Adjectives + 很 hěn
Chinese adjectives work a bit like verbs — you don’t need a “to be” word in front of them. But most of the time, they still need a small helper word like 很 hěn in front. This page explains why, and when you can skip it.
一 What Are Chinese Adjectives?
Chinese adjectives are sometimes called “stative verbs” because they act like verbs — they describe mood, weather, looks, or other qualities all on their own.
累 lèi tired 热 rè hot 漂亮 piàoliang pretty 高 gāo tall 开心 kāixīn happy
二 No “To Be” — But You Still Need a Helper Word
Since Chinese adjectives act like verbs, you never add a “to be” word before them. But on their own, they almost always need a small degree word like 很 hěn in front — otherwise the sentence doesn’t sound complete.
三 Skipping the Helper Word Implies a Contrast
If you drop the degree word entirely, it doesn’t just sound incomplete — it hints that you’re comparing this to something else, even if you don’t say what.
四 很 hěn Doesn’t Really Mean “Very”
Dictionaries often translate 很 as “very,” but in everyday speech it’s much weaker than that — closer to just “is.” If you actually want to say “very,” use 非常 fēicháng instead.
五 Other Degree Words
很 isn’t the only option — here are the other degree words that go in front of an adjective, from weakest to strongest.
| Meaning | Word |
|---|---|
| Not | 不 bù |
| Not too | 不太 bú tài |
| A little bit | 有一点 yǒu yìdiǎn |
| (is) | 很 hěn |
| Really | 真 zhēn |
| So | 好 hǎo |
| Very | 非常 fēicháng |
| Too | 太…了 tài…le |
六 Putting Them to Use
有一点 yǒu yìdiǎn almost always pairs with a negative-feeling adjective. Saying “a little bit good” just doesn’t sound natural in Chinese.
七 Common Mistakes
❌ 她漂亮漂亮 (meaning: just “she is pretty,” no comparison in mind)
✅ 她很漂亮漂亮
Without 很 or another degree word, the sentence hints at a contrast you didn’t mean to make. Add 很 for a plain, neutral statement.
❌ 她很漂亮漂亮 translated as “she is VERY pretty”
✅ 她非常漂亮漂亮 for “she is very pretty”
很 is usually just a required helper word, not a strong “very.” If you want real emphasis, use 非常 instead.
❌ 我有一點好
✅ 我有一點累
有一点 almost always goes with a negative-feeling adjective like 累 (tired) — pairing it with a positive one like 好 (good) sounds odd.
八 Practice
Pick the degree word that best fits each sentence.
我今天____累。 (I am a little tired today.)
台灣的茶台湾的茶____好喝。 (Taiwan’s tea tastes very good.)
天氣天气____熱热了！ (The weather is too hot!)
中文____難难。 (Chinese is not hard.)
他____高。 (He is tall.)
這個这个蛋糕____好吃。 (This cake is good — but that other one isn’t.)
這这件衣服____貴贵了，我買不起买不起。 (This piece of clothing is too expensive, I can’t afford it.)
我____開心开心，因為因为明天放假。 (I’m really happy, because tomorrow is a day off.)
她____胖，只是有一點有一点肉肉的。 (She’s not too fat, just a little chubby.)
那個電影电影____好看！大家都應該应该去看。 (That movie is SO good! Everyone should go watch it.)
