ài tīng zhè yīnyuè.) I really don’t like listening to this music.
我真想回家睡觉。这个会议太无聊了。(Wǒ zhēn xiǎng huí jiā shuìjiào. Zhège huìyì tài wúliáole.) I really want to go home and sleep. This meeting is so boring.
The phrase of “真” can’t function as an attribute or adverbial.
e.g.
✘ 你买了我真喜欢的那件衣服吗?(Nǐ mǎile wǒ zhēn xǐhuān de nà jiàn yīfu ma?)
✔ 你买了我很喜欢的那件衣服吗?(Nǐ mǎile wǒ hěn xǐhuān de nà jiàn yīfu ma?) Did you buy that dress that I like a lot?
✘ 我不想住真脏的屋子。(Wǒ bùxiǎng zhù zhēn zāng de wūzi.)
✔ 我不想住太脏的屋子。(Wǒ bùxiǎng zhù tài zāng de wūzi.) I don’t want to live in a house that is too dirty.
✘ 孩子们真快地跑回家了。(Háizimen zhēn kuài de pǎo huí jiā le.)
✔ 孩子们非常快地跑回家了。(Háizimen fēicháng kuài de pǎo huí jiā le.) The kids ran home very quickly.
“最” is used in comparisons. It indicates that it exceeds all the others among things of the same kind. “The most … …”
The comparative factors need to be three or more.
Subject + 最 + Adjective / Mental Verb
e.g.
我们班谁的汉语最好?(Wǒmen bān shéi de hànyǔ zuì hǎo?) Who in our class speaks the best Chinese?
你最喜欢打篮球,对吗?(Nǐ zuì xǐhuān dǎ lánqiú, duì ma?) You like to play basketball the most, right?
中国菜、日本菜、泰国菜,我最喜欢中国菜。(Zhōngguó cài, Rìběn cài, Tàiguó cài, wǒ zuì xǐhuān Zhōngguó cài.) Chinese food, Japanese food, and Thai food, Chinese food is my favorites.
“最” can be used as an attribute when working with the location words.
e.g.
我家在城市的最南面。(Wǒjiā zài chéngshì de zuì nánmiàn.) My home is in the far south of the city.
我的书包在桌子最右边。(Wǒ de shūbāo zài zhuōzi zuì yòubiān.) My bag is on the far right of the table.
这本书的最后有一封信。(Zhè běn shū de zuìhòu yǒu yī fēng xìn.) There is a letter at the end of the book.
Mark Complete
With a premium membership, you can access all 33 questions about “The Degree Adverbs – 程度副词“, as well as online exercises for all grammar points.