何其 (hé qí) — (literary adverb) how (so)!; what (a)! — used in exclamations to intensify an adjective

Definition

Literary exclamation word: 'how …!' / 'what a …!', placed before an adjective to intensify it (e.g. 何其荒唐 = 'how absurd'). Strongly written/formal, not used in everyday speech.

adverb
(literary adverb) how (so)!what (a)! — used in exclamations to intensify an adjective

Examples

  • 何其！
    hé qí Huāng táng de jiè kǒu!
    What an absurd excuse!
  • 何其，。
    Rén shēng hé qí duǎn zàn, wǒ men yīng dāng zhēn xī měi yì tiān.
    How short life is — we should cherish every day.
  • 何其？
    Nǐ hé qí rěn xīn shuō chū zhè yàng de huà?
    How could you be so heartless as to say such a thing?

Origin

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The old form of 何 drew a person carrying something on their shoulder. If the carried thing was a 戈, the 人 and 戈 parts together showed that picture.

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A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The modern form 其 comes from an early drawing of a basket, with a stand added underneath.

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