很 (hěn) — very; quite
Definition
The default everyday 'very' for casual speech. 非常 and 十分 sound more emphatic or written; 挺 is softer ('rather').
adverb
veryquite
Examples
- 很。Tā hěn gāo xìng.He is very happy.
- 很。Zhè ge píng guǒ hěn dà.This apple is very big.
- 很。Nǐ hěn hǎo.You are very kind.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
彳彳chì
Sound part声符shēngfú
艮
艮gèn很hěn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
很 is made from 彳, which points to its meaning, and 艮, which gives its sound.
Grammar
Appears in
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