1. 程度副词 Degree Adverbs | Expressing How Much
Learning focus: Learn common degree adverbs to make descriptions stronger or softer: 很, 非常, 太, 真, 有点儿, 最, 多.
1. Vocabulary List
Degree adverbs for saying “very”, “too”, “really”, “a little”, and “the most”.
■ Highlighted = Core words · essential
■ Plain grey = Extra words · Optional
Core
非常
very / extremely
Core
很
very
neutral default
neutral default
Core
太
too / so
often with 了
often with 了
Core
真
really / truly
Core
有点儿
a little / slightly
Extra
最
the most / -est
Extra
多
how
in exclamations
in exclamations
2. Key Distinctions
The main differences between common degree adverbs.
有点儿
weak
Used with negative or unwanted qualities.
有点儿贵
Yǒudiǎnr guì.
A bit expensive.
Yǒudiǎnr guì.
A bit expensive.
很
medium
Neutral default. 很好 does not always mean “very good”; it often just means “good”.
这个菜很好吃。
Zhège cài hěn hǎochī.
This dish is good / tasty.
Zhège cài hěn hǎochī.
This dish is good / tasty.
真
medium–strong
Spoken emphasis. Natural in exclamations.
真好吃！
Zhēn hǎochī!
It’s really delicious!
Zhēn hǎochī!
It’s really delicious!
非常
strong
Similar to 很, but stronger and more formal.
这个菜非常好吃。
Zhège cài fēicháng hǎochī.
This dish is extremely delicious.
Zhège cài fēicháng hǎochī.
This dish is extremely delicious.
太
very strong
Often used with 了. It can mean “too” or “so”, depending on context.
太好了！
/
太贵了。
Tài hǎo le! / Tài guì le.
That’s great! / It’s too expensive.
Tài hǎo le! / Tài guì le.
That’s great! / It’s too expensive.
最
superlative
Used to say “the most” or “-est”.
最好
/
最贵
zuì hǎo / zuì guì
the best / the most expensive
zuì hǎo / zuì guì
the best / the most expensive
多
exclamatory
Used in exclamations to mean “how...” or “so...”.
这件颜色多好看啊！
Zhè jiàn yánsè duō hǎokàn a!
How beautiful this color is!
Zhè jiàn yánsè duō hǎokàn a!
How beautiful this color is!
3. Dialogue One: At a Restaurant
Focus: 非常 / 很 / 有点儿
People in this dialogue
服务员 fúwùyuán = waiter / waitress ·
A = customer A ·
B = customer B
服务员
你好，这个菜怎么样？
A
非常好吃！我很喜欢。
服务员
这个汤呢？
A
汤有点儿咸，但还可以。
B
我觉得非常好！而且不太贵。
A
对，真不错，下次再来。
非常好吃！我很喜欢。
It is extremely delicious! I like it very much.
Word-by-word
非常 = extremely / very ·
好吃 = delicious ·
我 = I ·
很喜欢 = really like / like very much
汤有点儿咸，但还可以。
The soup is a little salty, but it is okay.
Word-by-word
汤 = soup ·
有点儿 = a little / slightly ·
咸 = salty ·
但 = but ·
还可以 = still okay
我觉得非常好！而且不太贵。
I think it is very good! And it is not too expensive.
Word-by-word
我觉得 = I think ·
非常好 = very good ·
而且 = moreover / and ·
不太贵 = not too expensive
对，真不错，下次再来。
Right, it is really good. Let’s come again next time.
Word-by-word
对 = right ·
真不错 = really good / not bad ·
下次 = next time ·
再来 = come again
4. Dialogue Two: Shopping for Clothes
Focus: 太 / 最 / 多
A
这件衣服太好看了！
B
但太贵了，我们预算不够。
A
那件呢？
B
那件是店里最便宜的，但有点儿小。
A
你看，这件颜色多好看啊！
B
好吧，这件真不错，就这件吧。
这件衣服太好看了！
This piece of clothing looks so beautiful!
Word-by-word
这件衣服 = this piece of clothing ·
太 = too / so ·
好看 = good-looking ·
了 = sentence particle completing 太…了
但太贵了，我们预算不够。
But it is too expensive. Our budget is not enough.
Word-by-word
但 = but ·
太贵了 = too expensive ·
我们 = we ·
预算 = budget ·
不够 = not enough
那件是店里最便宜的，但有点儿小。
That one is the cheapest in the store, but it is a little small.
Word-by-word
那件 = that one / that piece ·
店里 = in the store ·
最便宜的 = the cheapest one ·
但 = but ·
有点儿小 = a little small
你看，这件颜色多好看啊！
Look, how beautiful this color is!
Word-by-word
你看 = look ·
这件 = this one / this piece ·
颜色 = color ·
多好看啊 = how beautiful!
好吧，这件真不错，就这件吧。
Okay, this one is really nice. Let’s take this one.
Word-by-word
好吧 = okay then ·
这件 = this one / this piece ·
真不错 = really good / really nice ·
就这件吧 = let’s choose this one
5. Learner Notes
These rules help students avoid the most common mistakes.
💡 有点儿 vs 一点儿
有点儿 comes before the adjective and usually implies something unwanted.
有点儿贵（yǒudiǎnr guì）= a bit expensive
有点儿小（yǒudiǎnr xiǎo）= a bit small
一点儿 comes after the adjective. It is neutral and often used in requests.
便宜一点儿（piányi yìdiǎnr）= a little cheaper
有点儿贵（yǒudiǎnr guì）= a bit expensive
有点儿小（yǒudiǎnr xiǎo）= a bit small
一点儿 comes after the adjective. It is neutral and often used in requests.
便宜一点儿（piányi yìdiǎnr）= a little cheaper
❗ 太…了 is a fixed pattern
太 almost always needs 了 at the end in spoken Chinese.
Without 了, the sentence often sounds incomplete.
太好了！（tài hǎo le）= That’s great!
太贵了。（tài guì le）= It is too expensive.
太累了。（tài lèi le）= I’m too tired.
太好了！（tài hǎo le）= That’s great!
太贵了。（tài guì le）= It is too expensive.
太累了。（tài lèi le）= I’m too tired.
📝 很 is often just neutral
In Chinese, 很好 does not always mean “very good”.
It is often the default way to say “good”.
To strongly emphasize “very”, use 非常 or 真.
很好吃（hěn hǎochī）= good / tasty
非常好吃（fēicháng hǎochī）= extremely delicious
真好吃！（zhēn hǎochī）= really delicious!
To strongly emphasize “very”, use 非常 or 真.
很好吃（hěn hǎochī）= good / tasty
非常好吃（fēicháng hǎochī）= extremely delicious
真好吃！（zhēn hǎochī）= really delicious!
6. Practice
Choose the right degree adverb and use it in simple sentences.
Practice 1: Choose the correct word
Choose the best degree adverb to fill in each blank. Some questions may have more than one possible answer.
Word Bank
非常 fēicháng = very / extremely ·
很 hěn = very / neutral default ·
太 tài = too / so ·
真 zhēn = really ·
有点儿 yǒudiǎnr = a little ·
最 zuì = the most ·
多 duō = how
Questions
1. 这个菜 ___ 好吃！
Zhège cài ___ hǎochī!
2. 这个汤 ___ 咸。
Zhège tāng ___ xián.
3. 这件衣服 ___ 贵了！
Zhè jiàn yīfu ___ guì le!
4. 这是店里 ___ 便宜的衣服。
Zhè shì diàn lǐ ___ piányi de yīfu.
5. 你看，这个颜色 ___ 好看啊！
Nǐ kàn, zhège yánsè ___ hǎokàn a!
Zhège cài ___ hǎochī!
2. 这个汤 ___ 咸。
Zhège tāng ___ xián.
3. 这件衣服 ___ 贵了！
Zhè jiàn yīfu ___ guì le!
4. 这是店里 ___ 便宜的衣服。
Zhè shì diàn lǐ ___ piányi de yīfu.
5. 你看，这个颜色 ___ 好看啊！
Nǐ kàn, zhège yánsè ___ hǎokàn a!
Show Answers
Answers
1. 这个菜真 / 非常 / 很好吃！
Zhège cài zhēn / fēicháng / hěn hǎochī!
This dish is really / extremely / very delicious.
2. 这个汤有点儿咸。
Zhège tāng yǒudiǎnr xián.
This soup is a little salty.
也可以：这个汤太咸了。
Yě kěyǐ: Zhège tāng tài xián le.
Also possible: This soup is too salty.
3. 这件衣服太贵了！
Zhè jiàn yīfu tài guì le!
This piece of clothing is too expensive!
4. 这是店里最便宜的衣服。
Zhè shì diàn lǐ zuì piányi de yīfu.
This is the cheapest piece of clothing in the store.
5. 你看，这个颜色多好看啊！
Nǐ kàn, zhège yánsè duō hǎokàn a!
Look, how beautiful this color is!
Zhège cài zhēn / fēicháng / hěn hǎochī!
This dish is really / extremely / very delicious.
2. 这个汤有点儿咸。
Zhège tāng yǒudiǎnr xián.
This soup is a little salty.
也可以：这个汤太咸了。
Yě kěyǐ: Zhège tāng tài xián le.
Also possible: This soup is too salty.
3. 这件衣服太贵了！
Zhè jiàn yīfu tài guì le!
This piece of clothing is too expensive!
4. 这是店里最便宜的衣服。
Zhè shì diàn lǐ zuì piányi de yīfu.
This is the cheapest piece of clothing in the store.
5. 你看，这个颜色多好看啊！
Nǐ kàn, zhège yánsè duō hǎokàn a!
Look, how beautiful this color is!
Practice 2: Answer the question
Learn the patterns and try to answer.
Questions
这个菜怎么样？
Zhège cài zěnmeyàng? — How is this dish?
这个汤怎么样？
Zhège tāng zěnmeyàng? — How is this soup?
这件衣服贵吗？
Zhè jiàn yīfu guì ma? — Is this piece of clothing expensive?
店里哪件衣服最便宜？
Diàn lǐ nǎ jiàn yīfu zuì piányi? — Which piece of clothing is the cheapest in the store?
Zhège cài zěnmeyàng? — How is this dish?
这个汤怎么样？
Zhège tāng zěnmeyàng? — How is this soup?
这件衣服贵吗？
Zhè jiàn yīfu guì ma? — Is this piece of clothing expensive?
店里哪件衣服最便宜？
Diàn lǐ nǎ jiàn yīfu zuì piányi? — Which piece of clothing is the cheapest in the store?
Show Possible Answers
Possible Answers
这个菜怎么样？
→ 非常好吃！（Fēicháng hǎochī! — It is extremely delicious!）
→ 真不错！（Zhēn búcuò! — It is really good!）
这个汤怎么样？
→ 有点儿咸。（Yǒudiǎnr xián. — It is a little salty.）
→ 还可以。（Hái kěyǐ. — It is okay.）
这件衣服贵吗？
→ 太贵了。（Tài guì le. — It is too expensive.）
→ 不太贵。（Bú tài guì. — It is not too expensive.）
店里哪件衣服最便宜？
→ 那件是最便宜的。（Nà jiàn shì zuì piányi de. — That one is the cheapest.）
→ 这件最便宜。（Zhè jiàn zuì piányi. — This one is the cheapest.）
→ 非常好吃！（Fēicháng hǎochī! — It is extremely delicious!）
→ 真不错！（Zhēn búcuò! — It is really good!）
这个汤怎么样？
→ 有点儿咸。（Yǒudiǎnr xián. — It is a little salty.）
→ 还可以。（Hái kěyǐ. — It is okay.）
这件衣服贵吗？
→ 太贵了。（Tài guì le. — It is too expensive.）
→ 不太贵。（Bú tài guì. — It is not too expensive.）
店里哪件衣服最便宜？
→ 那件是最便宜的。（Nà jiàn shì zuì piányi de. — That one is the cheapest.）
→ 这件最便宜。（Zhè jiàn zuì piányi. — This one is the cheapest.）
Practice 3: Say it yourself
Say three simple sentences using different degree adverbs.
Speaking Prompt
Use these sentence starters:
1. 这个菜……
Zhège cài...
This dish...
2. 这件衣服……
Zhè jiàn yīfu...
This piece of clothing...
3. 我觉得……
Wǒ juéde...
I think...
1. 这个菜……
Zhège cài...
This dish...
2. 这件衣服……
Zhè jiàn yīfu...
This piece of clothing...
3. 我觉得……
Wǒ juéde...
I think...
Show Example Answer
Example Answer
这个菜非常好吃，我很喜欢。
Zhège cài fēicháng hǎochī, wǒ hěn xǐhuan.
This dish is extremely delicious. I like it very much.
这件衣服太贵了，但是颜色真好看。
Zhè jiàn yīfu tài guì le, dànshì yánsè zhēn hǎokàn.
This piece of clothing is too expensive, but the color is really beautiful.
我觉得那件是店里最便宜的。
Wǒ juéde nà jiàn shì diàn lǐ zuì piányi de.
I think that one is the cheapest in the store.
Zhège cài fēicháng hǎochī, wǒ hěn xǐhuan.
This dish is extremely delicious. I like it very much.
这件衣服太贵了，但是颜色真好看。
Zhè jiàn yīfu tài guì le, dànshì yánsè zhēn hǎokàn.
This piece of clothing is too expensive, but the color is really beautiful.
我觉得那件是店里最便宜的。
Wǒ juéde nà jiàn shì diàn lǐ zuì piányi de.
I think that one is the cheapest in the store.