Using Intensifier to Connect Nouns to Adjectives

There are few ways for making descriptive statements:

1. Using intensifier (hěn, fēicháng, etc.) to connect nouns to adjectives

2. Using yòu adj  yòu adj to express both A and B

3. Using tài adj le grammar set

1）Using Intensifier to Connect Nouns to Adjectives

Now we are going to learn a new type of word: intensifiers.  These words allow us to connect nouns to adjectives!! In other words, WE CAN DESCRIBE THINGS NOW!! WOOO!!!

In English, when we want to say, "You are pretty", what is our verb?  "are", or "to be".  In Mandarin we cannot use shì in this way, so we will actually use a different word --> hěn.  Hěn is what we call "an intensifier"; it connects a noun to an adjective. There are a few more intensifiers we will learn here.

Subject + Intensifier + Adjective
bù - not 不	tā bù gāo. - He is not tall. 他不高.
bútài - not quite 不太	zhètiáo qúnzi bútài hǎokàn. - This dress is not quite good looking. 这条裙子不太好看。
búshìhěn - is not really 不是很	zhège cài búshì hěn hǎochī. - This dish is not really good tasting. 这个菜不是很好吃。
yǒudiǎn - a little 有点	zhège bāo yǒudiǎn guì. - This bag is a little expensive. 这个包有点贵。
hěn - is/to be 很	wǒ māma hěn piàoliàng. - My mom is pretty. 我妈妈很漂亮。
fēicháng - very 非常	zhège diǎnyǐng fēicháng nánkàn. - This movie is very bad. (not good looking) 这个电影非常难看。
zuì - the most 最	tā zuì kěài. - He is the most cute. 他最可爱。
Note that zuì is “the most”. When you are expressing the most adj in Chinese, you will always pair zuì with an adjective. For example, the best is zuìhǎo (the most good), the cutest is zuì kěài (the most cute), the biggest is zuìdà (the most big).

If this seems confusing, here are two simple rules to help:

1. You CANNOT say "you shì pretty."

2. You CAN say "you hěn pretty."

3. This is a rule for ALL adjectives, not just pretty.

4. This is a rule. Don't ask us why.