得很 vs 极了: what is the difference?
Both put a high degree after an adjective. 极了 is a bit more exclamatory, like 好看极了, and 得很 is plainer, like 好看得很. Neither takes 很 in front of the adjective.
| Word | Pinyin | What it does | Structure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 得很 | de hěn | Goes after an adjective to say it is true to a high degree. | Adjective + 得很 |
| 极了 | jí le | Goes after an adjective to say it is extremely so, mostly in speech. | Adjective + 极了 |
得很 (de hěn)
Goes after an adjective to say it is true to a high degree.
Structure: Adjective + 得很
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 他家离学校远得很。 | Tā jiā lí xué xiào yuǎn de hěn. | His home is very far from the school. |
| 昨天晚上的风大得很。 | Zuó tiān wǎn shàng de fēng dà de hěn. | The wind last night was very strong. |
| 这个孩子聪明得很，一学就会。 | Zhè gè hái zi cōng míng de hěn, yì xué jiù huì. | This child is very clever and learns as soon as he studies it. |
Not: 他很高得很。 得很 already carries the degree, so do not add 很 before the adjective.
极了 (jí le)
Goes after an adjective to say it is extremely so, mostly in speech.
Structure: Adjective + 极了
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 这首歌好听极了。 | Zhè shǒu gē hǎo tīng jí le. | This song is extremely nice to listen to. |
| 考试以前，我紧张极了。 | Kǎo shì yǐ qián, wǒ jǐn zhāng jí le. | Before the exam I was extremely nervous. |
| 夏天的北京热极了。 | Xià tiān de běi jīng rè jí le. | Beijing in summer is extremely hot. |
Not: 极了好吃。 极了 comes after the adjective: 好吃极了.
Where this comes from
The comparison is part of Degree Complements: Adj+得很/极了/死了 (HSK 3) in the grammar reference, which has the full explanation, more worked examples, and what to learn before and after it.
More pairs: 才 vs 就 · 朝 vs 向 · 从 vs 自从 · 大概 vs 恐怕 · 光 vs 只 · 互相 vs 相互 · 叫 vs 让 · 每 vs 各 · 听不懂 vs 没听懂 · 需要 vs 要 · 因为 vs 为了 · 只有…才 vs 只要…就 · all 81 pairs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between 得很 and 极了?
Both put a high degree after an adjective. 极了 is a bit more exclamatory, like 好看极了, and 得很 is plainer, like 好看得很. Neither takes 很 in front of the adjective.
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