Adjectives in Chinese: Why You Don’t Need “To Be” (and When to Use 很)
Subtitle: 中文形容詞：不用「是」，但要會用「很」 — speak naturally without sounding like a grammar robot.
In Mandarin, lots of “adjectives” behave like verbs. So instead of saying “He is busy,” you can say 他很忙 — literally “he very busy.” (And yes, 很 often isn’t “very.” It’s more like a friendly connector.)
Below you’ll get high-utility Traditional Chinese adjectives with pinyin (tone marks), clear meanings, and real example sentences. Plus the patterns you actually use: 很, 不, 太…了, comparisons, and the sneaky moments when 是 shows up.
Yak Snark
If you keep saying 他是忙, people will still understand you… but it sounds like you’re translating word-for-word in your head. Your brain deserves better.
Quick Visual Cards: The Adjectives You’ll Use Today
These are the “say it a thousand times” adjectives. Tap the audio to hear the Hanzi spoken in Taiwan Mandarin (zh-TW).
忙
busy
我今天很忙。
Wǒ jīntiān hěn máng.
I’m busy today.
累
tired
我有點累。
Wǒ yǒudiǎn lèi.
I’m a bit tired.
好
good / okay
這家餐廳很好。
Zhè jiā cāntīng hěn hǎo.
This restaurant is good.
大
big
這個房間很大。
Zhège fángjiān hěn dà.
This room is big.
小
small
我的桌子很小。
Wǒ de zhuōzi hěn xiǎo.
My desk is small.
熱
hot (weather/temperature)
今天很熱。
Jīntiān hěn rè.
It’s hot today.
冷
cold
外面有點冷。
Wàimiàn yǒudiǎn lěng.
It’s a bit cold outside.
貴
expensive
這個太貴了。
Zhège tài guì le.
This is too expensive.
Patterns You Actually Use With Adjectives
Adjectives can be the main verb. The “glue” words below help your sentence sound natural (and not like a translation app having a bad day).
Why you don’t need “to be”
他很忙。
Tā hěn máng.
He’s busy.
這個好吃。
Zhège hǎochī.
This is tasty.
Key idea: “Adjective” + subject = complete sentence.
You can say 他忙 too, but it often feels like contrast (“He’s busy (not free)”) or a short answer.
So what’s 很 doing?
我很累。
Wǒ hěn lèi.
I’m tired. (often not “very” tired)
那部電影很好看。
Nà bù diànyǐng hěn hǎokàn.
That movie is good / looks great.
Beginner win: Put 很 before an adjective as your default.
It often works like “neutral-sounding connector.” If you really mean “very,” you can upgrade to 非常 or 超 later.
Relevant Phrases & Sentences (Copy-Paste Friendly)
These patterns are what you’ll hear in real life. Each one includes a ready-to-use sentence.
| Pattern (ZH) | Pinyin | Meaning (EN) | Example (ZH + pinyin) | Translation (EN) | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 很 + 形容詞 | hěn + xíngróngcí | neutral “is Adj” | 這裡很安靜。 Zhèlǐ hěn ānjìng. | It’s quiet here. | |
| 不 + 形容詞 | bù + xíngróngcí | not (generally/now) | 這個不貴。 Zhège bù guì. | This isn’t expensive. | |
| 太 + 形容詞 + 了 | tài + Adj + le | too / extremely | 今天太冷了。 Jīntiān tài lěng le. | It’s way too cold today. | |
| 有點 + 形容詞 | yǒudiǎn + Adj | a bit (often negative-ish) | 這杯咖啡有點苦。 Zhè bēi kāfēi yǒudiǎn kǔ. | This coffee is a bit bitter. | |
| 真 + 形容詞 | zhēn + Adj | really (speaker feeling) | 你真厲害！ Nǐ zhēn lìhài! | You’re really impressive! | |
| 比較 + 形容詞 | bǐjiào + Adj | comparatively / rather | 這家比較便宜。 Zhè jiā bǐjiào pián yi. | This place is cheaper (than others). | |
| 更 + 形容詞 | gèng + Adj | even more | 這個顏色更好看。 Zhège yánsè gèng hǎokàn. | This color looks even better. | |
| 最 + 形容詞 | zuì + Adj | the most | 這家店最有名。 Zhè jiā diàn zuì yǒumíng. | This shop is the most famous. | |
| 越來越 + 形容詞 | yuèláiyuè + Adj | more and more | 最近越來越忙。 Zuìjìn yuèláiyuè máng. | Lately I’ve been getting busier and busier. | |
| A 不 A？ | Adj bù Adj? | “Adj or not?” | 你忙不忙？ Nǐ máng bu máng? | Are you busy? | |
| 形容詞 + 得不得了 | Adj + de bùdéliǎo | extremely Adj | 外面熱得不得了。 Wàimiàn rè de bùdéliǎo. | It’s insanely hot outside. | |
| 形容詞 + 死了 | Adj + sǐ le | “so Adj I’m dead” (casual) | 我累死了。 Wǒ lèi sǐ le. | I’m exhausted. |
When You DO Use 是 With Adjectives
You usually don’t say 他是忙. But 是 shows up when you’re classifying something (noun phrase), or doing contrast/emphasis.
是 + noun phrase (with an adjective inside)
他是一個很忙的人。
Tā shì yí gè hěn máng de rén.
He’s a very busy person. (noun “person” is the core)
她是個很溫柔的老師。
Tā shì gè hěn wēnróu de lǎoshī.
She’s a very gentle teacher.
Contrast/emphasis: “this one is the new one”
這個是新的，那個是舊的。
Zhège shì xīn de, nàge shì jiù de.
This one is the new one; that one is the old one.
Tip: Here, 是 is helping point to “the new one” (often with an implied noun).
In everyday descriptions, stick to 這個很新 / 那個很舊.
Table of Words: Adjectives You’ll Actually Use
Grouped by topic so your brain doesn’t rage-quit.
Feelings & Physical States
| Traditional | Pinyin | Meaning (EN) | Example (ZH + pinyin) | Translation (EN) | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 開心 | kāixīn | happy | 我今天很開心。 Wǒ jīntiān hěn kāixīn. | I’m happy today. | |
| 難過 | nánguò | sad | 他看起來很難過。 Tā kàn qǐlái hěn nánguò. | He looks sad. | |
| 生氣 | shēngqì | angry | 別生氣，我只是問問。 Bié shēngqì, wǒ zhǐshì wènwen. | Don’t be mad, I’m just asking. | |
| 緊張 | jǐnzhāng | nervous | 我有點緊張。 Wǒ yǒudiǎn jǐnzhāng. | I’m a little nervous. | |
| 放鬆 | fàngsōng | relaxed | 週末我比較放鬆。 Zhōumò wǒ bǐjiào fàngsōng. | I’m more relaxed on weekends. | |
| 擔心 | dānxīn | worried | 別擔心，沒問題。 Bié dānxīn, méi wèntí. | Don’t worry, no problem. | |
| 害怕 | hàipà | afraid | 我不太害怕。 Wǒ bú tài hàipà. | I’m not really scared. | |
| 興奮 | xīngfèn | excited | 我對明天很興奮。 Wǒ duì míngtiān hěn xīngfèn. | I’m excited about tomorrow. | |
| 無聊 | wúliáo | bored | 這個會議有點無聊。 Zhège huìyì yǒudiǎn wúliáo. | This meeting is a bit boring. | |
| 餓 | è | hungry | 我很餓，我們去吃飯吧。 Wǒ hěn è, wǒmen qù chīfàn ba. | I’m hungry—let’s go eat. | |
| 渴 | kě | thirsty | 我有點渴。 Wǒ yǒudiǎn kě. | I’m a little thirsty. | |
| 舒服 | shūfu | comfortable | 這張椅子很舒服。 Zhè zhāng yǐzi hěn shūfu. | This chair is comfortable. | |
| 不舒服 | bù shūfu | unwell / uncomfortable | 我今天不舒服。 Wǒ jīntiān bù shūfu. | I don’t feel well today. | |
| 痛 | tòng | painful / hurts | 我的頭很痛。 Wǒ de tóu hěn tòng. | My head hurts. | |
| 睏 | kùn | sleepy (common in Taiwan) | 我好睏。 Wǒ hǎo kùn. | I’m so sleepy. |
Personality & People Vibes
| Traditional | Pinyin | Meaning (EN) | Example (ZH + pinyin) | Translation (EN) | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 友善 | yǒushàn | friendly | 她很友善。 Tā hěn yǒushàn. | She’s friendly. | |
| 有禮貌 | yǒu lǐmào | polite | 他一直很有禮貌。 Tā yìzhí hěn yǒu lǐmào. | He’s always polite. | |
| 大方 | dàfāng | generous / easygoing | 她很大方，常請大家喝飲料。 Tā hěn dàfāng, cháng qǐng dàjiā hē yǐnliào. | She’s generous—often treats everyone to drinks. | |
| 小氣 | xiǎoqì | stingy | 他不小氣，只是比較省。 Tā bù xiǎoqì, zhǐshì bǐjiào shěng. | He’s not stingy, just more frugal. | |
| 誠實 | chéngshí | honest | 我喜歡誠實的人。 Wǒ xǐhuān chéngshí de rén. | I like honest people. | |
| 聰明 | cōngmíng | smart | 你很聰明，一下就懂了。 Nǐ hěn cōngmíng, yíxià jiù dǒng le. | You’re smart—you got it right away. | |
| 笨 | bèn | clumsy / not smart | 我今天有點笨，忘了帶鑰匙。 Wǒ jīntiān yǒudiǎn bèn, wàng le dài yàoshi. | I’m a bit dumb today—I forgot my keys. | |
| 懶 | lǎn | lazy | 我不懶，我只是很累。 Wǒ bù lǎn, wǒ zhǐshì hěn lèi. | I’m not lazy, I’m just tired. | |
| 勤快 | qínkuài | hardworking | 他很勤快，什麼都自己做。 Tā hěn qínkuài, shénme dōu zìjǐ zuò. | He’s hardworking—does everything himself. | |
| 可靠 | kěkào | reliable | 他很可靠，我很放心。 Tā hěn kěkào, wǒ hěn fàngxīn. | He’s reliable, so I feel at ease. | |
| 幽默 | yōumò | humorous | 他很幽默，大家都愛跟他聊天。 Tā hěn yōumò, dàjiā dōu ài gēn tā liáotiān. | He’s funny—everyone loves chatting with him. | |
| 認真 | rènzhēn | serious / earnest | 她做事很認真。 Tā zuòshì hěn rènzhēn. | She’s very serious about her work. | |
| 隨和 | suíhé | easygoing | 他很隨和，去哪都可以。 Tā hěn suíhé, qù nǎ dōu kěyǐ. | He’s easygoing—anywhere is fine. | |
| 固執 | gùzhí | stubborn | 他有點固執，不太容易改變想法。 Tā yǒudiǎn gùzhí, bú tài róngyì gǎibiàn xiǎngfǎ. | He’s a bit stubborn—hard to change his mind. | |
| 溫柔 | wēnróu | gentle | 她說話很溫柔。 Tā shuōhuà hěn wēnróu. | She speaks gently. | |
| 兇 | xiōng | fierce / strict | 他看起來不兇，其實人很好。 Tā kàn qǐlái bù xiōng, qíshí rén hěn hǎo. | He doesn’t look scary—he’s actually nice. |
Looks, Size, Shape & “Where Things Are”
| Traditional | Pinyin | Meaning (EN) | Example (ZH + pinyin) | Translation (EN) | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 高 | gāo | tall / high | 他很高。 Tā hěn gāo. | He’s tall. | |
| 矮 | ǎi | short (height) | 這張椅子太矮了。 Zhè zhāng yǐzi tài ǎi le. | This chair is too low. | |
| 胖 | pàng | fat / chubby | 這隻貓有點胖。 Zhè zhī māo yǒudiǎn pàng. | This cat is a bit chubby. | |
| 瘦 | shòu | thin | 他最近變瘦了。 Tā zuìjìn biàn shòu le. | He’s gotten thinner lately. | |
| 帥 | shuài | handsome | 那個演員很帥。 Nàge yǎnyuán hěn shuài. | That actor is handsome. | |
| 漂亮 | piàoliang | pretty / beautiful | 你的衣服很漂亮。 Nǐ de yīfu hěn piàoliang. | Your clothes are beautiful. | |
| 可愛 | kě’ài | cute | 這個娃娃好可愛。 Zhège wáwa hǎo kě’ài. | This doll is so cute. | |
| 年輕 | niánqīng | young | 他看起來很年輕。 Tā kàn qǐlái hěn niánqīng. | He looks young. | |
| 老 | lǎo | old | 這台電腦很老了。 Zhè tái diànnǎo hěn lǎo le. | This computer is old. | |
| 乾淨 | gānjìng | clean | 這裡很乾淨。 Zhèlǐ hěn gānjìng. | It’s clean here. | |
| 髒 | zāng | dirty | 鞋子有點髒。 Xiézi yǒudiǎn zāng. | The shoes are a bit dirty. | |
| 近 | jìn | near | 我家很近。 Wǒ jiā hěn jìn. | My place is nearby. | |
| 遠 | yuǎn | far | 那個地方很遠。 Nàge dìfāng hěn yuǎn. | That place is far. | |
| 長 | cháng | long | 這條路很長。 Zhè tiáo lù hěn cháng. | This road is long. | |
| 短 | duǎn | short (length) | 這段影片很短。 Zhè duàn yǐngpiàn hěn duǎn. | This clip is short. | |
| 厚 | hòu | thick | 這本書很厚。 Zhè běn shū hěn hòu. | This book is thick. | |
| 薄 | báo | thin | 這件外套太薄了。 Zhè jiàn wàitào tài báo le. | This jacket is too thin. | |
| 寬 | kuān | wide | 這條路很寬。 Zhè tiáo lù hěn kuān. | This road is wide. | |
| 窄 | zhǎi | narrow | 這個走道有點窄。 Zhège zǒudào yǒudiǎn zhǎi. | This hallway is a bit narrow. | |
| 圓 | yuán | round | 這個盤子是圓的。 Zhège pánzi shì yuán de. | This plate is round. | |
| 方 | fāng | square | 桌子是方的。 Zhuōzi shì fāng de. | The table is square. |
Quality, Convenience, and Everyday Judgments
| Traditional | Pinyin | Meaning (EN) | Example (ZH + pinyin) | Translation (EN) | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 新 | xīn | new | 這台手機很新。 Zhè tái shǒujī hěn xīn. | This phone is new. | |
| 舊 | jiù | old / used | 我的包包有點舊。 Wǒ de bāobao yǒudiǎn jiù. | My bag is a bit old. | |
| 方便 | fāngbiàn | convenient | 坐捷運很方便。 Zuò jiéyùn hěn fāngbiàn. | Taking the MRT is convenient. | |
| 麻煩 | máfan | troublesome | 這樣很麻煩，我們換個方法。 Zhèyàng hěn máfan, wǒmen huàn gè fāngfǎ. | This is troublesome—let’s change the method. | |
| 安全 | ānquán | safe | 這裡晚上也很安全。 Zhèlǐ wǎnshàng yě hěn ānquán. | It’s safe here even at night. | |
| 危險 | wéixiǎn | dangerous | 那條路有點危險。 Nà tiáo lù yǒudiǎn wéixiǎn. | That road is a bit dangerous. | |
| 清楚 | qīngchǔ | clear (understandable) | 你說得很清楚。 Nǐ shuō de hěn qīngchǔ. | You explained it clearly. | |
| 模糊 | móhú | blurry / vague | 照片有點模糊。 Zhàopiàn yǒudiǎn móhú. | The photo is a bit blurry. | |
| 正確 | zhèngquè | correct | 你的答案是正確的。 Nǐ de dá’àn shì zhèngquè de. | Your answer is correct. | |
| 錯 | cuò | wrong | 這個不對，是錯的。 Zhège bú duì, shì cuò de. | This isn’t right—it’s wrong. | |
| 重要 | zhòngyào | important | 這件事很重要。 Zhè jiàn shì hěn zhòngyào. | This matter is important. | |
| 有用 | yǒuyòng | useful | 這個建議很有用。 Zhège jiànyì hěn yǒuyòng. | This advice is useful. | |
| 沒用 | méiyòng | useless | 這樣做沒用。 Zhèyàng zuò méiyòng. | Doing it this way is useless. | |
| 容易 | róngyì | easy | 這個很容易。 Zhège hěn róngyì. | This is easy. | |
| 難 | nán | difficult | 這題有點難。 Zhè tí yǒudiǎn nán. | This question is a bit hard. |
Price, Amount, Speed & Time
| Traditional | Pinyin | Meaning (EN) | Example (ZH + pinyin) | Translation (EN) | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 便宜 | pián yi | cheap | 這個很便宜。 Zhège hěn pián yi. | This is cheap. | |
| 多 | duō | many / much | 今天人很多。 Jīntiān rén hěn duō. | There are many people today. | |
| 少 | shǎo | few / little | 這裡人比較少。 Zhèlǐ rén bǐjiào shǎo. | There are fewer people here. | |
| 夠 | gòu | enough | 時間夠不夠？ Shíjiān gòu bu gòu? | Is there enough time? | |
| 不夠 | bù gòu | not enough | 這份不夠，我還想再點。 Zhè fèn bù gòu, wǒ hái xiǎng zài diǎn. | This portion isn’t enough; I want to order more. | |
| 快 | kuài | fast | 他跑得很快。 Tā pǎo de hěn kuài. | He runs fast. | |
| 慢 | màn | slow | 網路有點慢。 Wǎnglù yǒudiǎn màn. | The internet is a bit slow. | |
| 早 | zǎo | early | 我今天起得很早。 Wǒ jīntiān qǐ de hěn zǎo. | I got up early today. | |
| 晚 | wǎn | late | 今天下班很晚。 Jīntiān xiàbān hěn wǎn. | I got off work late today. |
Colors (Yes, They Work Like Adjectives Too)
| Traditional | Pinyin | Meaning (EN) | Example (ZH + pinyin) | Translation (EN) | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 紅 | hóng | red | 我喜歡紅的。 Wǒ xǐhuān hóng de. | I like the red one. | |
| 藍 | lán | blue | 這件衣服很藍。 Zhè jiàn yīfu hěn lán. | This piece of clothing is very blue. | |
| 綠 | lǜ | green | 那台車是綠的。 Nà tái chē shì lǜ de. | That car is the green one. | |
| 黃 | huáng | yellow | 這盞燈有點黃。 Zhè zhǎn dēng yǒudiǎn huáng. | This lamp is a bit yellowish. | |
| 黑 | hēi | black | 我想要黑的。 Wǒ xiǎng yào hēi de. | I want the black one. | |
| 白 | bái | white | 這雙鞋很白。 Zhè shuāng xié hěn bái. | These shoes are very white. | |
| 灰 | huī | gray | 天空灰灰的。 Tiānkōng huī huī de. | The sky is grayish. | |
| 紫 | zǐ | purple | 我覺得紫的很特別。 Wǒ juéde zǐ de hěn tèbié. | I think the purple one is special. | |
| 粉紅 | fěnhóng | pink | 這個杯子是粉紅的。 Zhège bēizi shì fěnhóng de. | This cup is the pink one. | |
| 棕 | zōng | brown | 這件外套是棕的。 Zhè jiàn wàitào shì zōng de. | This coat is the brown one. |
Optional Variants: Degree Words That Love Adjectives
These are the “how strong is the adjective?” knobs you can turn. Start with 很, then upgrade when you feel spicy.
| Traditional | Pinyin | Meaning (EN) | Example (ZH + pinyin) | Translation (EN) | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 很 | hěn | often neutral “is Adj” | 這裡很舒服。 Zhèlǐ hěn shūfu. | It’s comfortable here. | |
| 非常 | fēicháng | very (strong) | 這家店非常有名。 Zhè jiā diàn fēicháng yǒumíng. | This shop is very famous. | |
| 超 | chāo | super (casual) | 這個超好吃。 Zhège chāo hǎochī. | This is super delicious. | |
| 挺 | tǐng | pretty / quite | 這個地方挺安靜的。 Zhège dìfāng tǐng ānjìng de. | This place is quite quiet. | |
| 有點 | yǒudiǎn | a bit (often negative-ish) | 我有點忙。 Wǒ yǒudiǎn máng. | I’m a bit busy. | |
| 不太 | bú tài | not really | 這個我不太喜歡。 Zhège wǒ bú tài xǐhuān. | I don’t really like this. | |
| 沒那麼 | méi nàme | not that (Adj) | 其實沒那麼難。 Qíshí méi nàme nán. | Actually, it’s not that hard. |
Yak Snark
If you remember only one thing: subject + 很 + adjective will save you in 80% of real conversations. The other 20% is just you being dramatic with 太…了. Which is valid.
