Original teaching practice. Read one pattern, cover its model and try the questions before checking the separate answer section. Examples adapted from Chinese Grammar Wiki (AllSet Learning, CC BY-NC-SA) retain the course-reference provenance.
Adjective + extremely极了 (extremely)
degree / adjective linker很to be fond of eating好吃 is not enough
- Your friend has cooked for you, and the food is far better than "quite good".
- this这个vegetable菜to be fond of eating好吃extremely极了！ — "This dish is absolutely delicious!" extremely极了 pushes the adjective to its top degree.
Put extremely极了 after the adjective
- Subject + Adjective + extremely极了: the adjective comes first and extremely极了 closes the clause.
- The adjective stands alone in front of extremely极了, so degree / adjective linker很 and very非常 drop out: 好极了, cold冷extremely极了, busy忙extremely极了.
today今天hot热extremely极了。
Feelings work the same way
- Feeling words take extremely极了 too: to hear听到this这个news消息，I / me我happy高兴extremely极了。 — "When I heard the news, I was overjoyed."
- A few feeling verbs also accept it: I / me我to like喜欢extremely极了。 — "I absolutely love it."
finish the exam考完after以后，I我tired累extremely极了。
Two places it goes wrong
- No degree / adjective linker很 or very非常 in front: say 好极了, not degree / adjective linker很好极了, because extremely极了 already carries the degree.
- extremely极了 never comes before the adjective: cold冷extremely极了, not extremely极了cold冷.
degree / adjective linker很 + Adj, very非常 + Adj and Adj + extremely极了
- degree / adjective linker很 + Adj is the neutral description (weather天气degree / adjective linker很good好); very非常 + Adj is strong and fits writing as well as speech.
- Adj + extremely极了 is spoken and exclamatory, often a reaction: A: outside (also pr. for this…外面cold冷(yes/no ?)吗？ B: cold冷extremely极了！
outside外面cold冷吗？cold冷extremely极了！
Recap
- Adjective + extremely极了 = extremely, absolutely; it ends the clause.
- No degree / adjective linker很 or very非常 before it. Use it to react with feeling, mostly in speech.
Practise this pattern step by step.
Doubling adjectives (AA / AABB)
Describing a picture in a lively way
- You are describing a child's drawing: big eyes, a round face, a very tidy room.
- she / her她to have / there is有一双大大的eye眼睛。 — "She has big, big eyes." Doubling the adjective paints a vivid picture.
One-syllable adjectives: AA
- A one-syllable adjective repeats as AA, usually followed by (modifier / structural particle)的 before a noun: 大大的eye眼睛, 红红的apple苹果.
- The second syllable is often said lightly; the tone of the first stays clear.
she她has有a pair of一双big, big大大的eyes眼睛。
Two-syllable adjectives: AABB
- A two-syllable adjective AB doubles each syllable: clean干净 → 干干净净, happy高兴 → cheerful and optimistic高高兴兴, clear清楚 → 清清楚楚.
- The doubled form can describe a noun or an action: room房间干干净净(modifier / structural particle)的 / he / him他cheerful and optimistic高高兴兴(adverb -ly)地to return home回家(completed / change)了。
he他把room房间cleaned打扫得spotlessly clean干干净净的。
What doubling already says
- No degree / adjective linker很 or very非常 in front: 大大的eye眼睛, not degree / adjective linker很大大的eye眼睛, because doubling already adds the degree.
- The common adjectives taught here use AABB, as in 干干净净. Some other adjectives allow ABAB, so learn each adjective and its accepted reduplicated form.
Doubled adjectives describe, they do not compare
- Doubled forms describe how something looks or feels; they do not take not不: say not不clean干净, not not不干干净净.
- Many are fixed habits of speech. Learn common ones as chunks: slowly慢慢(adverb -ly)地to walk走, well好好(adverb -ly)地rest休息, cheerful and optimistic高高兴兴地玩。
you你properly好好rest休息吧。
Recap
- One syllable: AA((modifier / structural particle)的) — 大大的, 红红的. Two syllables: AABB — 干干净净, cheerful and optimistic高高兴兴.
- Doubling adds vividness and degree, so drop degree / adjective linker很 and do not negate it with not不.
Practise this pattern step by step.
Adjective + (adverb -ly)地 + Verb (making an adverb)
How did they do it?
- Your grandmother crosses the busy road carefully; your little brother does his homework seriously for once.
- (informal) grandma…奶奶slowly慢慢(adverb -ly)地to walk past走过street马路。 — "Grandma slowly walks across the road." (adverb -ly)地 turns a description into how the action is done.
Adjective + (adverb -ly)地 + Verb
- Subject + Adjective + (adverb -ly)地 + Verb: the description comes before the verb and (adverb -ly)地 (de) links them.
- Two-syllable adjectives are the most common: conscientious认真(adverb -ly)地to learn学习, happy高兴地说, quiet安静(adverb -ly)地to read看书.
he他seriously认真地study学习。
Doubled and phrase descriptions
- Doubled adjectives often take (adverb -ly)地: child孩子(plural)们cheerful and optimistic高高兴兴(adverb -ly)地to return home回家(completed / change)了。 — "The children went home happily."
- A short phrase works too: 很快(adverb -ly)地variant of 吃吃to finish完(completed / change)了cooked rice饭, very非常to be careful小心(adverb -ly)地to open打开box盒子.
the children孩子们happily高高兴兴地go home回家了。
Keep the order and the character straight
- (adverb -ly)地 comes before the verb: conscientious认真(adverb -ly)地to learn学习. After the verb you need (degree marker)得: 他学得degree / adjective linker很conscientious认真.
- Write (adverb -ly)地, not (modifier / structural particle)的, between the description and the verb; both are read de.
(adverb -ly)地 before the verb, (degree marker)得 after it
- he / him他conscientious认真地写school assignment作业 tells how he does it: carefully, while doing it.
- he / him他to write写(degree marker)得degree / adjective linker很conscientious认真 comments on the result or manner after the fact: "He writes very carefully."
he他writes写得very很carefully认真。
Recap
- Adjective + (adverb -ly)地 + Verb = do something in that way: slowly慢慢(adverb -ly)地to walk走, conscientious认真(adverb -ly)地to learn学习.
- (adverb -ly)地 sits before the verb; (degree marker)得 follows the verb. Keep (modifier / structural particle)的 for nouns.
Practise this pattern step by step.
Practice without the models
Adjective + extremely极了 (extremely)
0101.1 Complete the reaction to a great film: this这个movie电影good-looking好看…………！
0101.2 Which sentence is correct?
- A. weather天气degree / adjective linker很好极了。
- B. weather天气very非常好极了。
- C. weather天气extremely极了good好。
- D. weather天气好极了。
0101.3 A friend asks outside (also pr. for this…外面cold冷(yes/no ?)吗？ Replying cold冷extremely极了！ is natural spoken Chinese.
True or false? Explain or repair the statement.
0101.4 Build: “I was overjoyed when I heard the news.”
Arrange all chunks: extremely极了。 / to hear听到this这个news消息， / I / me我 / happy高兴
0101.5 Your friend has cooked for you, and the food is far better than "quite good". Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.
Write or say your own response before reading the key.
Doubling adjectives (AA / AABB)
0102.1 Double clear清楚 (clear): teacher老师(把: marks the object)把question问题variant of 说说(degree marker)得…………(modifier / structural particle)的。
0102.2 Which phrase is correct?
- A. 红红的apple苹果
- B. not不红红的apple苹果
- C. degree / adjective linker很红红的apple苹果
- D. red红红红的apple苹果
0102.3 Match each adjective to its doubled form.
-
- happy高兴
-
- clean干净
-
- slow慢
-
- see 大夫大
-
A. greatly大大
-
B. 干干净净
-
C. slowly慢慢
-
D. cheerful and optimistic高高兴兴
0102.4 clean干净 can be doubled as clean干净clean干净 to describe a room.
True or false? Explain or repair the statement.
0102.5 You are describing a child's drawing: big eyes, a round face, a very tidy room. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.
Write or say your own response before reading the key.
Adjective + (adverb -ly)地 + Verb (making an adverb)
0103.1 Fill in the particle: she / her她quiet安静…………to read看书。
0103.2 Choose the particle for both blanks: he / him他happy高兴__variant of 说说: “I / me我考得__degree / adjective linker很good好！”
- A. (adverb -ly)地 … (adverb -ly)地
- B. (modifier / structural particle)的 … (modifier / structural particle)的
- C. (degree marker)得 … (adverb -ly)地
- D. (adverb -ly)地 … (degree marker)得
0103.3 Build: “Grandma walks slowly across the road.”
Arrange all chunks: to walk past走过 / (informal) grandma…奶奶 / street马路 / 。 / slowly慢慢(adverb -ly)地
0103.4 he / him他to learn学习conscientious认真(adverb -ly)地。 is a correct way to say “He studies seriously.”
True or false? Explain or repair the statement.
0103.5 Your grandmother crosses the busy road carefully; your little brother does his homework seriously for once. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.
Write or say your own response before reading the key.
Answers and explanations
Adjective + extremely极了 (extremely)
0101.1 extremely极了
good-looking好看extremely极了 = “absolutely brilliant”. extremely极了 follows the adjective directly.
0101.2 D. weather天气好极了。
extremely极了 follows a bare adjective. degree / adjective linker很 and very非常 would add a second degree word, and extremely极了 never comes first.
0101.3 True.
Adj + extremely极了 is typical of spoken reactions. In a formal report very非常cold冷 would be more usual.
0101.4 to hear听到this这个news消息，I / me我happy高兴extremely极了。
Time clause first, then Subject + Adjective + extremely极了: to hear听到this这个news消息，I / me我happy高兴extremely极了。
0101.5 One possible response: this这个vegetable菜to be fond of eating好吃extremely极了！
Check meaning and form:
- My response conveys a message that fits the opening situation.
- I can explain the meaning of the pattern, rather than only naming it.
- No degree / adjective linker很 or very非常 in front: say 好极了, not degree / adjective linker很好极了, because extremely极了 already carries the degree.
- extremely极了 never comes before the adjective: cold冷extremely极了, not extremely极了cold冷.
- I tried a second response with a name, time, place, or description changed.
This is supported productive practice. Compare meaning and structure; your answer need not copy the model. A partner or teacher must hear the spoken response to comment on pronunciation.
Doubling adjectives (AA / AABB)
0102.1 清清楚楚
A two-syllable adjective AB doubles as AABB, so clear清楚 becomes 清清楚楚.
0102.2 A. 红红的apple苹果
AA + (modifier / structural particle)的 + noun. Doubling already adds degree, so degree / adjective linker很 is not added, and doubled forms are not negated with not不.
0102.3 1–D: happy高兴 = cheerful and optimistic高高兴兴; 2–B: clean干净 = 干干净净; 3–C: slow慢 = slowly慢慢; 4–A: see 大夫大 = greatly大大
One syllable gives AA; two syllables give AABB.
0102.4 False.
Adjectives double as AABB (干干净净). The ABAB pattern belongs to verbs such as research研究research研究.
0102.5 One possible response: she / her她to have / there is有一双大大的eye眼睛。
Check meaning and form:
- My response conveys a message that fits the opening situation.
- I can explain the meaning of the pattern, rather than only naming it.
- No degree / adjective linker很 or very非常 in front: 大大的eye眼睛, not degree / adjective linker很大大的eye眼睛, because doubling already adds the degree.
- The common adjectives taught here use AABB, as in 干干净净. Some other adjectives allow ABAB, so learn each adjective and its accepted reduplicated form.
- I tried a second response with a name, time, place, or description changed.
This is supported productive practice. Compare meaning and structure; your answer need not copy the model. A partner or teacher must hear the spoken response to comment on pronunciation.
Adjective + (adverb -ly)地 + Verb (making an adverb)
0103.1 (adverb -ly)地
Adjective + (adverb -ly)地 + Verb. quiet安静(adverb -ly)地to read看书 = “read quietly”.
0103.2 D. (adverb -ly)地 … (degree marker)得
happy高兴地说 ((adverb -ly)地 before the verb) and 考得degree / adjective linker很good好 ((degree marker)得 after the verb).
0103.3 (informal) grandma…奶奶slowly慢慢(adverb -ly)地to walk past走过street马路。
Subject + Adjective + (adverb -ly)地 + Verb + Object.
0103.4 False.
(adverb -ly)地 + description must come before the verb (he / him他conscientious认真(adverb -ly)地to learn学习), or use (degree marker)得 after it (他学得degree / adjective linker很conscientious认真).
0103.5 One possible response: (informal) grandma…奶奶slowly慢慢(adverb -ly)地to walk past走过street马路。
Check meaning and form:
- My response conveys a message that fits the opening situation.
- I can explain the meaning of the pattern, rather than only naming it.
- (adverb -ly)地 comes before the verb: conscientious认真(adverb -ly)地to learn学习. After the verb you need (degree marker)得: 他学得degree / adjective linker很conscientious认真.
- Write (adverb -ly)地, not (modifier / structural particle)的, between the description and the verb; both are read de.
- I tried a second response with a name, time, place, or description changed.
This is supported productive practice. Compare meaning and structure; your answer need not copy the model. A partner or teacher must hear the spoken response to comment on pronunciation.