簡直 jiǎnzhí is a Chinese adverb often used to express exaggeration and convey a sense of something being untrue and hypothetical. It’s similar in meaning to English words such as “simply,” “absolutely,” “completely,” “literally,” or “downright.”
簡直 jiǎnzhí barges into a sentence and pushes reality past its limit — turning an ordinary feeling into something almost too much to believe.
1 Structure
簡直 jiǎnzhí + Adj or V
昨天的演唱會太精彩了，我簡直感動死了昨天的演唱会太精彩了，我简直感动死了
Yesterday’s concert was so amazing, I was simply moved to tears.
這杯咖啡甜得要命，簡直甜死了这杯咖啡甜得要命，简直甜死了
This coffee is incredibly sweet — simply too sweet.
台北夏天的體感溫度是攝氏43度，簡直熱死人台北夏天的体感温度是摄氏43度，简直热死人
The perceived temperature in Taipei during summer is 43 degrees Celsius; it’s downright scorching.
最近要忙的事真的太多了，我簡直快死了最近要忙的事真的太多了，我简直快死了
I have so many things to do lately; I’m literally swamped.
簡直 jiǎnzhí + 是 shì／像 xiàng／跟…一樣 gēn…yíyàng + N
那房子又髒又暗，簡直像鬼屋，你還是找別的房子吧那房子又脏又暗，简直像鬼屋，你还是找别的房子吧
That house is dirty and dark; it’s absolutely like a haunted house. You should look for another one.
你家的家具也太高級了吧，簡直是飯店等級你家的家具也太高级了吧，简直是酒店等级
Your furniture at home is so high-end; it’s literally hotel-quality.
My dog will eat everything on the floor if he sees food; he’s literally like a mobile garbage disposal. 😓
Fun Fact
In Taiwan, there is a way that can rapidly digest kitchen waste and convert it into organic fertilizer for eco-friendly farmlands. It produces organic nutrient solutions beneficial for the immune system of pigs and significantly reduces the carbon emissions associated with kitchen waste disposal. This process effectively addresses the shortcomings of traditional methods, but, of course, I am not talking about my dog…
If you’re interested, you can take a look at the video below, starting from 29:45.
2 簡直 jiǎnzhí vs 幾乎 jīhū
These two are easy to mix up, because English “almost” or “simply” can loosely translate either one — but they work very differently in Chinese.
Word
Nuance
Usage
簡直 jiǎnzhí
Emotional exaggeration
Expresses that something feels true because of a strong reaction, even though it isn’t literally true. Usually paired with a degree complement like 死了 sǐle or 翻了 fānle for emphasis.
幾乎 jīhū
Neutral, factual
States that something is genuinely close to 100% true or complete — a literal “almost” or “nearly,” with no exaggeration involved.
Compare
簡直 jiǎnzhí — 他跑得簡直跟飛一樣他跑得简直跟飞一样 — “He runs simply like he’s flying” (an exaggeration, not literally true).
幾乎 jīhū — 他幾乎每天都跑步他几乎每天都跑步 — “He runs almost every day” (a factual, near-total frequency).
3 Common Mistakes
When using 簡直 jiǎnzhí with an adjective, it’s important to remember that this adverb is often used to express exaggeration. While in English, you can say something is “simply beautiful,” in Chinese, 簡直 jiǎnzhí cannot be directly followed by an unmodified adjective, and 很 hěn is also not used after 簡直 jiǎnzhí since it doesn’t convey exaggeration.
❌
我簡直累我简直累
❌
我簡直很累我简直很累
“I’m simply tired.” Both sound off: a bare adjective doesn’t carry the exaggeration 簡直 jiǎnzhí needs, and 很 hěn only marks a mild, ordinary degree — the opposite of what 簡直 jiǎnzhí signals — so it can’t follow 簡直 jiǎnzhí either.
✅
我簡直累死了我简直累死了
✅
我簡直累到閉眼就睡了我简直累到闭眼就睡了
“I’m absolutely exhausted.” / “I’m so tired that I’m going to sleep as soon as I close my eyes.” Adding an extreme complement like 死了 sǐle or 到閉眼就睡了 dào bìyǎn jiù shuìle gives the sentence the exaggerated punch 簡直 jiǎnzhí needs.
4 Practice
Translate each sentence into Chinese, then tap the card to check your answer.
01Her Chinese is simply as fluent as a native Chinese person’s.
她的中文簡直就跟中國人一樣流利她的中文简直就跟中国人一样流利
👆 Tap to reveal
02Your face and physique are just like my dream partner’s.
你的臉和身材簡直就是我的夢中情人你的脸和身材简直就是我的梦中情人
👆 Tap to reveal
03He’s not eating anything at all to lose weight; he’s practically risking his life.
他為了減肥什麼都不吃，簡直不要命了他为了减肥什么都不吃，简直不要命了
👆 Tap to reveal
04This movie is so scary, I was simply frightened to death.
這部電影太可怕了，我簡直嚇死了这部电影太可怕了，我简直吓死了
👆 Tap to reveal
05The traffic today is crazy, I’ve simply been stuck for two hours.
今天的交通太誇張了，我簡直塞了兩個小時今天的交通太夸张了，我简直堵了两个小时
👆 Tap to reveal
06Her singing voice is beautiful, simply like an angel’s.
她的歌聲很美，簡直像天使一樣她的歌声很美，简直像天使一样
👆 Tap to reveal
07He hasn’t slept for three days, he’s simply going to collapse.
他三天沒睡了，簡直要累垮了他三天没睡了，简直要累垮了
👆 Tap to reveal
08This room is so messy, it’s simply a disaster zone.
這間房間亂七八糟，簡直是災難現場这间房间乱七八糟，简直是灾难现场
👆 Tap to reveal
09The price of this bag is too high, it’s simply robbery.
這個包包的價格太高了，簡直是搶劫这个包包的价格太高了，简直是抢劫
👆 Tap to reveal
10My little brother eats so fast, simply like he hasn’t eaten in days.
我弟弟吃飯吃得超快，簡直像好幾天沒吃過飯一樣我弟弟吃饭吃得超快，简直像好几天没吃过饭一样
👆 Tap to reveal
11This math problem is too hard, I’m simply confused to death.
這題數學太難了，我簡直被搞糊塗了这题数学太难了，我简直被搞糊涂了
👆 Tap to reveal
12The new phone’s camera is amazing, simply professional-level.
