累坏了 vs 累得不得了: what is the difference?
Both mean extremely tired. 累坏了 is shorter and attaches directly. 累得不得了 is the longer form with 得. Neither needs 很.
| Word | Pinyin | What it does | Structure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 累坏了 | lèi huài le | The short form that attaches 坏了 to an adjective and says someone is extremely tired. | Adj + 坏了 |
| 累得不得了 | lèi de bù dé liǎo | The longer form that links 得 and 不得了 to an adjective and says someone is extremely tired. | Adj + 得 + 不得了 |
累坏了 (lèi huài le)
The short form that attaches 坏了 to an adjective and says someone is extremely tired.
Structure: Adj + 坏了
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 跑了一天，我累坏了。 | Pǎo le yì tiān, wǒ lèi huài le. | I ran around all day and I am worn out. |
| 他饿坏了，一口气吃了三碗饭。 | Tā è huài le, yì kǒu qì chī le sān wǎn fàn. | He was starving and ate three bowls of rice in one go. |
| 听到这个消息，孩子们高兴坏了。 | Tīng dào zhè ge xiāo xi, hái zi men gāo xìng huài le. | The children were thrilled to hear the news. |
Not: 我累坏。 坏 needs 了 after it: 我累坏了。
累得不得了 (lèi de bù dé liǎo)
The longer form that links 得 and 不得了 to an adjective and says someone is extremely tired.
Structure: Adj + 得 + 不得了
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 今天加班，我累得不得了。 | Jīn tiān jiā bān, wǒ lèi de bù dé liǎo. | I worked overtime today and I am exhausted. |
| 外面热得不得了。 | Wài miàn rè de bù dé liǎo. | It is terribly hot outside. |
| 她忙得不得了，没时间吃饭。 | Tā máng de bù dé liǎo, méi shí jiān chī fàn. | She is so busy that she has no time to eat. |
Not: 我累不得了。 Link the two parts with 得: 我累得不得了。
Where this comes from
The comparison is part of Degree & State Complements: 不得了、坏了、得+phrase (HSK 5) in the grammar reference, which has the full explanation, more worked examples, and what to learn before and after it.
More pairs: 从而 vs 因此 · 从…来看 vs 在…看来 · 大都 vs 都 · 跟…相比 vs 跟…一样 · 过于 vs 太 · 看不得 vs 看不懂 · 凭 vs 依据 · 起来 vs 下去 · 仍旧 vs 依旧 · 为了 vs 为的是 · 有 vs 有着 · 再次 vs 又 · all 81 pairs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between 累坏了 and 累得不得了?
Both mean extremely tired. 累坏了 is shorter and attaches directly. 累得不得了 is the longer form with 得. Neither needs 很.
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