LEARN + CHINESE / 21 of 300 HSK 1
How Much Is Too Much? 太
You try on a coat, check the tag, and wince: 太贵了! Degree words such as 很 and 太 go before the adjective they affect. 很 can make a description sound neutral; 太 often carries your reaction, especially with 了 at the end.
Examples
这件外套太贵了，我先不买。
Zhè jiàn wàitào tài guì le, wǒ xiān bù mǎi.
This coat is too expensive, so I won’t buy it for now.
太 comes before the adjective. With 了 at the end, 太贵了 sounds like a strong reaction: “too expensive!”
今天很热，孩子们都在家里。
Jīntiān hěn rè, háizimen dōu zài jiālǐ.
It’s hot today, so the children are all at home.
很 often makes an adjective sound like a neutral description. 都 comes before the place phrase and means the whole group is at home.
她非常喜欢游泳，一星期去三次。
Tā fēicháng xǐhuan yóuyǒng, yì xīngqī qù sān cì.
She really likes swimming and goes three times a week.
非常 strengthens 喜欢. It goes before the verb phrase, just as 很 and 太 go before adjectives.
你真快！我还没准备好呢。
Nǐ zhēn kuài! Wǒ hái méi zhǔnbèi hǎo ne.
You’re so quick! I’m still not ready.
Hint · 힌트
很 often makes an adjective predicate sound complete; it does not always carry the strong English meaning “very.” 都 normally comes before the verb or adjective it scopes over.
Vocabulary
| Chinese | English |
|---|---|
zhè jiàn | this (item of clothing) |
wàitào | coat; jacket |
tài | too; extremely |
guì | expensive |
xiān | first; for now |
mǎi | to buy |
jīntiān | today |
rè | hot |
háizimen | children |
dōu | all |
jiālǐ | at home |
fēicháng | very; extremely |
xǐhuan | to like |
yóuyǒng | to swim; swimming |
xīngqī | week |
cì | time; occurrence |
zhēn | really; truly |
kuài | fast; quick |
hái | still; yet |
zhǔnbèi hǎo | to be ready |
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