Difference between revisions of "Simple "noun + adjective" sentences"
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{{Grammar Box}}  
 
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In English, nouns can be linked to adjectives and other nouns with the verb ''to be''. In Chinese, [[nouns]] are linked in different ways to [[adjectives]] and other nouns. Nouns are linked to [[Connecting nouns with "shi"|nouns with 是 (shì)]]. Nouns are linked to adjectives with 很 (hěn).
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In English, nouns can be "linked" to adjectives and other nouns with the verb ''to be''. In Chinese, [[nouns]] are linked other nouns in one way, but linked to [[adjectives]] in a totally different way. Nouns are linked to other [[Connecting nouns with "shi"|nouns with 是 (shì)]]. Nouns are linked to adjectives with 很 (hěn).
  
 
=== Structure ===
 
=== Structure ===
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=== Examples ===
 
=== Examples ===
  
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In the  following examples, 很 (hěn) is just a link, and the sentences could be translated as "(Noun) is (adjective)".
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In the  following examples, 很 (hěn) is just a link (you could think of it as a substitute for the verb "to be"), and the sentences could be translated as "(Noun) is (adjective)".
  
 
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* 爸爸 <em>很</em> 忙，妈妈 也 很 忙。 <span class="pinyin"> Bàba <em>hěn</em> máng, māma  yě hěn máng.</span> <span class="trans">Dad is busy, and mom is also busy.</span>
 
* 爸爸 <em>很</em> 忙，妈妈 也 很 忙。 <span class="pinyin"> Bàba <em>hěn</em> máng, māma  yě hěn máng.</span> <span class="trans">Dad is busy, and mom is also busy.</span>
 
* 他 和 他 弟弟  都 <em>很</em> 帅。 <span class="pinyin">Tā hé tā dìdi dōu <em>hěn</em> shuài.</span> <span class="trans">His younger brother and him are both handsome.</span>
 
* 他 和 他 弟弟  都 <em>很</em> 帅。 <span class="pinyin">Tā hé tā dìdi dōu <em>hěn</em> shuài.</span> <span class="trans">His younger brother and him are both handsome.</span>
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== How can 很 (hěn) do this to me?! ==
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If you're like most learners, when you first learn this pattern, you're thinking, ''"how can 很 (hěn) mean "very" one minute, but then nothing but a "link" the next? How do I know if anything means anything in this language?"'' That's a reasonable response.  But in the case of these "Noun + Adj." sentences, you just have to think of this usage of 很 (hěn) as an exception. It's just part of the structure.
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If you actually want to add the meaning of "very" into the sentence, you could use another adverb instead of 很 (hěn). One good choice is 非常 (fēicháng).
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==

Revision as of 09:08, 12 February 2016

In English, nouns can be "linked" to adjectives and other nouns with the verb to be. In Chinese, nouns are linked other nouns in one way, but linked to adjectives in a totally different way. Nouns are linked to other nouns with 是 (shì). Nouns are linked to adjectives with 很 (hěn).

Structure

Noun + 很 + Adj.

The noun in this structure is the subject of the sentence. Sometimes the 很 (hěn) in this structure is translated as "very", but often it is just a way to link a noun to an adjective.

Examples

In the following examples, 很 (hěn) is just a link (you could think of it as a substitute for the verb "to be"), and the sentences could be translated as "(Noun) is (adjective)".

  • 我 很 好。 Wǒ hěn hǎo. I'm good.
  • 你 很 漂亮。 Nǐ hěn piàoliang. You are pretty.
  • 他 很 高兴。 Tā hěn gāoxìng. He is happy.
  • 中文 很 难 。 Zhōngwén hěn nán. Chinese is difficult.
  • 老板 很 生气。 Lǎobǎn hěn shēngqì. The boss is angry.
  • 猪 很 聪明 。 Zhū hěn cōngming. Pigs are smart.
  • 我 哥哥 也 很 高。 Wǒ gēge yě hěn gāo. My elder brother is also tall.
  • 你 家 也 很 远 吗？ Nǐ jiā yě hěn yuǎn ma? Is your house also far away?
  • 爸爸 很 忙，妈妈 也 很 忙。 Bàba hěn máng, māma yě hěn máng. Dad is busy, and mom is also busy.
  • 他 和 他 弟弟 都 很 帅。 Tā hé tā dìdi dōu hěn shuài. His younger brother and him are both handsome.

Remember that 是 (shì) is not used to link adjectives to nouns. This is a classic mistake that almost everyone makes when learning Chinese. Make sure you use 很 (hěn) and not 是 (shì) to link adjectives to nouns, as shown below:

  • 他 是 高 。Tā shì gāo.
  • 他 很 高 。 Tā hěn gāo. He is tall.

How can 很 (hěn) do this to me?!

If you're like most learners, when you first learn this pattern, you're thinking, "how can 很 (hěn) mean "very" one minute, but then nothing but a "link" the next? How do I know if anything means anything in this language?" That's a reasonable response. But in the case of these "Noun + Adj." sentences, you just have to think of this usage of 很 (hěn) as an exception. It's just part of the structure.

If you actually want to add the meaning of "very" into the sentence, you could use another adverb instead of 很 (hěn). One good choice is 非常 (fēicháng).

See also

Sources and further reading

Videos

Books

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