(hěn) - very, quite in Mandarin
hěnTraditional: 很
Translation
very, quite
Test yourself on 很
Three quick questions. No account needed.
Know this word? Create a free account to track it.
Word origin
很 (hěn, 'very') is a phono-semantic compound built on 彳 (the 'step' radical, suggesting going) with 艮 (gěn) as the phonetic. The modern adverbial sense of degree developed from an earlier meaning of disobedience or stubbornness.
- Origin
- phono-semantic compound
- Root
- 彳 (step radical) + 艮 (gěn, phonetic)
Stroke order
很
Examples
。
This dish is very delicious.
，。
She is very smart and learns things quickly.
。
You look very beautiful today.
。
I am very happy to meet you.
。
This question is very important.
很 (hěn) functions as the standard degree adverb in Mandarin, equivalent to "very" or "quite" in English. One key grammatical point is that in Mandarin, adjectives used as predicates typically require an adverb like 很 before them - saying 她好 alone sounds incomplete or implies a comparison, while 她很好 is the natural neutral form meaning "she is fine/good."
The character combines the "heart/emotion" radical with a component suggesting stubbornness or going against, historically implying strong feeling. In modern usage it has neutralised to a simple intensifier, and native speakers often use it as a linking word without strong emphasis. When genuine emphasis is needed, 非常 (fēicháng) or 太 (tài) are preferred.
Where this fits
Appears in 5 words
Multi-character compounds in the corpus that contain 很.
Used in
Stories
(50)一人120
1 min read · Core 1000
孙老师说可以
1 min read · Core 1000
面试
2 min read · Core 5000
我只想买花
2 min read · Core 1000
天安门在哪儿？
2 min read · Core 5000
在浩轩的家
2 min read · Core 5000
小宇妈妈
2 min read · Core 1000
打电话
3 min read · Core 1000
看医生
3 min read · Core 1000
梓涵的家
3 min read · Core 5000
迷路
3 min read · Core 1000
去长城
3 min read · Core 5000
上班第一天
3 min read · Core 1000
生日的惊喜
3 min read · Core 1000
手机在哪儿
3 min read · Core 5000
春节的饺子
3 min read · Core 5000
今天我是校长
3 min read · Core 5000
下雨的下午
3 min read · Core 1000
今年回谁家？
3 min read · Core 1000
新工作的第一天
3 min read · Core 1000
新邻居
3 min read · Core 1000
新学生
3 min read · Core 5000
一起做饭
3 min read · Core 1000
端午节在新加坡
4 min read · Core 5000
寒假去台湾
4 min read · Core 5000
兼职面试
4 min read · Core 5000
老样子
4 min read · Core 1000
香港的暑假
4 min read · Core 5000
别人的信
5 min read · Core 5000
错过的火车
5 min read · Core 5000
火车晚了两个小时
5 min read · Core 5000
等了三年
5 min read · Core 5000
都变了
5 min read · Core 5000
山不见了
5 min read · Core 5000
后面的字
5 min read · Core 5000
今天不开门
5 min read · Core 5000
旧手机
5 min read · Core 5000
看场合
5 min read · Core 1000
楼上的声音
5 min read · Core 5000
那件事
5 min read · Core 5000
小芳的钥匙
5 min read · Core 5000
三天
5 min read · Core 5000
我老公找路
5 min read · Core 5000
欢迎再来
5 min read · Core 5000
被你发现了
5 min read · Core 5000
三条腿
5 min read · Core 5000
一直开
5 min read · Core 5000
有钱没时间
5 min read · Core 5000
中间的树
5 min read · Core 5000
走廊上的翻译
5 min read · Core 5000
Grammar articles
(55)Mandarin Adjectives: Why 'I Am Cold' Is 我冷, Not 我是冷
Mandarin Adjectives Before Nouns: When to Use 的 (de)
Advanced Mandarin Grammar (C1-C2, HSK 6): What Changes
Not Only... But Also in Mandarin: 不但...而且
Mandarin Causatives: 使 (shǐ), 令 (lìng) and 让 (ràng)
Mandarin Grammar Cheatsheet: The Essentials, One Page
Mandarin 除了...以外: Except, or Besides?
Mandarin Measure Words (Classifiers): The Core 12 and 个
Mandarin Co-verbs: 从, 到, 在, 用, 给, 离 as Prepositions
Mandarin Comparatives: 比, 最 and 跟…一样 With Examples
Mandarin Complements: 得, Direction and Result After a Verb
Although in Mandarin: 虽然…还是, 不过 and 还是
Mandarin Conjunctions: 虽然…但是, 因为…所以 and More
The Mandarin Copula 是 (shì): To Be, and When to Leave It Out
大家 (Everyone) and Reflexive 自己 (Oneself) in Mandarin
How Tall, How Far in Mandarin: 多高, 多远, 多大 With 多
Figurative 起来, 下去 and 出来 in Mandarin
对 (duì) in Mandarin: 对…来说, To Someone, and 对…感兴趣
The Mandarin Particle 着 (zhe): States That Continue
Even Though and Even If in Mandarin: 虽然, 即使, 就算
There Is in Mandarin: 有, 来了一个人, 出现 and 发生
Chinese Filler Words: 嗯, 那个, 然后, 就是, 其实
Formal Mandarin Connectives: 然而, 因此, 于是 and 尽管
Mandarin Four-Character Idioms: The Patterns Behind Them
Mandarin Greetings and Survival Phrases: Say Something Today
得多, 极了, 不得了: Intensifying Adjectives in Mandarin
Intermediate Mandarin Grammar (B1-B2, HSK 4-5)
How to Use 了 (le) in Mandarin: Completion vs Change
Mandarin Noun Suffixes 子, 家 and 员: Things, Experts and Members
Possession in Mandarin: 的 (de) for My, Your and His
Mandarin Possession with 有 (yǒu): To Have
Mandarin Potential Complements: 听不懂, 吃不完, 买不起
Mandarin Question Words: 什么, 谁, 哪儿 and the Full List
Mandarin Sentence-Final Particles: 吧, 呢, 啊, 嘛 and 吗
Mandarin Slang: Chinese Internet Words Textbooks Skip
Mandarin 所 (suǒ): 所有, 所谓, 所 + Verb and 为...所
The Three de in Mandarin: 的 vs 得 vs 地
Reported Speech in Mandarin: 听说 and 说
Mandarin Tones: The Four Tones, Neutral Tone and the 3-3 Rule
Mandarin Topic-Comment Structure: Fronting the Object
为了 (In Order To) in Mandarin: Purpose Clauses
Chinese Sentence Structure: Mandarin Word Order Rules
No Matter What in Mandarin: 无论 and 不管...都
喜欢 vs 爱: Saying You Like or Love Something in Mandarin
Mandarin Suffixes 性 (xìng) and 化 (huà): -ness and -ise
Mandarin 也 (yě) and 都 (dōu): Also, All, and Where They Go
Mandarin Yes-No Questions: 吗 (ma), Echo Answers and 呢 (ne)
Mandarin 以 (yǐ): 以为, 以及, 以便, 以免 and 以来
一点儿也不 (yìdiǎnr yě bù): Not at All in Mandarin
又 vs 再 vs 还 in Mandarin: Three Ways to Say Again
The Mandarin 于 (yú) Family: 对于, 关于, 由于, 至于, 属于, 位于, 终于
越来越 and 越…越 in Mandarin: More and More, the More the More
The Mandarin Suffix 者 (zhě): 作者, 读者, 记者
Mandarin 之 (zhī): 之一, 之间, 三分之一 and 总之
只要…就 vs 只有…才 in Mandarin: As Long As, Only If
Add to review queue
Track this word in your spaced-repetition queue and be tested on it at the right interval.
Meet this word in a story
Every course has graded stories written only with words you have been taught, plus grammar drills, a games arcade and printable worksheets. Chapters 1 and 2 are free.
Chapters 1 and 2 free, forever. Plus: 7 days free, then $5 a month for all eleven languages.
Mandarin · Free printables
很: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "很" (very, quite): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
This word is taught in chapter 2, lesson 3: 很, 去, 啊 and 11 more words.