Structure: Verb / Adjective + 透了透了 tòule — almost always negative, and the most literary-sounding intensifier in this series.
1 V / Adj + 透了透了 tòule
Literally “through,” as if the feeling has soaked all the way through something. It’s typically reserved for negative situations — hurt, disappointment, frustration — and attaches directly with no 得得 de.
這件事傷透了他的心这件事伤透了他的心
This matter has broken his heart through and through.
面試又失敗了，我心情壞透了面试又失败了，我心情坏透了
I failed another job interview, and I’m in a thoroughly rotten mood.
他被騙過好幾次，現在對這種謊言恨透了他被骗过好几次，现在对这种谎言恨透了
He’s been deceived several times, and now he absolutely despises this kind of lie.
這次的考試成績讓他失望透了这次的考试成绩让他失望透了
This exam’s results left him utterly disappointed.
連續加班一星期，他已經累透了连续加班一星期，他已经累透了
After a week straight of working overtime, he’s utterly exhausted.
2 Also Heard: 不行不行 / 要命要命·要死要死 / 個不停个不停
These three didn’t make it onto the main ladder, but they’re common enough in speech to be worth a quick look. Treat this as a glossary rather than a full lesson — it’s here so you can recognize them, not necessarily produce them yet.
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|
| V/Adj + 得得 de + 不行不行 bùxíng |
“awfully, terribly” — very colloquial |
孩子興奮得不行孩子兴奋得不行 — “Our kid is terribly excited” |
| V/Adj + 得得 de + 要命要命 yàomìng / 要死要死 yàosǐ |
“to death, incredibly” — usually monosyllabic adjectives |
脾氣大得要命脾气大得要命 — “has an incredibly bad temper” |
| V + 個个 ge + 不停不停 bùtíng |
“non-stop” — an action repeating without end, usually annoying |
咳個不停咳个不停 — “coughing non-stop” |
Common Mistake: 個个 ge + 不停不停 bùtíng Is Verb-Only
個个 ge + 不停不停 bùtíng only works with action verbs that can repeat — it can’t attach to adjectives or to verbs that describe a single, non-repeatable change of state.
❌
今天冷個不停今天冷个不停
❌
雨停個不停雨停个不停
✅
狗叫個不停狗叫个不停
“Cold” is a state, not a repeatable action — 冷冷 can’t take 個不停个不停 ge bùtíng. Same problem with 停停 tíng (“to stop”) — it’s a one-time change, not something that repeats. 叫叫 jiào (“to bark”), on the other hand, is exactly the kind of repeatable action this pattern wants.
3 The Full Degree Ladder
All four articles together, from mildest to most extreme.
| Word | Level | Notes |
|---|
| 得很得很 dehěn | HSK 3 | A plain, everyday “very.” |
| 極了极了 jíle | HSK 3 | “Extremely” — no 得得 needed. |
| 壞了坏了 huàile | HSK 3 | “To bits” — mostly emotion verbs. |
| 死了死了 sǐle | HSK 4 | “To death” — loud and casual. |
| 得得 de + 厲害厉害 lìhài | HSK 4 | “Badly, severely” — leans negative. |
| 得得 de + 不得了不得了 bùdéliǎo | HSK 5 | “Unbearably” — the strongest all-purpose one. |
| 透了透了 tòule | HSK 6 | “Through and through” — nearly always negative, literary. |
| 得得 de + 不行不行 bùxíng / 要命要命 yàomìng·要死要死 yàosǐ | – | Very colloquial variants of “extremely.” |
4 Practice
Translate each sentence into Chinese, then tap the card to check your answer.
01Being betrayed by his best friend broke his heart through and through.
被最好的朋友背叛，傷透了他的心被最好的朋友背叛，伤透了他的心
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02Losing the game again left the whole team utterly demoralized.
又輸了比賽，全隊士氣壞透了又输了比赛，全队士气坏透了
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03She’s sick to death of him always being late.
她對他老是遲到恨透了她对他老是迟到恨透了
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04Our child was terribly excited about the trip.
孩子對這次旅行興奮得不行孩子对这次旅行兴奋得不行
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05His temper is incredibly bad.
他脾氣大得要命他脾气大得要命
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06The baby cried non-stop all night.
嬰兒哭了一整晚，哭個不停婴儿哭了一整晚，哭个不停
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07After hearing the bad news, he was devastated through and through.
聽到這個壞消息後，他傷心透了听到这个坏消息后，他伤心透了
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08I’m scared to death of cockroaches.
我怕蟑螂怕得要死我怕蟑螂怕得要死
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09The upstairs neighbor’s dog barked non-stop all afternoon.
樓上鄰居的狗整個下午叫個不停楼上邻居的狗整个下午叫个不停
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10He’s absolutely fed up with this job.
他對這份工作厭透了他对这份工作厌透了
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