In English, you might use the expression "you scared me to death!" In
Chinese, 死了 (sǐ le) is used similarly to intensify an adjective with
an unpleasant connotation.

Structure
---------

The "Subject" part below is actually optional, you can still make your
over-the-top exclamations without it.

<div class="jiegou">
Adj. + 死了

</div>
This structure is technically a kind of [degree
complement](degree_complement "wikilink").

Examples
--------

<div class="liju">
-   我 <strong>饿</strong> <em>死了</em>。<span class="expl">Literally,
    "hungry to death"</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ <strong>è </strong>
    <em>sǐ le</em>! </span><span class="trans">I'm starving! </span>
-   今天 <strong>累</strong>
    <em>死了</em>。<span class="expl">Literally, "tired to
    death"</span><span class="pinyin">Jīntiān <strong>lèi </strong>
    <em>sǐ le</em>! </span><span class="trans">Today was so
    exhausting!</span>
-   <strong>热</strong> <em>死了</em>！<span class="expl">Literally,
    "hot to death"</span><span class="pinyin"><Strong>Rè </strong>
    <em>sǐ le</em>! </span><span class="trans">It's ridiculously hot!
    </span>
-   这 几 天 <strong>忙</strong>
    <em>死了</em>。<span class="expl">Literally, "busy to
    death"</span><span class="pinyin"> Zhè jǐ tiān <strong>máng
    </strong> <em>sǐ le</em>! </span><span class="trans">It's been so
    terribly busy these days! </span>
-   这 件 衣服 <strong>丑</strong>
    <em>死了</em>。<span class="expl">Literally, "ugly to
    death"</span><span class="pinyin">Zhè jiàn yīfu
    <strong>chǒu</strong> <em>sǐ le</em>!
    </span><span class="trans">This clothing is totally hideous! </span>
-   你 的 房间 <strong>脏</strong>
    <em>死了</em>。<span class="expl">Literally, "dirty to
    death"</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐ de fángjiān
    <strong>zāng</strong> <em>sǐ le</em>!
    </span><span class="trans">Your room is absolutely filthy! </span>
-   <strong>吵</strong> <em>死了</em>！<span class="expl">Literally,
    "noisy to death"</span><span class="pinyin"><strong>Chǎo</strong>
    <em>sǐ le</em>! </span><span class="trans">It's so terribly noisy!
    </span>
-   这里 的 东西 <strong>贵</strong>
    <em>死了</em>。<span class="expl pdf-short-expl">Literally,
    "expensive to death"</span><span class="pinyin">Zhèlǐ de dōngxi
    <strong>guì </strong><em>sǐ le</em>! </span><span class="trans">The
    things here are criminally expensive! </span>
-   我们 都 <strong>急</strong>
    <em>死了</em>。<span class="expl">Literally, "anxious to
    death"</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒmen dōu <Strong>jí</strong>
    <em>sǐ le</em>! </span><span class="trans">We are all so terribly
    anxious! </span>
-   这 个 孩子 <strong>烦</strong>
    <em>死了</em>。<span class="expl">Literally, "annoying to
    death"</span><span class="pinyin">Zhège háizi <Strong>fán</strong>
    <em>sǐ le</em>! </span><span class="trans">This kid is so freaking
    annoying! </span>

</div>
None of these sentences actually refers to someone dying. Instead the
word 死了 (sǐ le) and the structure is simply used to intensify an
adjective. Notice how these are awkward to translate into English; the
translations above took a number of different angles to create the same
impact as -死了 (sǐ le) does in Chinese. You might say that -死了 (sǐ
le) is much more versatile in Chinese than the English expression "to
death."

For Positive Connotations
-------------------------

Traditionally, -死了 (sǐ le) is only for adjectives with negative
connotations, while positive connotations use a similar degree
complement, [极了 (jí
le)](Positive_adjectives_with_"-ji_le" "wikilink"). In recent years,
however, it's become quite popular to also use -死了 (sǐ le) with
positive adjectives:

<div class="liju">
-   哇，<strong>可爱</strong> <em>死了</em> ！
    <span class="expl">Literally, "cute to
    death"</span><span class="pinyin">Wā, <strong>kě'ài</strong> <em>sǐ
    le</em>! </span><span class="trans">OMG, adorbs!</span>
-   <strong>漂亮</strong> <em>死了</em> ！ <span class="expl">Literally,
    "pretty to
    death"</span><span class="pinyin"><strong>Piàoliang</strong> <em>sǐ
    le</em>! </span><span class="trans">Drop-dead gorgeous!</span>
-   这 个 蛋糕 <strong>好吃</strong>
    <em>死了</em>。<span class="expl pdf-short-expl">Literally,
    "delicious to death"</span><span class="pinyin">Zhège dàngāo
    <strong>hǎochī</strong> <em>sǐ le</em>!
    </span><span class="trans">This cake is to die for!</span>

</div>
See Also
--------

-   [Degree complement](Degree_complement "wikilink")
-   [Adjectival complement "de
    hen"](Adjectival_complement_"de_hen" "wikilink")
-   [Positive adjectives with "-ji
    le"](Positive_adjectives_with_"-ji_le" "wikilink")

Sources and further reading
---------------------------

### Books

-   [New Practical Chinese Reader
    4 (新实用汉语课本4)](New_Practical_Chinese_Reader_4_(新实用汉语课本4) "wikilink") (p.
    104)
    [→buy](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561913192/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=7561913192)
-   [Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2
    (3rd ed)](Integrated_Chinese:_Level_1,_Part_2_(3rd_ed) "wikilink") (p.
    139)
    [→buy](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276709/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276709)
-   [Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second
    Edition](Chinese:_An_Essential_Grammar,_Second_Edition "wikilink") (p.
    105)
    [→buy](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415372615/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0415372615)
-   [Yufa!](Yufa! "wikilink") (p. 106)
    [→buy](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276709/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276709)

[Category:A2 grammar points](Category:A2_grammar_points "wikilink")
<Category:Adjectives>