TongTong
Sign in

甚至 (shèn zhì) — even; so much so that (emphasizing an extreme or surprising addition)

Definition

甚至 is the most common "even" for emphasizing an extreme or surprising addition (he doesn't even rest on weekends). Unlike 哪怕 or 纵然, it is NOT conditional — it doesn't mean "even if".

conjunction
evenso much so that (emphasizing an extreme or surprising addition)

Examples

  • ，甚至。
    Tā hěn xǐ huan xué zhōng wén, shèn zhì měi tiān dōu huì fù xí yí gè xiǎo shí.
    He likes studying Chinese so much that he even reviews for an hour every day.
  • ，甚至。
    Zhè jiàn shì tài jiǎn dān le, shèn zhì sān suì de hái zi dōu néng zuò.
    This matter is so simple that even a three-year-old child can do it.
  • ，甚至。
    Tā měi tiān gōng zuò shí èr gè xiǎo shí, shèn zhì zhōu mò dōu bù xiū xi.
    He works twelve hours a day and doesn't even rest on weekends.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

甚shèneven
至zhìreach

The even sense of 甚 plus the reach sense of 至 suggests going so far as to add an extreme case.

Characters in this word

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

甚 combines 甘 and 匕. The evidence gives no meaning for either part.

Open 甚 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

至 is drawn as an arrow stuck into the ground.

Open 至 →

Grammar

Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 4HSK 2.0 Level 41000 Most Frequent Chinese Words2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

Browse more HSK 4 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.