Adj. + 得 + Complement (advanced degree)

Chinese Grammar Advanced Chinese ★★★★ 4/5 casual de
拼音 de
结构 Adj. + 得 + 很 / 不得了 / 要命 / 不行
汉字拆解 得 = 彳 (step) + 旦 (dawn) + 寸 (inch), originally meaning to obtain; as a structural particle it links adjectives to their complements

含义

Uses degree complements after 得 to express how intensely a quality or state is experienced. Common complements include 很, 不得了, 要命, and 不行, each with slightly different nuances. This is a productive pattern in spoken Chinese for vivid emphasis.

Degree complements following Adj. + 得 form one of the most expressive structures in Chinese. While 得很 is the mildest intensifier, 得不得了 suggests an overwhelming extreme, 得要命 implies unbearable or life-threatening intensity often used hyperbolically, and 得不行 conveys that the speaker can barely cope. These complements are largely interchangeable in casual speech, but they differ in intensity: 很 < 不行 < 不得了 ≈ 要命. Advanced learners should note that 得要命 and 得不行 are strongly colloquial and may sound inappropriate in formal contexts. This pattern only works with gradable adjectives — it cannot be used with absolute adjectives like 对 or 死.

例句

  1. 夏天的重庆热得要命，走在街上像蒸桑拿。
  2. 期末考试前压力大得不行，连觉都睡不好。
  3. 新来的实习生勤快得很，每天第一个到办公室。

用法指南

语境: spoken, everyday

语气: emphatic

正确说法

  • 孩子发烧烧得不行，赶紧送医院吧。
  • 排了两个小时的队，大家累得要命。
  • 他对数学感兴趣得很，一有空就做题。
  • 堵车堵得不得了，估计要迟到了。

错误说法

  • 他很热得要命。(很 and 得要命 cannot coexist — 很 is a pre-adjectival modifier while 得要命 is a post-adjectival complement; choose one) → 他热得要命。
  • 这个苹果红得要命。(得要命 is typically used for subjective experiences and feelings, not objective physical properties like color — say 红得很 or 非常红 instead) → 这个苹果红得很。
  • 他开心得很不得了。(Degree complements like 很, 不得了, 要命, 不行 are mutually exclusive — you cannot combine them) → 他开心得不得了。

起源与历史

The structural particle 得 has been used to introduce complements since the Tang Dynasty. The specific degree complements 要命, 不行, and 不得了 each derive from their literal meanings — 'life-threatening,' 'not feasible,' and 'cannot be managed' — which were hyperbolically applied to express extreme degrees.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal

相关短语

Adj. + 得很 (quite/very) Placed after an adjective to emphasize the degree, similar to saying 'quite' or 'very much so' in English. It adds emphasis that goes beyond a simple 很 before the adjective. This pattern is very common in daily conversation. 几乎 (nearly/almost) Expresses that something is very close to a certain state or action, meaning 'nearly' or 'almost.' When used with 都, it emphasizes that the near-totality applies to all members of a group. It can modify both verbs and adjectives. 进一步 (further) Indicates taking something one step further or advancing to a deeper level. It is used before a verb to express progression, deepening, or escalation of an action. Commonly found in both formal and informal contexts. Adj. + 得不得了 (extreme degree) Used after an adjective to express an extreme or overwhelming degree of that quality. The complement 得不得了 intensifies the adjective far beyond what 很 or 非常 would convey. It is commonly used in spoken Chinese to emphasize strong feelings or states. 有的是 (plenty of) Expresses that something exists in great abundance, equivalent to 'there's plenty of' in English. It can be placed before the noun it modifies or at the end of a sentence for emphasis. This structure implies the speaker is confident about the abundance. 很是 + Adj. (emphatic literary) A more formal and literary way to emphasize the degree of an adjective or psychological verb, equivalent to 'quite' or 'very much' in English. Unlike everyday 很, the pattern 很是 carries a more deliberate and literary tone. It is commonly found in written Chinese and formal speech.
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