<p>很 can also be translated as &quot;quite&quot;.</p>
<p>There is an answer to this question here:</p>
<p><a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Simple_%22noun_%2B_adjective%22_sentences" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Simple_%22noun_%2B_adjective%22_sentences</a></p>
<p>I think the key takeaway from that article is:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Sometimes the 很 (hěn) in this structure is translated as &quot;very,&quot; but
often it is just a way to link a noun to an adjective.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>If you wanted to say &quot;he is very tall&quot; or &quot;he is extremely tall&quot;, I advise one of the following:</p>
<p>他非常高  tā fēicháng gāo<br />
他十分高  tā shífēn gāo<br />
他高级了 tā gāo jí le</p>
<p>他很高 just means &quot;he is tall&quot;.</p>
<p>You may find it helpful to know that some experts prefer to use the term &quot;stative verb&quot; instead of &quot;adjective&quot;. This is because Chinese adjectives actually behave like verbs.</p>
<p>Here is an introduction to this topic, from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABC_Chinese%E2%80%93English_Dictionary" rel="nofollow noreferrer">ABC dictionary</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>S.V. (Stative Verb, Xíngróngcí 形容词). These entries are frequently
translated into English as adjectives, even though they actually
behave in Chinese as verbs. That is, the sense of 'to be' is already
incorporated into these verbs, e.g. Zhèige hěn hǎo 'This is quite
good.' In fact, it is simply ungrammatical to place the verb shì, 'to
be', directly in front of a stative verb. Because stative verbs are
actually verbs, they are directly negated by bù, e.g. bù hǎo 'not
good', and can be further modified by adverbs of degree such as hěn
'quite', fēicháng 'extremely' and shífēn 'very; utterly'. One common
function of stative verbs is that they may serve as adverbs to other
actions, e.g. mànmàn in mànmàn chī 'Take your time (eating)' and
rènzhēn in rènzhēn de xiě 'write carefully'.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>(copied from a <a href="https://iphone.pleco.com/manual/229/abc.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">page housed by Pleco</a>)</p>
<p>(Added, #1)
The above does not fully answer the question. There are cases when 很 does mean &quot;very&quot;. One example seems to be the structure &quot; adj. + 得 + 很&quot; eg:</p>
<p>这几天热得很 / zhè jǐ tiān rè de hěn / It's been very hot these last few days<br />
他这个人好得很 / tā zhè ge rén hǎo de hěn / He's a very good man</p>
<p>Here's another example with a different structure:<br />
他觉得很不好受 / tā juéde hěn bù hǎoshòu / He felt very bad</p>
<p>These examples are from the <a href="http://plecosoft.com/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Pleco dictionary</a>. I am not able to provide an exhaustive description of all the cases when 很 should be translated by &quot;very&quot;.</p>
<p>One more example, compare:
他身体很好 / He's fine (talking about health)<br />
, with:<br />
他身体不很好 / He isn't <em>very</em> well</p>
<p>Just to show that English isn't very logical here either.</p>
<p>(Added, #2) Another way of coupling an adjective with a noun is the structure &quot;N (noun) + A (adj.) + 了&quot;, as far as I know it means that &quot;N is A (but was not A, previously)&quot;. Or alternatively, that &quot;N has become A&quot;</p>
<p>An example: 他高了 / tā gāo le  / he has become tall / He is tall (before, he wasn't tall)</p>
<p>It's not entirely clear to me in what way 他高了 and 他高级了 are related. Maybe I'll ask a separate question about that myself at some point. I suppose it's something subtle related to the usage of the perfective 了.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-15T10:28:34.403Z
2021-12-15T14:51:33.360Z
2021-12-15T14:51:33.360Z
goPlayerJuggler
<p>Not to disagree with the above, but some differences in view.</p>
<p>When answering the question &quot;你好嗎?&quot;</p>
<ul>
<li><p>我<strong>很</strong>好. - I am <strong>very</strong> well (also &quot;I feel <strong>very</strong> good&quot;).</p>
</li>
<li><p>我好. - I am well (also, &quot;I feel good&quot;. or &quot;I am fine&quot;).</p>
</li>
<li><p>好. - Good (also &quot;Fine&quot;).</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>To address the relative height of a person:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>He is a tall person. 他是一個高個子.</p>
</li>
<li><p>He is a <strong>very</strong> tall person. 他是一個<strong>很</strong>高的高個子.</p>
</li>
<li><p>He is <strong>very</strong> tall. 他<strong>很</strong>高 (also 他<strong>非常</strong>高, or 他<strong>相當</strong>高).</p>
</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-15T17:36:15.410Z
It's interesting how opinions differ on this. As I'm not a native speaker I based my answer on some sources for students; your input is valuable because it gives a different perspective.
goPlayerJuggler
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-15T17:57:05.403Z
@goPlayerJuggler Yes, it is the opinion of a native speaker :)  Similar to English, "很" is to be used when one wants to enlarge/emphasize something to distinguish it from the ordinary - a modifier to the subject. The difference is small, yet it is there.
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-15T22:30:46.440Z
how would you say "he is tall"? (Not, "he is a tall person") would you say "他高" rather than "他很高" ？
goPlayerJuggler
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-15T23:13:37.600Z
The first is Grammarly incorrect, the second is fine, but we can say 他相當高, as 相當 is relatively speaking, not an over-emphasis of his height. In English, the sentence would be: "Compare to kids at his same age, he is tall" - "和同齡的孩子相較,他相當高", or "和同齡的孩子相較,他(算)是高的". 很高 implies he is way higher than others, which may not be the case.
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-15T23:26:27.607Z
This sentence is fine also: "和同齡的孩子相較, 他是高!" - a confirmative exclamation.
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-16T08:53:40.903Z
他相當高 corresponds to "He is rather tall" or "he is quite tall". How about "he is tall"? Can this be translated by anything other than 他很高? You have provided interesting examples but I would like to stick to the original grammar question.
goPlayerJuggler
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-16T12:41:23.737Z
@goPlayerJuggler Note, the translation is an art because more than often, there is no direct translation that can make good sense, especially through word by word, or stick to their grammar entirely. If you are insisting on talking grammar, then it should be "he is (是) tall". As I've pointed out, grammatically this translation is fine, when the situation is right to say so. In reverse, "他很(very)高" is grammatically correct in Chinese, but incorrect in English, so what you do but to add "is".
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-16T13:36:42.027Z
the aim is to better understand how the word 很 works and to see what information it carries in various cases, and in particular whether it is always an "intensifier" or not, as some authorities suggest. Part of this is to see how (grammatically correct) phrases in one language map to (grammatically correct) phrases in another language. I did not ask for word by word translation. I agree, sometimes a direct translation is not possible. I was just asking, what ways do we have to translate "he is tall"? I think we both agree, candidates are: 1) 他很高 2）他相当高.  thanks
goPlayerJuggler
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-16T14:09:26.957Z
Nobody will say you are wrong, but if you ask if there is a difference, "YES", I would respond so.
r13
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2021-12-15T15:21:44.240Z
2021-12-15T16:27:59.537Z
2021-12-15T16:27:59.537Z
r13
<p>Adjectives like smart, tall, beautiful, delicious...etc., are of the characteristics of a continuum:</p>
<ol>
<li>As a continuum, it has no ending point - one can be very, very, very beautiful, extremely beautiful. The highest degree is always beyond.</li>
<li>As a continuum, its elements are not perceptibly different from each other. To differentiate them, we need to use the highest degree as reference: the positive ones are oriented towards it while the negative ones away from it.</li>
</ol>
<p>In Chinese, adjectives of this kind must be oriented in cases like:</p>
<ul>
<li>他很聪明。</li>
<li>这个孩子非常顽皮。</li>
<li>你的鞋子真漂亮。</li>
<li>这些菜不好吃。</li>
</ul>
<p>很、非常、十分、相当、真 ...etc., are markers that indicate an orientation towards the highest degree, with 很 being the prototype. To orient away from the highest degree, we use 不.</p>
<p>If the context contains elements of contrast or comparison, these markers may not be necessary, as the orientation already comes with the contrast or comparison:</p>
<ul>
<li>他有两个儿子，一个聪明，一个愚蠢。</li>
<li>我这件衣服漂亮吗？(pretty or not pretty?)</li>
<li>小明好像高了。(He is taller than he used to be.)</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-16T15:11:46.220Z
2021-12-16T15:11:46.220Z
KK_Tse
<p>In fact, 很 usually is 'very'. 很 is an adverb. Because there isn't linking verb like 'be' in Chinese that we have to find some adverbs of degree into 他 and 高 like 他很高；他挺高的；他有点高.</p>
<p>For example when I want to translate 'he is tall' into Chinese, I have to add a '很' between them, and when I translate 'he is very tall', I will write 他非常高.</p>
<p>In daily life, when we express 'very' we can stress the word 很 or use 非常, 特别, 十分, 太……了 instead. Strictly speaking, 他高，他瘦，她漂亮 this usage is legal and will not be regarded as an ill-chosen expression (grammar mistake).</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-16T20:04:33.907Z
2021-12-16T22:18:20.697Z
2021-12-16T22:18:20.697Z
CallmeT
<p>So, a textbook i purchased has 很 used in the sentence “我很好” but states it only means &quot;I'm good&quot;, yet, in the vocabulary section, it expresses that 很 means &quot;very&quot;. How are you able to tell when it means &quot;very&quot; and when it is a connection particle? I also want be able to say &quot;He is very tall.&quot;, would &quot;他很高“ be able to express this?</p>

<grammar><meaning>
How do you know when 很 means 'very' or connects nouns and adjectives?
# How do you know when 很 means 'very' or connects nouns and adjectives?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-12-15)

So, a textbook i purchased has 很 used in the sentence “我很好” but states it only means "I'm good", yet, in the vocabulary section, it expresses that 很 means "very". How are you able to tell when it means "very" and when it is a connection particle? I also want be able to say "He is very tall.", would "他很高“ be able to express this?

**Tags:** grammar, meaning


---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-12-15. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

很 can also be translated as "quite".

There is an answer to this question here:

<https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Simple_%22noun_%2B_adjective%22_sentences>

I think the key takeaway from that article is:

> Sometimes the 很 (hěn) in this structure is translated as "very," but
> often it is just a way to link a noun to an adjective.

If you wanted to say "he is very tall" or "he is extremely tall", I advise one of the following:

他非常高 tā fēicháng gāo  
他十分高 tā shífēn gāo  
他高级了 tā gāo jí le

他很高 just means "he is tall".

You may find it helpful to know that some experts prefer to use the term "stative verb" instead of "adjective". This is because Chinese adjectives actually behave like verbs.

Here is an introduction to this topic, from the [ABC dictionary](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABC_Chinese%E2%80%93English_Dictionary):

> S.V. (Stative Verb, Xíngróngcí 形容词). These entries are frequently
> translated into English as adjectives, even though they actually
> behave in Chinese as verbs. That is, the sense of 'to be' is already
> incorporated into these verbs, e.g. Zhèige hěn hǎo 'This is quite
> good.' In fact, it is simply ungrammatical to place the verb shì, 'to
> be', directly in front of a stative verb. Because stative verbs are
> actually verbs, they are directly negated by bù, e.g. bù hǎo 'not
> good', and can be further modified by adverbs of degree such as hěn
> 'quite', fēicháng 'extremely' and shífēn 'very; utterly'. One common
> function of stative verbs is that they may serve as adverbs to other
> actions, e.g. mànmàn in mànmàn chī 'Take your time (eating)' and
> rènzhēn in rènzhēn de xiě 'write carefully'.

(copied from a [page housed by Pleco](https://iphone.pleco.com/manual/229/abc.html))

(Added, #1)
The above does not fully answer the question. There are cases when 很 does mean "very". One example seems to be the structure " adj. + 得 + 很" eg:

这几天热得很 / zhè jǐ tiān rè de hěn / It's been very hot these last few days  
他这个人好得很 / tā zhè ge rén hǎo de hěn / He's a very good man

Here's another example with a different structure:  
他觉得很不好受 / tā juéde hěn bù hǎoshòu / He felt very bad

These examples are from the [Pleco dictionary](http://plecosoft.com/). I am not able to provide an exhaustive description of all the cases when 很 should be translated by "very".

One more example, compare:
他身体很好 / He's fine (talking about health)  
, with:  
他身体不很好 / He isn't *very* well

Just to show that English isn't very logical here either.

(Added, #2) Another way of coupling an adjective with a noun is the structure "N (noun) + A (adj.) + 了", as far as I know it means that "N is A (but was not A, previously)". Or alternatively, that "N has become A"

An example: 他高了 / tā gāo le / he has become tall / He is tall (before, he wasn't tall)

It's not entirely clear to me in what way 他高了 and 他高级了 are related. Maybe I'll ask a separate question about that myself at some point. I suppose it's something subtle related to the usage of the perfective 了.


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2021-12-15. Score: 1

Not to disagree with the above, but some differences in view.

When answering the question "你好嗎?"

* 我**很**好. - I am **very** well (also "I feel **very** good").
* 我好. - I am well (also, "I feel good". or "I am fine").
* 好. - Good (also "Fine").

To address the relative height of a person:

* He is a tall person. 他是一個高個子.
* He is a **very** tall person. 他是一個**很**高的高個子.
* He is **very** tall. 他**很**高 (also 他**非常**高, or 他**相當**高).

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: It's interesting how opinions differ on this. As I'm not a native speaker I based my answer on some sources for students; your input is valuable because it gives a different perspective.  
> **username_2**: @username_1 Yes, it is the opinion of a native speaker :)  Similar to English, "很" is to be used when one wants to enlarge/emphasize something to distinguish it from the ordinary - a modifier to the subject. The difference is small, yet it is there.  
> **username_1**: how would you say "he is tall"? (Not, "he is a tall person") would you say "他高" rather than "他很高" ？  
> **username_2**: The first is Grammarly incorrect, the second is fine, but we can say 他相當高, as 相當 is relatively speaking, not an over-emphasis of his height. In English, the sentence would be: "Compare to kids at his same age, he is tall" - "和同齡的孩子相較,他相當高", or "和同齡的孩子相較,他(算)是高的". 很高 implies he is way higher than others, which may not be the case.  
> **username_2**: This sentence is fine also: "和同齡的孩子相較, 他是高!" - a confirmative exclamation.  
> **username_1**: 他相當高 corresponds to "He is rather tall" or "he is quite tall". How about "he is tall"? Can this be translated by anything other than 他很高? You have provided interesting examples but I would like to stick to the original grammar question.  
> **username_2**: @username_1 Note, the translation is an art because more than often, there is no direct translation that can make good sense, especially through word by word, or stick to their grammar entirely. If you are insisting on talking grammar, then it should be "he is (是) tall". As I've pointed out, grammatically this translation is fine, when the situation is right to say so. In reverse, "他很(very)高" is grammatically correct in Chinese, but incorrect in English, so what you do but to add "is".  
> **username_1**: the aim is to better understand how the word 很 works and to see what information it carries in various cases, and in particular whether it is always an "intensifier" or not, as some authorities suggest. Part of this is to see how (grammatically correct) phrases in one language map to (grammatically correct) phrases in another language. I did not ask for word by word translation. I agree, sometimes a direct translation is not possible. I was just asking, what ways do we have to translate "he is tall"? I think we both agree, candidates are: 1) 他很高 2）他相当高.  thanks  
> **username_2**: Nobody will say you are wrong, but if you ask if there is a difference, "YES", I would respond so.  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2021-12-16. Score: 0

Adjectives like smart, tall, beautiful, delicious...etc., are of the characteristics of a continuum:

1. As a continuum, it has no ending point - one can be very, very, very beautiful, extremely beautiful. The highest degree is always beyond.
2. As a continuum, its elements are not perceptibly different from each other. To differentiate them, we need to use the highest degree as reference: the positive ones are oriented towards it while the negative ones away from it.

In Chinese, adjectives of this kind must be oriented in cases like:

* 他很聪明。
* 这个孩子非常顽皮。
* 你的鞋子真漂亮。
* 这些菜不好吃。

很、非常、十分、相当、真 ...etc., are markers that indicate an orientation towards the highest degree, with 很 being the prototype. To orient away from the highest degree, we use 不.

If the context contains elements of contrast or comparison, these markers may not be necessary, as the orientation already comes with the contrast or comparison:

* 他有两个儿子，一个聪明，一个愚蠢。
* 我这件衣服漂亮吗？(pretty or not pretty?)
* 小明好像高了。(He is taller than he used to be.)


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2021-12-16. Score: 0

In fact, 很 usually is 'very'. 很 is an adverb. Because there isn't linking verb like 'be' in Chinese that we have to find some adverbs of degree into 他 and 高 like 他很高；他挺高的；他有点高.

For example when I want to translate 'he is tall' into Chinese, I have to add a '很' between them, and when I translate 'he is very tall', I will write 他非常高.

In daily life, when we express 'very' we can stress the word 很 or use 非常, 特别, 十分, 太……了 instead. Strictly speaking, 他高，他瘦，她漂亮 this usage is legal and will not be regarded as an ill-chosen expression (grammar mistake).


---

