In Chinese, adjectives have placement and usage rules quite different from those we are used to in other languages. We explain how they work:
Position of Adjectives
In Chinese, adjectives are always placed in front of the noun they describe. This is a general rule and it is important to follow it for the sentence to be grammatically correct. In Chinese, it is not imperative to use a verb like 是 [shì] "to be" to express the characteristic of the noun. The adjective connects directly with the noun.
| Examples | ||
|---|---|---|
| hanzi | pinyin | meaning |
| 这只小狗 | zhè zhī xiǎo gǒu |
This dog is small Literal translation: "This small dog" |
| 这辆快车 | zhè liàng kuài chē |
This car is fast Literal translation: "This fast car" |
Use of the Particle 的 [de]
The particle 的 [de] is used to connect adjectives of more than one character with the noun. This helps to specify the relationship between the adjective and the noun.
| Examples | ||
|---|---|---|
| hanzi | pinyin | meaning |
| 我喜欢吃红色的苹果 | wǒ xǐhuān chī hóngsè de píngguǒ | I like eating red apples |
| 这是一个聪明的学生 | zhè shì yīgè cōngmíng de xuéshēng | This is a smart student |
Expressing Degree with 很 [hěn]
To express the intensity of a quality, the particle 很 [hěn] is used before the adjective.
| Examples | ||
|---|---|---|
| hanzi | pinyin | meaning |
| 这个苹果很大 | zhège píngguǒ hěn dà | This apple is very big |
| 她的老师很好 | tā de lǎoshī hěn hǎo | Her teacher is very good |
