Difference between revisions of "Simple "noun + adjective" sentences"

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* 我 <em>很</em> 好 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>hěn</em> hǎo.</span> <span class="trans">I'm good.</span>
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* 我 <em>很</em> 好。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>hěn</em> hǎo.</span> <span class="trans">I'm good.</span>
* <em>很</em> 高 。 <span class="pinyin"><em>hěn</em> gāo.</span> <span class="trans">She's tall.</span>
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* <em>很</em> 漂亮。 <span class="pinyin"><em>hěn</em> piàoliang.</span> <span class="trans">You are beautiful.</span>
* 他 <em>很</em> 高兴 。 <span class="pinyin">Tā <em>hěn</em> gāoxìng.</span> <span class="trans">He is happy.</span>
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* 他 <em>很</em> 高兴。 <span class="pinyin">Tā <em>hěn</em> gāoxìng.</span> <span class="trans">He is happy.</span>
* <em>很</em> 好看 。 <span class="pinyin"><em>hěn</em> hǎokàn.</span> <span class="trans">You are good-looking.</span>
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* 中文 <em>很</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Zhōngwén <em>hěn</em> nán.</span> <span class="trans">Chinese is difficult.</span>* 老板 <em>很</em> 生气。 <span class="pinyin"> Lǎobǎn <em>hěn</em> shēngqì.</span> <span class="trans">The boss is angry.</span>
* 大象 <em>很</em> 大 。 <span class="pinyin">Dàxiàng <em>hěn</em> dà.</span> <span class="trans">The elephant is big.</span>
 
* <em>很</em> 小 。 <span class="pinyin">Māo <em>hěn</em> xiǎo.</span> <span class="trans">The cat is small.</span>
 
* 他 <em>很</em> 坏 。 <span class="pinyin">Tā <em>hěn</em> huài.</span> <span class="trans">He's bad.</span>
 
 
* 我 家 的 狗 <em>很</em> 聪明 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ jiā de gǒu <em>hěn</em> cōngming.</span> <span class="trans">My family's dog is clever.</span>
 
* 我 家 的 狗 <em>很</em> 聪明 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ jiā de gǒu <em>hěn</em> cōngming.</span> <span class="trans">My family's dog is clever.</span>
* 你 <em>很</em> 漂亮 。 <span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>hěn</em> piàoliang.</span> <span class="trans">You are beautiful.</span>
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* 我哥哥 也 <em>很</em> 高。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ gēge yě <em>hěn</em> gāo.</span> <span class="trans">My elder brother is also tall.</span>
* 中文 <em>很</em> 难 。 <span class="pinyin">Zhōngwén <em>hěn</em> nán.</span> <span class="trans">Chinese is difficult.</span>
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* 你 家 也 <em>很</em> 远 吗? <span class="pinyin"> Nǐ jiā yě <em>hěn</em> yuǎn ma?</span> <span class="trans">Is your house also far away?</span>
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* 我爸爸 <em>很</em> 忙, 妈妈 也 很忙。 <span class="pinyin"> Wǒ bàba <em>hěn</em> máng, māma  yě hěn máng.</span> <span class="trans">My dad is busy.</span>
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* 他 和 他 弟弟  都 很<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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Revision as of 03:50, 21 September 2015

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 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, and the sentences could be translated as "(Noun) is (adjective)".

  • 好。 hěn hǎo. I'm good.
  • 漂亮。 hěn piàoliang. You are beautiful.
  • 高兴。 hěn gāoxìng. He is happy.
  • 中文 难 。 Zhōngwén hěn nán. Chinese is difficult.* 老板 生气。 Lǎobǎn hěn shēngqì. The boss is angry.
  • 我 家 的 狗 聪明 。 Wǒ jiā de gǒu hěn cōngming. My family's dog is clever.
  • 我哥哥 也 高。 Wǒ gēge yě hěn gāo. My elder brother is also tall.
  • 你 家 也 远 吗? Nǐ jiā yě hěn yuǎn ma? Is your house also far away?
  • 我爸爸 忙, 妈妈 也 很忙。 Wǒ bàba hěn máng, māma yě hěn máng. My dad is 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:

  • 高 。shì gāo.
  • 高 。 hěn gāo. He is tall.

See also

Sources and further reading

Videos

Books