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>
* 你 <em>很</em> 漂亮。 <span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>hěn</em> piàoliang.</span> <span class="trans">You are pretty.</span>
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* 你 <em>很</em> 漂亮。 <span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>hěn</em> piàoliang.</span><span class="trans">You are pretty.</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>
* 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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* 中文 <em>很</em> 难。 <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>
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* 老板 <em>很</em> 生气。 <span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn <em>hěn</em> shēngqì.</span><span class="trans">The boss is angry.</span>
* 我们 <em>很</em> 累。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <em>hěn</em> lèi.</span> <span class="trans">We're tired.</span>
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* 我们 <em>很</em> 累。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <em>hěn</em> lèi.</span><span class="trans">We're tired.</span>
* 我 哥哥 也 <em>很</em> 高。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ gēge yě <em>hěn</em> gāo.</span> <span class="trans">My older brother is also tall.</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 older brother is also tall.</span>
* 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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* 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>
* 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>
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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>
* 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">He and his younger brother are both handsome.</span>
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* 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">He and his younger brother are both handsome.</span>
  
 
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<li class="x">他 <strong>是</strong> 高。<span class="pinyin">Tā <strong>shì</strong> gāo.</span></li>
 
<li class="x">他 <strong>是</strong> 高。<span class="pinyin">Tā <strong>shì</strong> gāo.</span></li>
<li class="o">他 <em>很</em> 高。 <span class="pinyin">Tā <em>hěn</em> gāo.</span> <span class="trans">He is tall.</span>
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<li class="o">他 <em>很</em> 高。 <span class="pinyin">Tā <em>hěn</em> gāo.</span><span class="trans">He is tall.</span>
 
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</li>
 
</ul>
 
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<li class="o">他 <em>很</em> 高 。 <span class="pinyin">Tā <em>hěn</em> gāo.</span> <span class="trans">He is tall.</span></li>
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<li class="o">他 <em>很</em> 高 。 <span class="pinyin">Tā <em>hěn</em> gāo.</span><span class="trans">He is tall.</span></li>
 
<li class="o">他 <strong>非常</strong> 高 。<span class="pinyin">Tā <strong>fēicháng</strong> gāo.</span><span class="trans">He is very tall.</span></li>
 
<li class="o">他 <strong>非常</strong> 高 。<span class="pinyin">Tā <strong>fēicháng</strong> gāo.</span><span class="trans">He is very tall.</span></li>
 
</ul>
 
</ul>

Revision as of 03:46, 24 May 2017

In English, nouns can be "linked" to adjectives and other nouns with the verb "to be." In Chinese, nouns are linked to other nouns in one way, but linked to adjectives in a completely 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)."

  • 好。 hěn hǎo.I'm good.
  • 漂亮。 hěn piàoliang.You are pretty.
  • 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.
  • 我们 累。 Wǒmen hěn lèi.We're tired.
  • 我 哥哥 也 高。 Wǒ gēge yě hěn gāo.My older brother is also tall.
  • 你 家 也 远 吗? Nǐ jiā yě hěn yuǎn ma?Is your house also far away?
  • 爸爸 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 帅。 Tā hé tā dìdi dōu hěn shuài.He and his younger brother 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.

What 很 (hěn) Really Means

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).

  • 高 。 hěn gāo.He is tall.
  • 非常 高 。fēicháng gāo.He is very tall.

See also

Sources and further reading

Videos

Books