Expressing "especially" with "gewai"

格外 (géwài) is an adverb that has the same meaning as "especially" or "particularly" in English. You might be wondering what the difference between 格外 (géwài) and 特别 (tèbié) is. Keep in mind that 特别 (tèbié) can be either as an adjective that emphasizes something is "special" or as an adverb that expresses "especially." However, 格外 (géwài) can only be an adverb that emphasizes "especially" and cannot be used as an adjective like 特别 (tèbié) can.

Structure

格外 (地 +) + Advective / Psychological Verb

You will occasionally see 地 (de) after 格外 and before an adjective.

Examples

• 下 过 雨 的 早晨 格外 舒服. Xià guo yǔ de zǎochén géwài shūfu.It's especially comfortable on mornings after a rain.
• 今天 格外 忙, 都 来不及 吃 午饭. Jīntiān géwài máng,dōu láibují chī wǔfàn.I was especially busy today and didn't even have time to eat lunch.
• 昨天 登山 累了, 晚上 睡得 格外 香甜 。Zuótiān dēngshān lèi le, wǎnshàng shuì de géwài xiāngtiánI was tired from climbing yesterday, so my sleep at night was especially sweet.
• 去年 孩子 还 很 调皮，但是 今年 格外 懂事 。Qùnián háizǐ huán hěn tiáopí, dànshì jīnnián géwài dǒngshì.Last year the kid was very naughty, but this year he's been especially sensible.
• 我 住 的 比较 远，所以 到 了 晚上 格外 安静 。Wǒ zhù de bǐjiào yuǎn, suǒyǐ dào le wǎnshàng géwài ānjìng.I live far away, so it's very quiet at night.
• 今年 的 水果 格外 地 甜 。Jīnnián de shuǐguǒ géwài de tián.This year's fruit is exceptionally sweet.
• 虽然 以前 也 想 家，但是 这 段 时间 格外 想 家 。Suīrán yǐqián yě xiǎng jiā, dànshì zhè duàn shíjiān géwài xiǎng jiā.I was homesick before too, but I'm especially homesick this time of year.
• 老师 对 我们 格外 热情 。Lǎoshī duì wǒmen géwài rèqíng.The teacher is especially warm to us.
• 今天 的 天气 格外 地 热 。Jīntiān de tiānqì géwài de rè.Today's weather is exceptionally hot.
• 去 不 安全 的 地方 旅游 ，一定 要 格外 小心 。Qù bù ānquán de dìfang lǚyóu, yīdìng yào géwài xiǎoxīn.You need to be especially careful when traveling to unsafe places.

Sources and further reading

Books

• Anything Goes (无所不谈) (pp. 85) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy

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