HSK 1Lesson 12
After class or a meal, you give short opinions. The lesson keeps evaluations concrete and useful in everyday reactions.
You will learn to make simple evaluations of food, books, language, people, and feelings.
Make simple evaluations of people, objects, activities, and feelings.
Part 1 · 13 new words
Contains 2 words
to think; to feel
to love
Contains 3 words
really; truly
very; extremely
Contains 4 words
delicious
good-looking; nice to look at
Contains 2 words
beautiful; pretty
new
Contains 2 words
busy
happy; glad
Part 2 · 13 phrases
我觉得很好
I think it is very good.
真好
Really good.
非常好
Extremely good.
太好了
That's great!
我觉得很好吃
I think it is very delicious.
中国菜很好吃
Chinese food is very delicious.
很好看
Very good-looking.
很好听
Very pleasant to hear.
Part 3 · 4 conversations
Two people evaluate Chinese food and decide whether to eat more.
美美Meimei
你觉得中国菜好吃吗？
Do you think Chinese food is delicious?
方方Fangfang
我觉得非常好吃。
I think it is extremely delicious.
美美Meimei
还吃吗？
Part 4 · 1 point
Degree adverbs
Choose 真zhēn for an immediate ‘really…!’ reaction, 非常fēicháng for a strong ‘very…’ description, and 太tài + adjective + 了le for an emphatic ‘so…!’ or context-dependent ‘too…’ reaction.
React with 真 (zhēn)
Gives an immediate ‘really…!’ reaction to something you notice.
too; overly
pleasant to hear
fun; enjoyable
很好玩儿
Very fun.
很漂亮
Very beautiful.
很新
Very new.
我很忙
I am very busy.
我爱妈妈
I love my mom.
Do you want to eat more?
方方Fangfang
吃，我还想吃。
Yes, I want to eat more.
Two students look at a new Chinese book and share short opinions about it.
美美Meimei
新书好看吗？
Is the new book good to read?
方方Fangfang
非常好看。
It looks very good.
美美Meimei
你喜欢吗？
Do you like it?
方方Fangfang
喜欢，我想读。
Yes, I like it. I want to read it.
One classmate's positive evaluation leads another to check next year's Chinese class.
美美Meimei
汉语课好玩儿吗？
Is Chinese class fun?
方方Fangfang
真好玩儿。
It is really fun.
美美Meimei
明年有汉语课吗？
Will there be Chinese class next year?
方方Fangfang
有，我明年学习汉语。
Yes. I will study Chinese next year.
A classmate asks whether a busy mother gets time to rest.
美美Meimei
你妈妈忙吗？
Is your mom busy?
方方Fangfang
很忙。
She is very busy.
美美Meimei
她休息吗？
Does she rest?
方方Fangfang
休息，她晚上休息。
Yes, she rests in the evening.
真好吃zhēn hǎochī sounds like an immediate reaction after tasting the food.
Describe a strong degree with 非常 (fēicháng)
States that a quality or feeling has a very high degree.
我非常喜欢wǒ fēicháng xǐhuan means ‘I like it very much.’
Exclaim with 太…了 (tài…le)
Expresses a striking degree: positive ‘so…!’ or unwanted ‘too…’ according to context.
太好看了tài hǎokàn le is delighted; 太忙了tài máng le describes more busyness than wanted.
In sentences
Quick reaction
真好吃。
It is really delicious.
真zhēn gives a direct reaction to something just tasted or noticed.
Positive so… exclamation
太好看了。
It is so good to read!
The positive quality and excited context make 太…了tài…le an enthusiastic ‘so…!’ reaction.
Unwanted too… degree
她太忙了。
She is too busy.
With an unwanted situation, the same 太…了tài…le frame is naturally translated as ‘too….’
真好听。
It sounds really pleasant.
她非常漂亮。
She is very beautiful.
These degree words make a description stronger, but they are not interchangeable. Put 真zhēn directly before an adjective for an immediate reaction to what you notice: 真好吃zhēn hǎochī, ‘really delicious.’ Put 非常fēicháng before an adjective or a feeling verb for a strong, straightforward degree: 非常漂亮fēicháng piàoliang, ‘very beautiful,’ or 非常喜欢fēicháng xǐhuan, ‘like very much.’
Use 太tài in the whole frame 太tài + adjective + 了le. With a positive quality and an excited context, 太好看了tài hǎokàn le means ‘It is so good to read!’ With an unwanted amount, 太忙了tài máng le means ‘too busy.’ The adjective and situation tell you whether English prefers ‘so’ or ‘too’; 太tài does not always signal a complaint.
