Difference between revisions of "Expressing "simply" with "jianzhi""

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简直(jiǎn zhí) is similar to "simply" or "completely" in English, and can be used to modify adjectives or verbs, adding a tone of amazement on the part of the speaker.  
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简直 (jiǎnzhí) is similar to "simply" or "completely" in English, and can be used to modify adjectives or verbs, adding a tone of amazement on the part of the speaker.  
  
 
==Using 简直 to modify verbs==
 
==Using 简直 to modify verbs==

Revision as of 07:12, 19 January 2014

Chinese-grammar-wiki-简直.jpg

简直 (jiǎnzhí) is similar to "simply" or "completely" in English, and can be used to modify adjectives or verbs, adding a tone of amazement on the part of the speaker.

Using 简直 to modify verbs

Basic structure

Subject + 简直 + Verb

Examples

  • 简直 不 是 人。You simply aren't a person.
  • 你 的 房间 简直 像 一 个 战场,快点 收拾 收拾!Your room looks like a complete war zone. Hurry up and clean it!
  • 简直 不敢 相信!I simply can't bring myself to believe it.
  • 简直 不 知道 该 怎么 说服 你。I just don't know how I should persuade you.

简直 is often used with "就是在 + verb" or "是在 + verb" structure. In English we might say: "He's simply lying to you".

  • 三星 的 智能 手机 简直 就是 在 模仿 iPhone。The Samsung smartphones are just a copy of the iPhone.
  • 简直 是 在 骗 你。He's just lying to you.

Complex structure

S + (Object) + Verb + 得 + 简直 + Adjective

Examples

  • 他 普通话 说 得 简直 比 中国人 还 标准!He simply speaks Mandarin more correctly than Chinese people!
  • 中国 的 高速 铁路 修建 得 简直 太 快 了!China's elevated railroad was simply built really fast!

Using 简直 to modify adjectives

Structure

S + 简直 + Adjective

Examples

  • 你 的 男 朋友 简直(是)太 帅 了!Your boyfriend is just so handsome!
  • 他 的 考试 成绩 简直 好极 了!His test grades are simply fantastic!

However, although it is possible in English to say something is "simply beautiful", in Chinese, 简直 cannot be followed directly by an unmodified adjective. Modifiers like , and 极了 can be used, as in the following examples:

  • 简直 漂亮!
  • 很 漂亮!
  • 简直 太 漂亮 了!
  • 简直 漂亮 极 了!

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

HSK5