▎Complements, 極了jíle, 得不得了de bùdéliǎo, 得很de hěn, terribly, extremely (2)

 

Function The intensification of states is usually marked with pre-verbal adverbs, such as 很 or 非常, but in a few instances, intensification is also possible by complements after the state verbs.

1 你做的日本菜好吃極了。

Nǐ zuò de Rìběn cài hǎochī jíle.

The Japanese dishes prepared by you are really delicious.

2 我沒吃中飯，現在餓極了。

Wǒ méi chī zhōngfàn, xiànzài è jíle.

I didn’t have any lunch and I’m starving now.

3 張教授婚禮的氣氛熱鬧得不得了。

Zhāng jiàoshòu hūnlǐ de qìfēn rènào de bùdéliǎo.

The atmosphere at Professor Chang’s wedding was incredibly lively.

 

Structures Intensification by complements comes in two patterns.

(1) Without 得de: V＋ (極了jíle，多了duō le，一點yìdiǎn)

1 泰國菜比日本菜辣多了。

Tàiguó cài bǐ Rìběn cài là duō le.

Thai food is much more spicy than Japanese food.

2 大城市有捷運，交通會方便一點。

Dà chéngshì yǒu jiéyùn, jiāotōng hùi fāngbiàn yìdiǎn.

With the metro, it’s easy to get around in the city.

(2) With 得de: V＋得＋ (多duō，不得了bùdéliǎo，很hěn)

1 打了太極拳以後，精神好得很。

Dǎle Tàijí quán yǐhòu, jīngshén hǎo de hěn.

Practicing Tai Chi makes me feel a lot more energetic.

2 房租便宜比光線好重要得多。

Fángzū piányí bǐ guāngxiàn hǎo zhòngyào de duō.

Cheap rent is more important than good lighting.

Questions：Usually only 是不是 quesitons are possible.

1 紐約的生活費是不是比這裡高得多？

Niǔyuē de shēnghuófèi shìbúshì bǐ zhèlǐ gāo de duō?

The cost of living in New York is much higher than here, right?

2 漢字對你是不是難得不得了？

Hànzì duì nǐ shìbúshì nán de bùdéliǎo?

Chinese characters are terribly difficult for you, right?

3 巴黎秋天的天氣是不是舒服得很呢？

Bālí qiūtiān de tiānqì shìbúshì shūfú de hěn ne?

I gather that fall weather in Paris is really nice.

 

Usage

(1) Both ‘Vs＋得很’ (in examples 2 and 4 below) and ‘很＋Vs’ (in examples 1 and 3 below) express intensification. ‘Vs＋得很’ is more spoken and provides a much stronger emphasis than pre-verbal adverbs. Also, it has been stated previously that when 很 acts as a necessary weak marker in front of state verbs there is no intensificatioin function.

1 檸檬魚的味道很酸。

Níngméng yú de wèidào hěn suān.

Lemon fish has very sour flavor.

2 A：檸檬魚的味道酸嗎？

Níngméng yú de wèidào suān ma?

Is lemon fish sour?

B：是啊，檸檬魚的味道酸得很。

Shì a, níngméng yú de wèidào suān de hěn.

Yes, lemon fish is extremely sour.

3 打太極拳很累。

Dǎ Tàijí quán hěn lèi.

Tai Chi is very tiring.

4 我覺得打太極拳很輕鬆，可是他說累得很。

Wǒ juéde dǎ Tàijí quán hěn qīngsōng, kěshì tā shuō lèi de hěn.

I think Tai Chi is relaxing, but he said it is exhausting.

(2) The intensifiers 極了, 得不得了 and 得很 cannot be used together with 比 bǐ, as in examples

1 and 2 below.

1 ＊巴黎的建築比高雄的漂亮極了。

＊Bālí de jiànzhú bǐ Gāoxióng de piàoliang jíle.

Parisian architecture is extremely more beautiful than Kaohsiung’s.

2 ＊大城市的馬路比鄉下的寬得很。

＊Dà chéngshì de mǎlù bǐ xiāngxià de kuān de hěn.

Big city roads are much bigger than rural ones.

3 這個小鎮的氣氛比以前熱鬧得多。

Zhè ge xiǎo zhèn de qìfēn bǐ yǐqián rènào de duō.

This little town is much more exciting than it used to be.

4 用提款機提錢比到銀行去便利多了。

Yòng tíkuǎnjī tí qián bǐ dào yínháng qù biànlì duō le.

Using an ATM to take out money is much easier than going to the bank.