程度补语 chéngdù bǔyǔ — Degree Complement 1
A degree complement goes right after a verb or adjective to say how much — how fast, how happy, how tired. It’s more precise than sticking a plain adverb like 很 in front of everything.
This is the first of four degree complement articles — start here with 得很 dehěn, 极了 jíle, and 坏了 huàile — three simple ways to say “very” with more punch.
1 What Is a Degree Complement?
A 程度补语 chéngdù bǔyǔ sits after a verb or adjective and intensifies it — it answers “to what degree?” Chinese has several of these intensifiers, and each one has its own flavor and its own grammar rules. This series works through them one at a time.
2 V + 得 de + Degree
得 de connects a verb to a description of how the action was carried out. This is the most common degree complement structure, and the description afterward can be any adjective phrase — not just a fixed set of words.
When the verb takes an object (like 说中文 “speak Chinese”), the verb repeats before 得 de: 说 + object + 说 + 得 + degree.
3 Three Intensifiers to Know
Adjectives and mental/emotional verbs (like 忙 máng, 讨厌 tǎoyàn, 担心 dānxīn) can also pair directly with one of these three intensifiers instead of a plain 得 de + adverb.
| Intensifier | Meaning | Attaches to |
|---|---|---|
| 得很 dehěn | very, really | Adjective + 得很 dehěn |
| 极了 jíle | extremely | Adjective/Verb + 极了 jíle |
| 坏了 huàile | terribly, to bits | Verb (mostly emotion) + 坏了 huàile |
得很 dehěn
极了 jíle
坏了 huàile
坏了 huàile mostly follows emotion verbs, and it can go either positive or negative — “worried sick” and “delighted to bits” both work.
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Why Not Just Say 非常热?
Chinese already has ordinary degree adverbs — 很 hěn, 非常 fēicháng — so why bother with 极了 jíle at all? Compare these two:
| 天气非常热 fēicháng rè | 天气热极了 rè jíle | |
|---|---|---|
| Position | Adverb, before the adjective | Complement, after the adjective |
| Function | States a fact | Reacts to it |
| Feel | Neutral — like a weather forecast | Exclamatory — said out loud, with feeling |
Both mean “extremely hot,” but 极了 jíle isn’t just a stronger word — it’s a different grammar slot that can’t be negated or questioned, and only really works this reactive way. That’s the throughline for this whole series: degree adverbs state a fact, however strong; degree complements react to one.
4 Asking About Degree
Add 吗 ma for a yes/no question, or 怎么样 zěnmeyàng to ask “how was it?”
得很, 极了, and 坏了 are just the start. 死了 sǐle and 厉害 lìhài pick up in Degree Complement 2 (HSK 4), and the ladder keeps climbing from there through 不得了 (HSK 5) up to 透了 (HSK 6).
5 Practice
Translate each sentence into Chinese, then tap the card to check your answer.
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