Dictionary › 很

很

hěn

Old HSK 1 HSK 3.0 character level 1 Character

很 (hěn) means "(adverb of degree)". It is an HSK 3.0 level 1 word, and was HSK 1 in the old six-level list.

What 很 means

1. very; quite
2. (also, often used before an adjective without intensifying its meaning, i.e. as a meaningless syntactic element)

How 很 is used in grammar

很 is a grammar word. Each link goes to its own section: what it does in that pattern, the structure, three example sentences with pinyin, and the mistake to avoid.

• Degree Adverbs: 很/太/非常 (HSK 1)

The official HSK 3.0 grammar outline lists it at level 1, adverbs (程度副词).

Example sentences

• 很冷。
  It's cold.
• 很多!
  That's a lot!
• 很棒！
  Terrific!
• 很热。
  It's hot.
• 很好！
  That's good.
• 很远。
  It was very far.

Words starting with 很

• 很是hěn shì(formal) very; quite; deeply (usu. followed by a two-syllable adjective or verb)

Words containing 很

• 不很bù hěnnot very
• 得很de hěn(after an adjective) very

Characters built on 艮

These share the phonetic component 艮 (gěn), which is why their readings rhyme. Learning them as a family is far cheaper than learning them one at a time.

• 根gēnroot; basis; classifier for long slender objects, e.g. cigarettes, guitar strings
• 跟gēnheel; to follow closely; to go with
• 恨hènto hate; to regret
• 狠hěnruthless; fierce; ferocious; determined; resolute; to harden (one's heart)
• 痕hénscar; traces
• 恳kěnearnest
• 垦kěnto reclaim (land); to cultivate
• 茛gènranunculus

Characters that look like 很

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 根gēnroot; basis; classifier for long slender objects, e.g. cigarettes, guitar strings
• 恨hènto hate; to regret
• 眠miánto sleep; to hibernate
• 狠hěnruthless; fierce; ferocious; determined; resolute; to harden (one's heart)
• 狸lí(bound form) used in the names of small mammals
• 抿mǐnto smooth hair with a wet brush; (of a mouth, wing etc) to close lightly; to sip

Sounds the same

Read hěn, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 狠ruthless; fierce; ferocious; determined; resolute; to harden (one's heart)
• 佷to act contrary to
• 哏old variant of 狠; old variant of 很; also used as an exclamation of anger

Where 很 is taught

In the GraphChinese course it is part of Function Words and Adverbs (HSK 1), HSK 1 Characters · Set 4 (HSK 1), each one a topic in the dependency graph of HSK 1–6 that opens only once its prerequisites are solid.

Go deeper

• Every HSK 1 word, with the rest of its level.
• How characters are built from components.
• How to learn Chinese characters.
• The four tones and the neutral tone, to read hěn correctly.
• Look up another word in the free dictionary.