This short guide shows when to use hěn 很 versus tài 太 to make natural-sounding sentences about degree.
Hěn 很 – neutral "very"
Use hěn 很 to mark a typical degree when describing qualities; it often feels like a neutral "very" and can sometimes be omitted in speech.
Examples
你是老师，我们都认识很你。
| Hanzi Character(s) | Pinyin Word(s) | English Translation(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🍜 饭〈很〉香。 | Fàn hěn xiāng. | The rice is very fragrant. | |
| 🥗 菜〈很〉新鲜。 | Cài hěn xīnxiān. | The vegetables are very fresh. | |
| 🍰 甜点〈很〉好看。 | Tiándiǎn hěn hǎokàn. | The dessert looks very nice. | |
| ☕ 茶〈很〉暖和。 | Chá hěn nuǎnhuo. | The tea is very warm. | |
| 🍊 果汁〈很〉甜。 | Guǒzhī hěn tián. | The juice is very sweet. |
Notes
Tài 太 – "too" or "excessively"
Use tài 太 to signal that something exceeds a desirable limit, often triggering a negative consequence or requiring a comment; it can be followed by le 了 to emphasize the change.
Examples
| Hanzi Character(s) | Pinyin Word(s) | English Translation(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🍵 茶〈太〉烫了。 | Chá tài tàng le. | The tea is too hot. | |
| 🥫 汤〈太〉咸了。 | Tāng tài xián le. | The soup is too salty. | |
| 🐞 菜〈太〉多了。 | Cài tài duō le. | There is too much food. | |
| 🕰️ 饭〈太〉晚了。 | Fàn tài wǎn le. | The meal is too late. | |
| 🤢 食物〈太〉怪了。 | Shíwù tài guài le. | The food tastes too strange. |
Notes
Other Degree Words
Words like gǎnmào 感冒 ("catch a cold") and hǎo 好 ("good") show how degree words fit into everyday expressions; consider bǐjiào 比较 ("comparatively") for milder comparisons and fēicháng 非常 ("extremely") for strong emphasis.
Summary
Use hěn 很 for neutral or typical "very," tài 太 for "too" when highlighting an excessive degree, and choose other adverbs to fine-tune the intensity of your description.
Last updated: Fri Oct 24, 2025