Level 1 - Lesson 12
After class or a meal, you give short opinions. The lesson keeps evaluations concrete and useful in everyday reactions.
Contains 2 words
to think; to feel
to love
Contains 3 words
Contains 4 words
Contains 2 words
Contains 2 words
我觉得很好
Wǒ juéde hěn hǎo
I think it is very good.
真好
Zhēn hǎo
Really good.
非常好
Fēicháng hǎo
Extremely good.
太好了
Tài hǎo le
That's great!
我觉得很好吃
Wǒ juéde hěn hǎochī
I think it is very delicious.
Situation: 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?
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.
really; truly
very; extremely
too; overly
delicious
good-looking; nice to look at
pleasant to hear
fun; enjoyable
beautiful; pretty
new
busy
happy; glad
中国菜很好吃
Zhōngguó cài hěn hǎochī
Chinese food is very delicious.
很好看
Hěn hǎokàn
Very good-looking.
很好听
Hěn hǎotīng
Very pleasant to hear.
很好玩儿
Hěn hǎowánr
Very fun.
很漂亮
Hěn piàoliang
Very beautiful.
很新
Hěn xīn
Very new.
我很忙
Wǒ hěn máng
I am very busy.
我爱妈妈
Wǒ ài māma
I love my mom.
方方
Fangfang
我觉得非常好吃。
I think it is extremely delicious.
美美
Meimei
还吃吗？
Do you want to eat more?
方方
Fangfang
吃，我还想吃。
Yes, I want to eat more.
Situation: 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.
Situation: 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.
Situation: 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.
真 (zhēn) gives a direct reaction to something just tasted or noticed.
真好吃。
It is really delicious.
The positive quality and excited context make 太…了 (tài…le) an enthusiastic ‘so…!’ reaction.
太好看了。
It is so good to read!
With an unwanted situation, the same 太…了 (tài…le) frame is naturally translated as ‘too….’
她太忙了。
She is too busy.
真好听。
It sounds really pleasant.
她非常漂亮。
She is very beautiful.
她太忙了。
She is too busy.
Dialogue 01: After a Meal, Turn 2
Strong food opinion
我觉得非常好吃。
I think it is extremely delicious.
Dialogue 01: After a Meal, Turn 3
Immediate reaction
真好吃。
It is really delicious.
Dialogue 02: Looking at a New Book, Turn 4
Strong liking and an excited reaction
我非常喜欢。太好看了。
I like it very much. It is great to read.
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.
