“Simply” in Chinese 2 – 干脆 gāncuì

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Grammar · HSK 6
Grammar Point · HSK 6

干脆 gāncuì — “Simply”

干脆 gāncuì is the sound of someone cutting through hesitation — “simply,” “just,” or “why not just.” It’s conversational, decisive, and sometimes carries a little impatience with people who keep overcomplicating things.

乾脆 gāncuì Chinese Grammar

干脆 gāncuì does double duty. As an adverb, it pushes a suggestion or decision forward — “let’s just do X.” As an adjective, it describes a person or manner as straightforward and decisive, with no hemming and hawing.

1 Structure

S + 干脆 gāncuì + Verb / Clause

As an adverb, it emphasizes a direct or decisive manner of doing something. It often appears in imperative or declarative sentences to suggest doing something without hesitation or further complication.

你nǐ每天měitiān抱怨bàoyuàn我的wǒde个性gèxìng，我们wǒmen干脆gāncuì分手fēnshǒu吧ba。
You complain about my personality every day — let’s just break up.
我们wǒmen干脆gāncuì假装jiǎzhuāng不bù知道zhīdào好了hǎole。
Let’s just pretend we don’t know anything.
你家nǐjiā的de家具jiājù也yě太tài高级gāojí了le吧ba，干脆gāncuì改成gǎichéng饭店fàndiàn出租chūzū，一定yídìng可以kěyǐ赚zhuàn很多hěnduō钱qián。
Your furniture is so fancy, why not just turn it into a hotel for rent? You’d definitely make a lot of money.
圣诞节shèngdànjié餐厅cāntīng很hěn难nán订位dìngwèi，我们wǒmen干脆gāncuì在家zàijiā吃chī火锅huǒguō怎么样zěnmeyàng？
It’s so hard to book a restaurant for Christmas. Why don’t we just have hotpot at home?
你nǐ最近zuìjìn那么nàme忙máng，根本gēnběn没méi时间shíjiān复习fùxí，你nǐ干脆gāncuì暂停zhàntíng中文课zhōngwénkè吧ba。
You’ve been super busy and haven’t had time to review. Maybe just take a break from your Chinese lessons.
你nǐ这个zhège也yě不能bùnéng吃chī，那个nàge也yě不bù喜欢xǐhuan吃chī，你nǐ干脆gāncuì告诉gàosu我wǒ你nǐ要yào吃chī什么shénme比较bǐjiào快kuài。
You can’t eat this, and you don’t like that — just tell me what you want to eat. It’s easier that way.
既然jìrán大家dàjiā都dōu反对fǎnduì，干脆gāncuì取消qǔxiāo计划jìhuà吧ba！
Since everyone is against it, let’s just cancel the plan!

S + Adv + 干脆 gāncuì

As an adjective, it describes a person or action as being straightforward or decisive — usually paired with a degree word like 很 hěn or 非常 fēicháng.

她tā说话shuōhuà很hěn干脆gāncuì，不会búhuì拐弯抹角guǎiwānmǒjiǎo。
She speaks very straightforwardly and doesn’t beat around the bush.
他tā做事zuòshì一向yíxiàng非常fēicháng干脆gāncuì，不bù拖泥带水tuōnídàishuǐ。
He has always been very decisive and efficient in his actions.
你nǐ可不可以kěbùkěyǐ干脆gāncuì一点yìdiǎn，告诉gàosu老板lǎobǎn你nǐ要yào离职lízhí。
Can you just be straightforward and tell the boss you want to quit?

2 Common Mistakes

Most errors come from dropping the degree word before the adjective use, or reaching for 干脆 gāncuì when the sentence actually wants exaggeration instead of a decision.

❌
她tā说话shuōhuà干脆gāncuì，不会búhuì拐弯抹角guǎiwānmǒjiǎo。
✅
她tā说话shuōhuà很hěn干脆gāncuì，不会búhuì拐弯抹角guǎiwānmǒjiǎo。
When 干脆 gāncuì works as a predicate adjective describing manner, it needs a degree word like 很 hěn or 非常 fēicháng in front. Chinese adjectives rarely stand bare as predicates — without the degree word, the sentence sounds unfinished.
❌
台北Táiběi夏天xiàtiān热死人rèsǐrén，干脆gāncuì是shì地狱dìyù。
✅
台北Táiběi夏天xiàtiān热死人rèsǐrén，简直jiǎnzhí是shì地狱dìyù。
干脆 gāncuì signals a decisive, practical choice — not an emotional exaggeration. For hyperbolic descriptions like “practically” or “literally,” reach for 简直 jiǎnzhí instead.

3 干脆 vs 简直

干脆 gāncuì focuses on taking decisive action or being direct, often with a practical, action-oriented approach, sometimes carrying a neutral or impatient tone. 简直 jiǎnzhí emphasizes the extreme or incredible nature of something, leaning toward being descriptive and emotional, and is often used to express subjective exaggeration or amazement.

干脆 gāncuì 简直 jiǎnzhí
Position Before a verb or clause Before adjectives, verbs, or clauses
Type of sentence Suggestion, decision-making, or commands Descriptions with exaggeration or emotion
Tone Decisive, practical Emotional, hyperbolic, or subjective
Example
你家nǐjiā的de家具jiājù也yě太tài高级gāojí了le吧ba，干脆gāncuì改成gǎichéng饭店fàndiàn出租chūzū。
Your furniture is so fancy, why not just turn it into a hotel for rent?
你家nǐjiā的de家具jiājù也yě太tài高级gāojí了le吧ba，简直jiǎnzhí是shì酒店jiǔdiàn等級děngjí。
Your furniture at home is so fancy; it’s literally hotel-quality.

    4 Practice

    Translate each sentence into Chinese, then tap the card to check your answer.

    01Since negotiations have repeatedly failed, both sides might as well terminate the contract altogether.
    既然jìrán双方shuāngfāng谈判tánpàn一再yízài失败shībài，干脆gāncuì终止zhōngzhǐ合约héyuē算了suànle。
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    02Rather than dragging this lawsuit out for years, the two companies might as well settle out of court.
    与其yǔqí把bǎ这场zhèchǎng官司guānsi拖上tuōshàng好几年hǎojǐnián，两家liǎngjiā公司gōngsī干脆gāncuì庭外tíngwài和解héjiě。
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    03Given how volatile the stock market has been, he simply liquidated all his holdings.
    鉴于jiànyú股市gǔshì波动bōdòng剧烈jùliè，他tā干脆gāncuì把bǎ所有suǒyǒu持股chígǔ都dōu出清chūqīng了le。
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    04Since the committee couldn’t reach a consensus, the chairman simply made the final call himself.
    既然jìrán委员会wěiyuánhuì迟迟chíchí无法wúfǎ达成dáchéng共识gòngshí，主席zhǔxí干脆gāncuì自己zìjǐ拍板pāibǎn定案dìngàn。
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    05Faced with mounting debts, the company simply declared bankruptcy.
    面对miànduì日益rìyì增加zēngjiā的de债务zhàiwù，这家zhèjiā公司gōngsī干脆gāncuì宣布xuānbù破产pòchǎn。
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    06Rather than continuing to argue over trivial matters, they simply dissolved the partnership.
    与其yǔqí继续jìxù为了wèile琐事suǒshì争执zhēngzhí不休bùxiū，他们tāmen干脆gāncuì解散jiěsàn了le合伙héhuǒ关系guānxi。
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    07Since the negotiations kept stalling, the ambassador simply withdrew from the talks.
    既然jìrán谈判tánpàn一再yízài陷入xiànrù僵局jiāngjú，大使dàshǐ干脆gāncuì退出tuìchū了le会谈huìtán。
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    08He is an extremely decisive leader — resolute in his decisions and never one to procrastinate.
    他tā是shì一位yíwèi极其jíqí干脆gāncuì的de领导者lǐngdǎozhě，做zuò决策juécè果断guǒduàn，从不cóngbù拖延tuōyán。
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    09Rather than deliberate endlessly, be decisive and give me a clear answer.
    与其yǔqí犹豫不决yóuyùbùjué，你nǐ干脆gāncuì一点yìdiǎn，给gěi我wǒ一个yíge明确míngquè的de答复dáfù。
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    10Faced with the constant power outages, the factory simply switched to backup generators altogether.
    面对miànduì不断búduàn停电tíngdiàn的de问题wèntí，工厂gōngchǎng干脆gāncuì全面quánmiàn改用gǎiyòng备用bèiyòng发电机fādiànjī。
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    Related Grammar

    →简直 jiǎnzhí — “Simply” in Chinese 1(HSK 5)

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