HSK 1Adverbs

很(hěn)

Very (Adjective Linker)

Structure Pattern

Subject+很+Adjective

Explanation

很 (hěn) literally means "very," but in Chinese it's commonly used to link a subject to an adjective without necessarily emphasizing degree. In "Subject + 很 + Adjective" patterns, 很 often just acts as the "glue" (like "is" in English) rather than actually meaning "very."

Example Sentences

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他很高。

Tā hěn gāo.

He is tall.

今天很热。

Jīntiān hěn rè.

Today is hot.

这个菜很好吃。

Zhège cài hěn hǎochī.

This dish is delicious.

中文很难。

Zhōngwén hěn nán.

Chinese is difficult.

Common Mistakes

❌

Common Mistake

她是漂亮。

✅

Correct Usage

她很漂亮。

info

Use 很, not 是, to link subjects to adjectives.

adverbbasicadjectivedegree

Related Grammar Points

是HSK 1

To Be

shì

是 (shì) is one of the most fundamental verbs in Chinese. It functions like "to be" in English but is used specifically to link a subject to a noun or pronoun — NOT to an adjective. Unlike English, you don't use 是 to say "I am happy" (that uses 很 instead). Think of 是 as an equals sign: A 是 B means "A = B".

Sentence Structure4 examples

Master 很

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