CHAPTER FIVE

Adjectives

(1) Adjectives: general rules

Never use shì 是 before adjectives!

He is tall.

Tā hěn gāo

✔ CC: 他很高

✖ BC: 他是很高!

(noun + adjective)

BUT;

He is a student.

Tā shì xuésheng.

他是学生。

(noun = noun)

We generally put hěn 很 (very) in front of all monosyllabic adjectives, even when we don’t mean “very ___,” although it isn’t absolutely necessary:

We’re busy.

Wǒmen hěn máng.

我们很忙。

Some Americans are fat

Yǒude Měiguó rén hěn pàng.

有的美国人很胖。

Exceptions: è 饿 (hungry), kě 渴 (thirsty), bìng 病 (sick), which all take le 了after them rather than hěn 很 in front of them:

We’re hungry.

Wǒmen è le.

我们饿了。

They’re thirsty.

Tāmen kě le.

他们渴了。

She’s ill.

✔ CC: Tā bìng le.

她病了。

✖ BC: Tā hěn bìng.

她很病。

Literally: “She is very ill/sick.”

When adjectives come before a noun and are more than one syllable, including a single-syllable adjective with hěn 很, there is always a de 的 between the adjective and the noun:

very good students

hěn hǎo de xuésheng

很好的学生

pretty women

piàoliang de nǚde

漂亮的女的

handsome men

yīngjùn de nánde

英俊的男的

BUT:

good person/people

hǎo rén

好人

(2) How to translate “bad” depends on the meaning of “bad”

Use huài 坏, “bad,” for people only, much like the word “evil” in English:

That man, bin-Laden, is really bad.

Bin-Laden nàge rén zhēn huài.

Bin-Laden 那个人真坏。

When combined with le 了，huài 坏 is used only with things, in which case it means “to go bad/spoiled/rotten”; “become wrecked/ruined”; “become useless; break down”:

My car has broken down.

Wǒde chēzi huàile.

我的车子坏了。

The bananas are spoiled.

Xiāngjiāo huài le.

香蕉坏了。

When something is “bad/not good,” use bùhǎo 不好:

That movie is bad.

Nàge diànyǐng bùhǎo.

那个电影不好。

When talking about pain or illness, use lìhai 厉害, “bad” in the sense of “severe/serious”:

I have a bad headache.

Wǒde tóu téng de hěn lìhai.

我的头疼得很厉害。

That person has a bad cold.

Nàge rén gǎnmào de hěn lìhai.

那个人感冒得很厉害。

(3) Use búcuò 不错, “not bad,” when you mean “quite good”

Today’s weather isn’t bad, is it?

Jīntiān de tiānqi búcuò, duì búduì?

今天的天气不错，对不对？

(4) Different ways to say “nice”

“Nice” is a very imprecise word in English. When referring to people, if by “nice” you mean “friendly,” use héqi 和气, as in:

That person is very nice.

Nàge rén hěn héqi.

那个人很和气。

When by “nice” you mean “kind” or “good,” use shànliáng 善良.

That young boy is very nice (kind). He wouldn’t even think of hurting a small bug.

Nàge xiǎo nánhái hěn shànliáng, lián yíge xiǎo chóngzi

yě bùkěn shānghài.

那个小男孩很善良，连一个小虫子也不肯伤害。

“Nice” when referring to the weather or something abstract, like “nice job,” is simply hǎo 好 (good), as in:

Today’s weather is really nice.

Jīntiān de tiānqi zhēn hǎo.

今天的天气真好。

You did a nice job (You did that thing well).

Nàjian shì nǐ zuòde hěn hǎo.

那件事你做得很好。

How do you say, “Have a NICE day”? You DON’T! Of course a person will do their best to have a nice day, but how it turns out, the Chinese feel, is largely beyond their control.

When taking leave of someone, in place of “Have a nice day,” simply say Zàijiàn 再见, “goodbye.” For “Have a nice weekend,” you can simply say “See you Monday,” Xīngqīyī jiàn 星期一见. These days you will hear Chinese people say something like “Hope you have a good time” to wish people an enjoyable weekend, as well as a good vacation, etc.:

Zhù nǐ zhōumò wánde yúkuài.

祝你周末玩得愉快。

You may even hear

Zhù nǐ yǒu yígè hǎode zhōumò.

祝你有一个好的周末

Literally: I wish you a good weekend.

But you will never hear Zhù nǐ yǒu hǎode yìtiān 祝你有好的一天。

(5) Different ways to say “pretty” or “beautiful,” depending on the subject

Hǎokàn 好看 means “good-looking” or “attractive.” It technically can only refer to people and animals, but can be used for clothing.

Piàoliang 漂亮 means “pretty” or “attractive” for women only and not men; it can also be used to describe animals as well as written characters.

Měilì 美丽 means “beautiful” and, like piàoliang 漂亮, can only refer to women and not men; it can, however, be used to describe scenery.

“Pretty” or “beautiful” for paintings, scenery, music, etc. is simply měi 美 , as in:

The scenery in Guilin is beautiful.

Guìlín de fēngjǐng hěn měi.

桂林的风景很美。

“Pretty” when referring to music is also hǎotīng 好听, of course, and not hǎokàn 好看, since you’re listening to it, not looking at it!

(6) Comparisons: A bǐ 比 B

Positive comparisons: How to say something or someone is more ___ than something or someone else, as in smaller, cheaper, faster, etc.:

A “compared to” B is ___

A bǐ 比 B [adjective] or [verb clause]

Japan is smaller than China.

Rìběn bǐ Zhōngguó xiǎo.

日本比中国小。

Literally: Japan compared to China is small.

Planes are faster than trains, but are more expensive than trains.

Fēijī bǐ huǒchē kuài, kěshi bǐ huǒchē guì.

飞机比火车快，可是比火车贵。

Literally: Planes compared to trains are fast, but compared to trains are expensive.

It is incorrect to substitute bǐjiào 比较 for bǐ 比 in these cases; bǐjiào 比较 means “relatively,” not “compared to . . . ”:

That chair is relatively expensive. How about buying this chair?

Nèi bǎ yǐzi bǐjiào guì, nǐ mǎi zhèi bǎ yǐzi ba.

那把椅子比较贵，你买这把椅子吧。

much more or much less . . .

A 比 B + adjective + 多了/得多

To indicate degree of comparison, i.e. “much more . . . ” or “a little more . . . ,” add de duō 得多 or duō le 多了 after the adjective or verb clause for “much more. . . .”

Note: hěn 很 CANNOT be used in comparisons!

Cars are much faster than bicycles.

✔ CC: Qìchē bǐ zìxíngchē kuài de duō (or kuài duō le).

汽车比自行车快得多 (快多了) 。

✖ BC: Qìchē bǐ zìxíngchē hěn kuài.

汽车比自行车很快。

Add yìdiǎn(r) 一点/一点儿 after the adjective or verb clause to express “a little more . . . ”:

a little more . . . ; a little less . . .

A bǐ 比 B + adjective + yidian(r)

The U.S. is a little bigger than China.

Měiguó bǐ Zhōngguó dà yìdiǎn(r).

美国比中国大一点 (儿) 。

Note: Bǐ 比 cannot be used in sentences with yíyàng 一样 (same) or with bùyíyàng 不一样 (not the same). Instead, use gēn 跟 or hé 和. After all, in English we don’t say, “Some Japanese customs compared to some Chinese customs are/aren’t the same,” but rather, “Some Japanese customs AND some Chinese customs are/aren’t the same”:

Some Japanese customs are the same as (some) Chinese customs.

Yǒude Rìběn fēngsú xíguàn gēn Zhōngguó de fēngsú xíguàn yíyàng.

有的日本风俗习惯跟中国的风俗习惯一样。

Literally: Some Japanese customs and (some) Chinese customs are the same.

Some Japanese customs aren’t the same as (some) Chinese customs.

Yǒude Rìběn fēngsú xíguàn gēn Zhōngguó de fēngsú xíguàn bù yíyàng.

有的日本风俗习惯跟中国的风俗习惯不一样。

Literally: Some Japanese customs and (some) Chinese customs aren’t the same.

(7) Negative comparisons: A is not as [adjective] as B

To express “A doesn’t have B’s ___” (can be a positive or negative attribute), use A méiyǒu 没有 B (nàme 那么) ____:

I’m not as good-looking as you are.

Wǒ méiyǒu nǐ (nàme) hǎokàn.

我没有你 (那么) 好看。

You’re not as fat as I am.

Nǐ méiyǒu wǒ (nàme) pàng.

你没有我 (那么) 胖。

To express “A can’t compare to B’s ____” (always refers to a positive attribute and is a bit more formal), use A bùrú 不如 B (nàme 那么) ____ :

I’m not as smart as you.

Wǒ bùrú nǐ cōngmíng.

我不如你聪明。