ChineseGrammarWiki/MD/A1/34.mw

{{Grammar Box}} 
In English, nouns can be "linked" to adjectives and other nouns with the verb "to be." In Chinese, [[noun]]s are linked to other nouns in one way, but linked to [[adjective]]s in a completely different way. Nouns are linked to other [[Connecting nouns with "shi"|nouns with 是 (shì)]]. Nouns are linked to adjectives with 很 (hěn).

== Structure ==

<div class="jiegou">

Noun + 很 + Adj.

</div>

The noun in this structure is the subject of the sentence. Sometimes the 很 (hěn) in this structure is translated as "very," but often it is just a way to link a noun to an adjective.

== Examples ==

In the  following examples, 很 (hěn) is just a link (you could think of it as a substitute for the verb "to be"), and the sentences could be translated as "(Noun) is (adjective)."

<div class="liju">

* 我 <em>很</em> 好。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>hěn</em> hǎo.</span><span class="trans">I'm good.</span>
* 你 <em>很</em> 漂亮。 <span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>hěn</em> piàoliang.</span><span class="trans">You are pretty.</span>
* 他 <em>很</em> 高兴。 <span class="pinyin">Tā <em>hěn</em> gāoxìng.</span><span class="trans">He is happy.</span>
* 中文 <em>很</em> 难。 <span class="pinyin">Zhōngwén <em>hěn</em> nán.</span><span class="trans">Chinese is difficult.</span>
* 老板 <em>很</em> 生气。 <span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn <em>hěn</em> shēngqì.</span><span class="trans">The boss is angry.</span>
* 我们 <em>很</em> 累。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <em>hěn</em> lèi.</span><span class="trans">We're tired.</span>
* 我 哥哥 也 <em>很</em> 高。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ gēge yě <em>hěn</em> gāo.</span><span class="trans">My older brother is also tall.</span>
* 你 家 也 <em>很</em> 远 吗？ <span class="pinyin"> Nǐ jiā yě <em>hěn</em> yuǎn ma?</span><span class="trans">Is your house also far away?</span>
* 爸爸 <em>很</em> 忙，妈妈 也 很 忙。 <span class="pinyin"> Bàba <em>hěn</em> máng, māma  yě hěn máng.</span><span class="trans">Dad is busy, and mom is also busy.</span>
* 他 和 他 弟弟  都 <em>很</em> 帅。 <span class="pinyin">Tā hé tā dìdi dōu <em>hěn</em> shuài.</span><span class="trans">He and his younger brother are both handsome.</span>

</div>

Remember that '''是 (shì) is not used to link adjectives to nouns'''. This is a classic mistake that almost everyone makes when learning Chinese. Make sure you use 很 (hěn) and not 是 (shì) to link adjectives to nouns, as shown below:

<div class="liju">

<ul>
<li class="x">他 <strong>是</strong> 高。<span class="pinyin">Tā <strong>shì</strong> gāo.</span></li>
<li class="o">他 <em>很</em> 高。 <span class="pinyin">Tā <em>hěn</em> gāo.</span><span class="trans">He is tall.</span>
</li>
</ul>

</div>

== What 很 (hěn) Really Means ==

If you're like most learners, when you first learn this pattern, you're thinking, ''"How can 很 (hěn) mean "very" one minute, but then nothing but a "link" the next? How do I know if anything means anything in this language?"'' That's a reasonable response.  But in the case of these "Noun + Adj." sentences, you just have to think of this usage of 很 (hěn) as an exception. It's just part of the structure.

If you actually want to add the meaning of "very" into the sentence, you could use another adverb instead of 很 (hěn). One good choice is 非常 (fēicháng).

<div class="liju">

<ul>
<li class="o">他 <strong>非常</strong> 高 。<span class="pinyin">Tā <strong>fēicháng</strong> gāo.</span><span class="trans">He is very tall.</span></li>
</ul>

</div>

==See also==

* [[Connecting nouns with "shi"]]

== Sources and further reading ==

===Videos===

* Yoyo Chinese: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDoyhfSUpII&list=PL94A5E422FB99CDDD "To be" + Adjectives]

=== Books ===

* [[Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar]] (pp. 56-8) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933330899/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1933330899 →buy] 
* [[Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition]] (pp. 44-5) [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 →buy]
* [[Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed)]] (pp. 126-8)　[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276385/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276385 →buy]
* [[New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)]] (pp. 20-1, 143) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561910401/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=7561910401 →buy]
* [[New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)(2nd ed)]] (pp. 23, 166, 249) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561926235/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=7561926235 →buy]
*[[40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册）]] (p. 86)[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FTL8D8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001FTL8D8&linkCode=as2&tag=allset-20 →buy] 

[[Category:A1 grammar points]]
{{Basic Grammar|很|A1|Noun + 很 + Adj.|我 <em>很</em> 好。|grammar point|ASG17BLH}}
{{Structure|Basics}}
{{Similar|Basic sentence order}}
{{Similar|"Both A and B" with "you"}}
{{Similar|The "zui" superlative}}
{{Similar|Connecting nouns with "shi"}}    
{{Similar|Special verbs with "hen"}}
{{Similar|Expressing "a little too" with "you dian"}}
{{Similar|Adjectives with "name" and "zheme"}}
{{Similar|Reduplication of adjectives}}
{{Similar|The "also" adverb}}
{{Used for|Expressing quality}}
{{Used for|Describing things}}
{{Translation|very}}
{{Translation|be}}
{{Translation|is}}