Degree Complements: Adj+得很/极了/死了
Unlike 很 (which goes BEFORE an adjective: 很好), these degree complements go AFTER: Adjective + 得很/极了/死了.
得很 — "very," a neutral colloquial intensifier. 这家餐厅的菜好吃得很。
极了 — "extremely," a strong, enthusiastic tone common in exclamations. 这次旅行有意思极了！
死了 — "to death, incredibly" — hyperbolic exaggeration, most often with uncomfortable feelings (累、饿、热、冷、渴). 今天热死了！
Rule: never double up with 很 before the adjective as well — ❌ 很好极了 → ✅ 好极了.
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 这道菜辣得很，你要小心。 | Zhè dào cài là de hěn, nǐ yào xiǎoxīn. | This dish is very spicy, be careful. | Adjective (辣) + 得很, a neutral colloquial intensifier. |
| 今天的天气好极了，我们去公园吧。 | Jīntiān de tiānqì hǎo jí le, wǒmen qù gōngyuán ba. | The weather today is fantastic, let's go to the park. | Adjective (好) + 极了, an enthusiastic, exclamation-style intensifier. |
| 排了两个小时的队，我们都累死了。 | Páile liǎng ge xiǎoshí de duì, wǒmen dōu lèi sǐ le. | We waited in line for two hours, we're exhausted. | Adjective (累) + 死了, a hyperbolic intensifier typically paired with uncomfortable feelings, reinforced here by the two-hour wait. |
What you need first
Every topic in GraphChinese names its own prerequisites, and these are the grammar points this one is built on. If a sentence here will not parse, one of them is why.
What this opens up
These patterns list Degree Complements among their own prerequisites, so they become readable once this one holds.
The same pattern at other levels
- Degree Complements — HSK 2
Degree Complements is one topic of 829. GraphChinese teaches them in prerequisite order, so this pattern reaches you on the day everything it rests on is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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