Adjective

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Adjectives are the "describing" words of a language. In Chinese, they have some characteristics that they don't have in English.

Characteristics

The majority of adjectives can be modified by both the adverb "不" and the adverb "很".
In sentences, adjectives are generally predicates, attributes, or complements.
Adjectives do not take objects.
Adjectives can be reduplicated.

Adjectives can form positive-negative questions.
Adjective reduplication
- Some adjectives can be reduplicated for emphasis.
  - They are reduplicated AABB e.g. 干干净净, ABB e.g. 红通通 or BABA e.g. 雪白雪白
  - 的 must be used with reduplicated adjectives.
Adjectives can be followed by complements such as "budeliao". These complements usually express degree.
Adjectives can function as predicates. However, 是 is not used with adjectives. Instead, you have to use "很".
- 很 is used with adjectives
  - 很 in neutral tone just indicates the predicate.
  - 很 in third tone adds emphasis to the adjective.
- Some adjectives are not preceded by 很, but are followed by 了: 饿, 渴, 病
Single character adjectives can modify directly, e.g. 新书. 的 can optionally be inserted to emphasize the adjective: 新的书.
A two character adjective modifying a single character noun has to have 的, e.g. 好看的画.
If the adjective and noun are both two characters, 的 is optional as with single character adjectives.
Rules for 的 for modifying nouns also apply to 地 for modifying verbs.
多 and 少 are special
- Must be combined with 很 or 不 to form attributives for nouns
- 的 is not necessary with 多 and 少.
Different ways to say:
- Bad
- Nice
- Beautiful
Patterns
- 半 ... 不 ...
- 甭提多 / 别提多

外国人实用汉语语法(中英文对照) (pp. 48 - 57)4
Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 56 - 64)
实用汉语语法 (pp. 52 - 54)
Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 56 - 68)
汉语常用格式330例