Adjectives and adverbs
Adjectives that work as the verb, with 很 or 非常; 太 ... 了 and 真; and adverbs like 也, 还, 就, 常常 and 一定, which come before the verb. At Higher, 极了, 得多 and 不得了, and 经常 and 从来.
Learn
Adjectives and adverbs, explained point by point
Everything the GCSE specification expects you to be able to do, and how to actually do it - the same lesson a signed-in student studies from.
Use an adjective as the verb, with 很
An adjective can be the whole verb of a sentence, with no 是: 我很忙。 北京很大。 很 here mostly just links the two; leave it out and the sentence sounds like a comparison: 这个大，那个小。 (This one's bigger, that one's smaller.) The negative is 不 on its own: 今天不冷。
Say how much with 非常, 真 and 太…了
非常 means extremely: 非常好. 真 makes an exclamation, really or so: 真漂亮！ 太…了 means too, or so, with 了 at the end: 太贵了！ (It's too expensive!) 不太 softens a negative: 不太难 (not very hard).
Put an adjective before a noun, with or without 的
A one-syllable adjective joins its noun directly: 好朋友, 新衣服, 大房子. A longer adjective, or one with 很, takes 的 in between: 漂亮的花园, 很大的房子.
Use 好 and 难 before a verb
好 or 难 in front of a verb make a describing word for how pleasant or how hard something is: 好吃 (tasty, good to eat), 难学 (hard to learn). 中文很难写，可是很有意思。 (Chinese is hard to write, but very interesting.)
Put 也, 还 and 常常 before the verb
Adverbs go after the subject and before the verb, never at the start or the end. 也 means also or too: 我也喜欢足球。 还 means still, or as well: 他还在学校。 我会说英语，还会说汉语。 常常 means often: 我常常去游泳。 Words like 有时候 (sometimes) take the same place.
Use 一定 and 就
一定 means certainly: 我明天一定来。 (I'll definitely come tomorrow.) 就 points to something exactly, or to something happening at once: 我家就在学校旁边。 (My home is right next to the school.) 我就来！ (I'm coming right now!)
Make an adjective stronger with 极了, 不得了 and 得多Higher only
极了 after an adjective means extremely: 好极了！ 不得了 after 得 means unbelievably: 热得不得了. 得多 means much more, in a comparison: 北京比伦敦大得多。 好听, 好看 and 难看 work like 好吃: 这个电影很好看。
Say how often with 经常 and 从来Higher only
经常 means often, a little more formal than 常常: 我经常运动。 从来不 means never, for a habit: 我从来不喝咖啡。 从来没 with 过 means have never: 我从来没去过中国。
Adjectives and adverbs key terms
The words the specification and the mark schemes use, each defined the way an examiner wants it.
- Adjective as verb
- An adjective doing the work of the verb, with no 是: the 忙 in 我很忙.
- 很
- Very, though often just the link before an adjective: 她很高.
- 非常
- Extremely, a step stronger than 很: 非常好.
- 太…了
- Too, or so, around an adjective: 太贵了 (too expensive).
- 真
- Really or so, in an exclamation, as in 真好吃, it's really tasty.
- Adverb
- A word such as 也, 还 or 常常 that goes before the verb and tells you more about it.
- 一定
- Certainly or definitely, before the verb: 我一定去.
- 极了Higher only
- Extremely, after an adjective: 好极了 means extremely good, great.
- 从来不Higher only
- Never, for something you never do as a habit: 我从来不吃肉.
Common mistakes in Adjectives and adverbs
The slips that cost marks year after year, and what to do instead.
Putting 是 before an adjective, as in 北京是大.
The adjective is the verb: 北京很大. Use 很 where English has is.
Putting 也 at the start, as in 也我喜欢.
Adverbs go after the subject: 我也喜欢. The same goes for 还, 常常 and 一定.
Leaving 了 off 太, as in 太贵 on its own.
Too much needs both halves, 太 before the adjective and 了 after it: 太贵了, 太难了.
Leaving 的 out after 很 and an adjective, as in 很大房子.
With 很 in front, add 的 before the noun: 很大的房子.
Putting 极了 before the adjective, as in 极了好.Higher only
极了 always comes after the adjective it makes stronger: 好极了, 累极了.
Practice
Try a Adjectives and adverbs question
A GCSE-style original question from this topic. Have a go before you open the working - deciding on an answer first is what makes the working stick.
Which sentence means 'Chinese isn't difficult; it's very interesting'?
- 中文不是难，很有意思。
- 中文不难，很有意思。
- 中文没难，是很有意思。
- 中文难不，很有意思。
Show the answer and the working
Answer: 中文不难，很有意思。
Both halves use adjectives, so neither takes 是: 不难, isn't difficult, and 很有意思, is very interesting.
- 难 means difficult; negative 不难.
- 有意思 means interesting: 很有意思.
- No 是 in either half.