Adjective Sentences

To describe something, use 很 (hěn) before the adjective.

Do not use 是 (shì). 茶是好 (Chá shì hǎo) is wrong. 茶很好 (Chá hěn hǎo) is natural.

Here 很 is often just the usual link. It does not always mean a strong "very".

This lets you describe anything — how something tastes, looks, or feels — which you'll want to do constantly once you start forming opinions in Chinese.

Structure

Subject + 很 + Adjective

茶很好。 Chá hěn hǎo. The tea is good.

Negative: Subject + 不 + Adjective

中文不难。 Zhōngwén bù nán. Chinese is not difficult.

Doubling the Adjective

Repeat a one-syllable adjective (AA), then add 的 at the end, for a livelier, more vivid description. Doubling the adjective already does the expressive work that 很 does, so drop 很 when you double.

Subject + AA的

房子大大的。 Fángzi dàdà de. The house is nice and big.

Examples

茶很好。 Chá hěn hǎo.

Breakdown: 茶 (tea) · 很 (link) · 好 (good)

→ The tea is good.

这个房子很大，那个房子很小。 Zhège fángzi hěn dà, nàge fángzi hěn xiǎo.

Breakdown: 这个房子 (this house) · 很 (link) · 大 (big) · 那个房子 (that house) · 很 (link) · 小 (small)

→ This house is big; that house is small.

哥哥很高，弟弟很矮。 Gēge hěn gāo, dìdi hěn ǎi.

Breakdown: 哥哥 (older brother) · 很 (link) · 高 (tall) · 弟弟 (younger brother) · 很 (link) · 矮 (short)

→ Older brother is tall; younger brother is short.

那个女孩很漂亮。 Nà ge nǚhái hěn piàoliang.

Breakdown: 那个女孩 (that girl) · 很 (link) · 漂亮 (pretty)

→ That girl is pretty.

夏天很热，冬天很冷。 Xiàtiān hěn rè, dōngtiān hěn lěng.

Breakdown: 夏天 (summer) · 很 (link) · 热 (hot) · 冬天 (winter) · 很 (link) · 冷 (cold)

→ Summer is hot; winter is cold.

我爸爸很忙。 Wǒ bàba hěn máng.

Breakdown: 我爸爸 (my dad) · 很 (link) · 忙 (busy)

→ My dad is busy.

他的车很快，我的车很慢。 Tā de chē hěn kuài, wǒ de chē hěn màn.

Breakdown: 他的车 (his car) · 很 (link) · 快 (fast) · 我的车 (my car) · 很 (link) · 慢 (slow)

→ His car is fast; my car is slow.

这个房子很新，那个房子很老。 Zhège fángzi hěn xīn, nàge fángzi hěn lǎo.

Breakdown: 这个房子 (this house) · 很 (link) · 新 (new) · 那个房子 (that house) · 很 (link) · 老 (old)

→ This house is new; that house is old.

中文不难。 Zhōngwén bù nán.

Breakdown: 中文 (Chinese) · 不 (not) · 难 (difficult)

→ Chinese is not difficult.

房子大大的。 Fángzi dàdà de.

Breakdown: 房子 (house) · 大大 (big, doubled) · 的 (descriptive ending)

→ The house is nice and big.

猫小小的，很可爱。 Māo xiǎoxiǎo de, hěn kě'ài.

Breakdown: 猫 (cat) · 小小 (small, doubled) · 的 (descriptive ending) · 很可爱 (very cute)

→ The cat is small and cute.

Common Mistakes

Using 是 before an adjective

- Incorrect: 茶是好。 (Chá shì hǎo.) - Correct: 茶很好。 (Chá hěn hǎo.) — The tea is good.

Dropping 很 entirely

- Incorrect: 茶好。 (Chá hǎo.) - Correct: 茶很好。 (Chá hěn hǎo.) — The tea is good.

A bare Subject + Adjective sentence sounds like an implied contrast — add 很 for a neutral statement.

Adding 很 to a doubled adjective

- Incorrect: 房子很大大的。 (Fángzi hěn dàdà de.) - Correct: 房子大大的。 (Fángzi dàdà de.) — The house is nice and big.

The reduplication itself is already expressive, so 很 is redundant on top of it.

What Can You Say Now?

You can now give opinions and descriptions instead of only naming things — 学校很大 (The school is big), 中文不难 (Chinese is not difficult). You can also make a description more vivid with a doubled adjective, like 大大的 or 小小的. Try describing your lunch out loud both ways: 很好吃 and, more vividly, 香香的.

Quick Summary

Subject + 很 + Adjective. No 是: 茶很好。 For a vivid description, double the adjective and add 的, no 很: 房子大大的。