非常

• Pinyin: fēi cháng
• Hanzi breakdown: 非 (not) + 常 (ordinary) — not ordinary, hence extremely

Meaning

Very; extremely; exceptionally. A strong degree adverb.

Stronger than 很 (very) but used in similar positions before adjectives and some verbs. Common in both spoken and written Chinese. Often interchangeable with 特别 in casual speech, though 非常 is slightly more formal.

Examples

1. 今天非常热。 It's extremely hot today.
2. 这个菜非常好吃。 This dish is very delicious.
3. 我非常喜欢这本书。 I really like this book.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, emphasis

Tone: emphatic

Do Say

• 非常感谢你的帮助！(Thank you so much for your help!)
• 他跑得非常快。(He runs extremely fast.)

Don't Say

• 我非常有一本书。(非常 cannot modify 有 — say 我有很多书 instead)

Origin & History

Compound of 非 (not, wrong) and 常 (ordinary, common) — literally 'not ordinary,' hence extraordinary or extremely.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal