Degree Adverbs: 很, 太, 非常, 比较, 挺, 极了, 死了

Degree adverbs tell you how much or to what extent. They are among the most frequently used words in Mandarin, and several of them have quirks that go beyond their dictionary definitions. This article covers the main ones and what to watch out for with each.

很: the default intensifier

很 (hěn) is usually translated as "very," but in practice it often functions as a neutral link between a subject and an adjective rather than a genuine intensifier. This is because Chinese adjective predicates sound incomplete without some kind of adverb in front of them.

• 这个菜很好吃。(Zhège cài hěn hǎochī.) -- This dish is delicious.
• 她很忙。(Tā hěn máng.) -- She is busy.

In these sentences, 很 may not mean "very" at all. It is just filling the slot that an adverb needs to occupy. If you want to stress that something is genuinely, notably very good, you need a stronger word. That said, 很 absolutely can express real emphasis when spoken with stress.

The key thing to remember: a bare adjective predicate (她忙) without any adverb implies a comparison or contrast, as in "she is the busy one" or "it's she who is busy." Adding 很 neutralizes that implication and makes the sentence a plain statement.

太: "too" or "so"

太 (tài) has two distinct jobs depending on what follows it.

With 了 at the end: expressing excess

• 这个太贵了。(Zhège tài guì le.) -- This is too expensive.
• 他太忙了，没时间。(Tā tài máng le, méi shíjiān.) -- He's too busy, no time.

With 了 at the end but positive: enthusiastic approval

In spoken Chinese, 太...了 is also used to express genuine enthusiasm, not just "too much of something bad."

• 太好了！(Tài hǎo le!) -- Great! / Excellent!
• 这个太好吃了！(Zhège tài hǎochī le!) -- This is absolutely delicious!
• 太有意思了！(Tài yǒuyìsi le!) -- So interesting!

Context makes the meaning clear. 太贵了 is a complaint; 太好了 is a cheer. The pattern is the same but the adjective tells you which reading applies.

Without 了: a stronger intensifier in a clause

太 without 了 still intensifies but feels more like part of a larger sentence rather than a standalone exclamation:

• 你来得太晚了，已经结束了。(Nǐ lái de tài wǎn le, yǐjīng jiéshù le.) -- You came too late; it's already over.

非常: genuinely "very"

非常 (fēicháng) means "very" or "extremely" and always carries real intensity. Where 很 is often just a grammatical placeholder, 非常 consistently signals that the speaker means it.

• 这部电影非常好看。(Zhè bù diànyǐng fēicháng hǎokàn.) -- This film is really very good.
• 她非常努力。(Tā fēicháng nǔlì.) -- She is extremely hardworking.

非常 works in both spoken and written Chinese and is slightly more formal than 很. Use it when you genuinely want to stress degree.

比较: "relatively," "fairly"

比较 (bǐjiào) tones things down rather than intensifying them. It means "relatively," "fairly," or "rather," and it softens the claim being made.

• 这里比较安静。(Zhèlǐ bǐjiào ānjìng.) -- It's fairly quiet here.
• 这道题比较难。(Zhè dào tí bǐjiào nán.) -- This question is relatively difficult.
• 他比较内向。(Tā bǐjiào nèixiàng.) -- He is rather introverted.

比较 is useful when you want to make a moderate or hedged statement. It also appears in comparisons meaning "comparatively," which is its literal meaning, but as a degree adverb it functions as a standalone softener.

挺: "quite," "pretty"

挺 (tǐng) is a casual, spoken word that sits between 比较 and 很 in strength. It means "quite" or "pretty" and adds a note of mild approval or pleasant surprise.

• 这个挺好的。(Zhège tǐng hǎo de.) -- This is pretty good.
• 她挺聪明的。(Tā tǐng cōngming de.) -- She's quite smart.
• 这里挺热闹的。(Zhèlǐ tǐng rènào de.) -- It's quite lively here.

挺 almost always ends with 的 in this pattern. Dropping 的 is possible but less common. 挺 is informal and conversational; you would not write it in a formal essay, but it is very natural in everyday speech.

极了: "extremely," at the end

极了 (jí le) means "extremely" and, unlike the adverbs above, it comes after the adjective rather than before it.

• 这个好吃极了。(Zhège hǎochī jí le.) -- This is extremely delicious.
• 她高兴极了。(Tā gāoxìng jí le.) -- She was overjoyed.
• 外面冷极了。(Wàimiàn lěng jí le.) -- It's extremely cold outside.

The placement at the end gives 极了 a slightly different rhythm and feel from the front-placed adverbs. It is a strong, genuine intensifier and works in both speech and writing.

死了: "to death," extremely colloquial

死了 (sǐ le) literally means "dead" but is used colloquially to mean "extremely" or "to death," as in "I'm bored to death" or "I'm starving." It also follows the adjective.

• 我累死了。(Wǒ lèi sǐ le.) -- I'm exhausted. (Literally: tired to death)
• 外面热死了。(Wàimiàn rè sǐ le.) -- It's absolutely boiling outside.
• 我饿死了。(Wǒ è sǐ le.) -- I'm starving.

死了 is very colloquial and very expressive. You will hear it constantly in casual conversation. It is not appropriate for formal writing but is entirely natural among friends.

A quick comparison

Word	Strength	Position	Register
比较	Mild	Before adjective	Neutral
挺	Moderate	Before adjective	Casual
很	Neutral to moderate	Before adjective	Everyday
非常	Strong	Before adjective	Neutral to formal
太...了	Strong to excessive	Around adjective	Everyday
极了	Extreme	After adjective	Neutral
死了	Extreme (colloquial)	After adjective	Very casual

These seven words cover almost every situation where you need to express degree. Getting the feel for each one, especially the difference between neutral 很 and genuinely emphatic 非常, will make your Chinese sound much more natural and expressive.