挺

• Pinyin: tǐng
• Hanzi breakdown: 挺 = 扌(hand) + 廷 (court, phonetic) — originally to stand straight; adverb sense is a colloquial extension

Meaning

Quite; rather; fairly. An informal adverb indicating a moderate to high degree.

Used as a casual intensifier before adjectives and some verbs, similar to 很 but more colloquial and slightly less strong. Very common in spoken Chinese. Can express casual affirmation or mild surprise. More informal than 非常 or 十分.

Examples

1. 今天天气挺好的。 The weather is quite nice today.
2. 这部电影挺有意思。 This movie is quite interesting.
3. 他挺高的，比我高一点。 He's quite tall, a bit taller than me.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken Chinese, casual evaluation, everyday

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 这道菜挺好吃的。(This dish is quite tasty.)
• 他人挺好的。(He's quite nice.)

Don't Say

• 在正式报告中写挺好 (Don't use 挺 in formal writing or reports — use 非常, 十分, or 相当 instead; 挺 is conversational)

Origin & History

Originally meant to stand upright or straighten (挺身). The adverb meaning 'quite' is a colloquial extension — standing out to a noticeable degree.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal