HSK 5 Grammar 1: Adjectives — Extreme and Plenty
HSK 5 Topic 1 4:25 English explanations + Mandarin examples · captions follow the spoken text
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A busy station gives you four reactions. You miss a seat, the carriage is packed, the snack costs more than you hoped, and the tea is sweeter than you like. Three of this unit's patterns start with an adjective; the fourth is 有的是 and a noun, meaning plenty.
An adjective plus 得不得了 means to an unbelievable degree. 地铁里挤得不得了，我下一站就下车。 The metro is incredibly crowded; I'll get off at the next stop. 赢了比赛以后，队员们激动得不得了。 After the win, the players were beside themselves. Keep the 得. It is a strong spoken reaction, pleasant or not, not a measured amount.
很 in front is plain very: 空气很新鲜。 得很 after the adjective is a trailing really: 公园里的空气新鲜得很。 The air in the park is really fresh. Never use both at once. Try it: this map is really clear. 这张地图清楚得很。
An adjective, 了, then 一点儿 means a bit too much for what you wanted. 这汤咸了点儿，少放一点盐就好。 This soup is a bit too salty. 八点开会，对我来说早了一点儿。 An eight o'clock meeting is a little too early for me. It measures against your own aim. 有点儿 before the adjective is a different form, often with a hint of complaint. And the adjective always comes first.
有的是 and a bare noun means plenty: no number, no measure word. 书架上有的是小说，你随便借。 There are plenty of novels on the shelf; borrow any. 别催他，他有的是办法。 Don't push him; he has plenty of ways. Don't confuse it with paired 有的, meaning some: 这些读物有的是小说，有的是杂志。 Some are novels, some are magazines.
How to choose. For a strong reaction, use the adjective with 得不得了. For very after the adjective, use 得很, with no 很 in front. For a bit past what you wanted, use the adjective, 了 and 一点儿. For plenty of something, use 有的是 and a noun. Remember that paired 有的 means some, not plenty.
Answers, part one. Item one is 凉快得很, really cool. Item two is 有的是酸奶, plenty of yoghurt. Item three needs 得: 忙得不得了.
Answers, part two. Item four restores the 得: 孩子们兴奋得不得了。 Item five is B, 吵了点儿; A is grammatical, but a different form. Item six drops the front 很: 这碗面香得很。
Answers, part three. Item seven: B means plenty, and A means some, because paired 有的 marks the some reading. And a model for item eight: 俱乐部有的是票。体育馆里热得不得了。
Quick check. 教室里凉快得很 – which pattern? Pause the video and choose your answer before continuing. Option 1: 得不得了. Option 2: 得很. Option 3: 了点儿. Check your choice against these key points. Adjective + 得很: very. 得不得了 is stronger: extremely.
Check yourself. Which sentence means “there are plenty”? A 这些读物有的是小说. B 桌子上有的是读物. Pause the video and choose your answer before continuing. Option 1: A. Option 2: B. Check your choice against these key points. 有的是 + noun at the end = plenty of. 有的是…… at the start of a clause = some are ….