Degree Adverbs — From "A Little" to "Extremely"

Overview

If you have ever tried to say something is "very good" or "a little tired" in Chinese, you have probably faced a confusing choice: 很, 非常, 特别, 极了, or 死了? Unlike English, which just uses "very" for most situations, Chinese divides these intensifiers into three clear levels (Medium, Strong, Extreme). Furthermore, some of these words are actually grammatical linkers rather than true intensifiers, and some must be placed after the adjective instead of before it. This guide gives you a complete, structured overview — the most common degree adverbs, their exact positions, their intensity levels, and what to do when a literal translation sounds unnatural.

Chinese sorts its intensifiers (很, 非常, 特别, 极了, 死了…) into three levels — and some are grammatical linkers rather than "very," while others go after the adjective. This guide covers each one's meaning, intensity, and position.

So many ways to say “very” — this guide sorts them by intensity and position.

Summary Table — Core Degree Adverbs

From a plain “not bad” (不错) all the way up to “dying” (死了) — six degrees of intensity.

Where Do They Go? — Core Structure

Before looking at meanings, you must understand the two position groups. This is the most basic rule: most degree adverbs come before the adjective, but the two "extreme" phrases 极了 and 死了 come after it.

Most degree adverbs go before the adjective; only 极了 and 死了 go after it.

Group 1 (很, 非常, 特别) goes before the adjective; Group 2 (极了, 死了) goes after it.

Important note: You can never swap these positions.

Intensity Levels — Detailed Breakdown

Each section below covers one intensity level in detail — what the word does, where it goes, and native examples. Click any section to expand it.

Tap any section below to expand its full explanation and examples.

Special Cases and Important Rules

A. The “False Friend” — 很 is not always “Very”

This is the single most common mistake. In English, we say "She is beautiful." In Chinese, if you say 她漂亮 without 很, it sounds like you are contrasting her with someone else ("She is beautiful, but…"). To make a simple, neutral statement, you must put 很 before the adjective. Think of 很 as a grammatical bridge, not a translation of "very".

很 is a grammatical bridge, not "very." 她漂亮 (without 很) sounds contrastive/incomplete — a neutral statement needs 她很漂亮.

B. The Awkwardness of “有点儿 + Positive Adjective” — use 不错

In Chinese, we almost never say 有点儿好 (a little good) or 有点儿漂亮 (a little beautiful). "A little" + a purely positive quality sounds illogical and unnatural to native speakers. The fix: if you want to say something is "not bad" or "pretty good" (a mild positive), use the adjective 不错 (bùcuò). 不错 is an adjective itself, meaning "not bad / pretty good". It does not need a degree adverb in front of it; it stands alone.

Don't say 有点儿好 / 有点儿漂亮 — "a little" + a positive quality is unnatural. For a mild positive, use 不错 ("not bad / pretty good"), which stands alone.

Quick rule: Reserve 有点儿 for neutral or slightly negative adjectives (有点儿累, 有点儿贵). For mild positive feedback, skip the adverb and use 不错 directly.

天气有点儿好 ❌ (awkward) — 天气不错 ✅ (natural).

Comparison — Same Adjective, All Options

To see the full range, here is how the sentence “Today is good” changes depending on the degree adverb you choose.

Drills

Choose the correct word for each blank. Use the English hint under each sentence to judge the intended degree, and watch the position (before or after the adjective). Click 🔀 New Questions for a fresh set of 10 from the full 70-sentence pool.

Notes

• 有点儿 is often shortened to 有点 in speech and writing; both are correct.
• 极了 and 死了 are degree complements (they follow the adjective), while 有点儿, 很, 非常, and 特别 are degree adverbs (they precede it).
• 太 (tài) is another common “before” intensifier, usually in the frame 太……了 (太好了！ “great!”).

Sources

HSK Standard Course 1 — 很, 太, 有点儿 (degree adverbs) HSK Standard Course 3 — 非常, 特别, 极了, 死了 (程度补语 degree complements) Mandarin Grammar References — Degree Adverbs chapter