Difference between revisions of "Negative adjectives with "-si le""
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* 这里 的 东西 <strong>贵</strong> <em>死了</em>。<span class="expl">(Literally, "expensive to death")</span> <span class="pinyin">Zhèlǐ de dōngxī <strong>guì </strong><em>sǐle</em>! </span><span class="trans">The things here are criminally expensive! </span>
 
* 这里 的 东西 <strong>贵</strong> <em>死了</em>。<span class="expl">(Literally, "expensive to death")</span> <span class="pinyin">Zhèlǐ de dōngxī <strong>guì </strong><em>sǐle</em>! </span><span class="trans">The things here are criminally expensive! </span>
 
*我们 都 <strong>急</strong> <em>死了</em>。<span class="expl">(Literally, "anxious to death")</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒmen dōu <Strong>jí </strong> <em>sǐle</em>! </span> <span class="trans">We are all so terribly anxious! </span>
 
*我们 都 <strong>急</strong> <em>死了</em>。<span class="expl">(Literally, "anxious to death")</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒmen dōu <Strong>jí </strong> <em>sǐle</em>! </span> <span class="trans">We are all so terribly anxious! </span>
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* 这 个 小孩 <strong>烦</strong> <em>死了</em>。<span class="expl">(Literally, "annoying to death")</span> <span class="pinyin">Zhè ge xiǎohái <Strong>fán</strong> <em>sǐle</em>! </span><span class="trans">This kid so freaking annoying! </span>
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* 这 个 小孩 <strong>烦</strong> <em>死了</em>。<span class="expl">(Literally, "annoying to death")</span> <span class="pinyin">Zhè ge xiǎohái <Strong>fán</strong> <em>sǐle</em>! </span><span class="trans">This kid is so freaking annoying! </span>
  
 
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Revision as of 08:33, 14 February 2016

In English, you might use or hear the expression "you scared me to death!" In Chinese, 死了 (sǐle) is used similarly to intensify an adjective with an unpleasant connotation.

Structure

The "Subject" part below is actually optional, you can still make your over-the-top exclamations without it.

Subj. + [Negative Adj.] + 死了

This structure is technically a kind of degree complement.

Examples

  • 我 饿 死了。(Literally, "hungry to death") Wǒ è sǐle! I'm starving!
  • 今天 累 死了。(Literally, "tired to death") Jīntiān lèi sǐle! Today was so exhausting!
  • 热 死了！(Literally, "hot to death") Rè sǐle! It's ridiculously hot!
  • 这 几 天 忙 死了。(Literally, "busy to death") Zhè jǐ tiān máng sǐle! It's been so terribly busy these days!
  • 这 件 衣服 丑 死了。(Literally, "ugly to death") Zhè jiàn yīfu chǒu sǐle! This piece of clothing is totally hideous!
  • 你 的 房间 脏 死了。(Literally, "dirty to death") Nǐ de fángjiān zāng sǐle! Your room is absolutely filthy!
  • 吵 死了！(Literally, "noisy to death") Chǎo sǐle! It's so terribly noisy!
  • 这里 的 东西 贵 死了。(Literally, "expensive to death") Zhèlǐ de dōngxī guì sǐle! The things here are criminally expensive!
  • 我们 都 急 死了。(Literally, "anxious to death")Wǒmen dōu jí sǐle! We are all so terribly anxious!
  • 这 个 小孩 烦 死了。(Literally, "annoying to death") Zhè ge xiǎohái fán sǐle! This kid is so freaking annoying!

None of these sentences actually refer to someone dying, instead the word 死了 (sǐle) and the structure is simply used to intensify an adjective. Notice how these are awkward to translate into English; the translations above took a number of different angles to create the same impact as -死了 (sǐle) does in Chinese. You might say that -死了 (sǐle) is much more versatile in Chinese than the English expression "to death."

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

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