Adjective = stative verb (no 是)
A Chinese adjective behaves like a verb, so it takes NO 是. A plain positive uses 很 (hěn) as a neutral linker (not a strong "very"): 这个房间很干净。(Zhège fángjiān hěn gānjìng.) — This room is clean; without 很 it sounds incomplete. Negate with 不 before the adjective, dropping 很: 这个房间不干净 (not clean). Ask with 吗 (这个房间干净吗？) or A-not-A (干不干净？). Never 这个房间是干净 ✗ -- 是 only returns before a NOUN (她是老师 — she is a teacher).
Adjective + noun: when to add 的
An adjective before a noun usually joins with 的: 漂亮的衣服 (piàoliang de yīfu — pretty clothes), 一个聪明的学生 (a clever student). If it is modified by 很 or 非常, 的 is REQUIRED: 很贵的手机 (hěn guì de shǒujī — a very expensive phone). But a single-syllable adjective in a fixed pairing drops 的: 好朋友 (hǎo péngyou — good friend), 大城市 (big city), 新书 (new book). So 好朋友 (no 的) but 很好的朋友 (with 的, 好 now modified). Do not drop 的 from a two-syllable or modified description -- 漂亮衣服 ✗, it must be 漂亮的衣服.
Comparison: 比 / 更 / 最 / 跟…一样 / 没有
Core comparison is A 比 B + adjective, with NO 很/非常: 今天比昨天冷。(Jīntiān bǐ zuótiān lěng.) — Today is colder than yesterday. "Even more" = 更, "the most" = 最: 这件更贵，那件最贵. Equal = A 跟 B 一样 + adjective: 我的手机跟你的一样贵 (as expensive as yours). "Not as … as" = A 没有 B (那么) + adjective: 今天没有昨天那么冷. HIGHER tier: add the amount of difference AFTER the adjective -- 哥哥比我大两岁 (dà liǎng suì — two years older), 这件比那件贵一点／贵得多 (a bit / much dearer).
Drawn from real examiner reports.
很 inside a 比 comparison (比…很冷 ✗)
In an A比B comparison the adjective stands alone -- do NOT add a plain-degree adverb like 很 or 非常. ✗ 今天比昨天很冷 ✓ 今天比昨天冷。(Jīntiān bǐ zuótiān lěng.) — Today is colder than yesterday. To strengthen it, put a degree word AFTER the adjective: 冷一点 (a bit colder), 冷得多 / 冷多了 (much colder). The linker 很 belongs only in a plain, non-comparative statement (今天很冷), never inside 比.
(general FL trap)
Dropping the comparison degree word
Examiners dock answers that lose the DEGREE of a comparison. ✗ 我有信心 (I am confident) where the text says 我比以前更有信心 ✓ 我比以前更有信心。— I am MORE confident than before. Likewise "more homework" is 更多作业 / 作业比以前多, not just 很多作业. When a comparison is present, keep the marker -- 更 (even more), 比……多 (more than), 最 (most) -- or the meaning changes and the mark is lost.
(June 2023 1CN0/3H)
Mixing up 的 / 地 / 得
All three sound "de" but do different jobs -- mixing them up is a frequent 错别字 slip. 的 links an adjective to a NOUN: 干净的房间 (a clean room). 地 makes an ADVERB before a verb: 他高兴地说 (said happily), 慢慢地走 (walk slowly). 得 introduces a COMPLEMENT after a verb: 他跑得很快 (runs fast). ✗ 他跑的很快 / 他高兴的说 ✓ 他跑得很快 / 他高兴地说. Test: noun after → 的; verb after → 地; verb before → 得.
(general FL trap)
不 vs 没有 for negative comparison
To say "not as … as", use A 没有 B (那么) + adjective, never 不. ✓ 这家没有那家干净。(Zhè jiā méiyǒu nà jiā gānjìng.) — This one is not as clean as that one. ✗ 这家不干净 means "this one is dirty" -- a different claim, not a comparison. 不 negates a plain adjective (不干净 — not clean); 没有 builds the comparison "less … than". Swapping in 不 drops the comparison and loses the mark.
(general FL trap)
(Higher) Quantity after the adjective
At Higher tier the amount of difference follows the adjective, never before it. ✗ 哥哥比我两岁大 / 十五厘米高 ✓ 哥哥比我大两岁 (dà liǎng suì — two years older), 高十五厘米 (taller by 15 cm). Pattern: A 比 B + adjective + amount. The same slot takes 一点 (a bit) or 得多／多了 (much): 这件比那件贵一点／贵得多. English word order tempts learners to front the amount -- resist it, and use 两 not 二.
(general FL trap)
Dropping 的 from a described noun (漂亮衣服 ✗)
A two-syllable adjective, or one modified by 很/非常, MUST keep 的 before the noun. ✗ 漂亮衣服 / 很贵手机 ✓ 漂亮的衣服 (piàoliang de yīfu — pretty clothes), 很贵的手机 (a very expensive phone). Only a single-syllable adjective in a fixed pairing drops 的: 好朋友 (hǎo péngyou — good friend), 大城市 (big city), 新书 (new book). Rule: once 很/非常 modifies the adjective, 的 is compulsory -- 好朋友 (bare) but 很好的朋友.
(general FL trap)
Adjectives take no 是 (unlike English to be)
English puts "to be" before an adjective ("she IS beautiful"), so learners wrongly insert 是: ✗ 她是漂亮 / 这个房间是大. In Chinese the adjective IS the predicate (a stative verb), so no 是 -- a plain statement takes 很 as a neutral linker: ✓ 她很漂亮, 这个房间很大. 是 returns only to state an identity with a NOUN: 她是老师, 这是我的房间. Rule: 是 + noun, 很 + adjective -- never 是 + adjective.
Describe: 很/不 + adjective, no 是
In Speaking and Writing, describe with 很/非常 + adjective straight after the noun (我的房间很舒服) and negate with 不 (不大). Add 的 when the adjective modifies a noun (一个很舒服的房间). Re-read for any stray 是 before an adjective -- 是 only precedes a NOUN (她是老师), never an adjective.
Compare: A比B + adjective, delete 很
To compare, use A 比 B + adjective and DELETE any 很: 这家比那家便宜 (never 比那家很便宜). Keep the degree the task or text asks for -- if a comparison is present use 更／最／比……多, do not flatten it to a plain adjective. Vary your structures with 跟……一样 and 没有……那么 rather than repeating one 比.
(Higher) Add the amount of difference
At Higher tier, add the amount of difference AFTER the adjective to lift your range: 大两岁 (two years older), 贵一点 (a bit dearer), 好得多 (much better). Pattern A 比 B + adjective + amount. Pair it with a reason (因为) and a connective (虽然……但是) to develop the comparison.
Route the three "de" correctly
Check every "de" in written work: 的 before a noun (干净的房间), 地 before a verb (高兴地说), 得 after a verb (跑得很快). Writing 跑得很快, not 跑的很快, signals control. Test: noun after → 的, verb after → 地, verb before → 得.
This grammar topic (Section G, G2) covers how Chinese adjectives work. Unlike English, a Chinese adjective is a stative verb — it can be the predicate on its own, with no 是. You need this for every skill: to describe people and places (Speaking, Writing) and to catch comparisons in Listening and Reading. At Higher tier you must also compare precisely, including the amount of difference.
A plain positive statement uses 很 (hěn) as a neutral linker (often not "very"). Negate with 不. Ask with 吗 or the A-not-A form. Never use 是 before an adjective.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 这个房间很干净。 | Zhège fángjiān hěn gānjìng. | This room is clean. |
| 这个房间不干净。 | Zhège fángjiān bù gānjìng. | This room is not clean. |
| 你的房间大不大？ | Nǐ de fángjiān dà bu dà? | Is your room big? |
| 中文难吗？ | Zhōngwén nán ma? | Is Chinese difficult? |
是 comes back only before a NOUN: 她是老师 (tā shì lǎoshī — she is a teacher), but 她很漂亮 (tā hěn piàoliang — she is pretty).
cheap
用中文写出四个可以用来形容一个地方的形容词（例如"干净"），并标出拼音。
Level-of-response questions with model answers and mark scheme rubrics.
你的中国朋友想知道你的房间是什么样子的。请给他写一条微信信息，用形容词描写你的房间，内容包括：（1）你的房间大不大、干不干净；（2）房间里有什么，你觉得怎么样；（3）跟你朋友的房间比一比（用"比"或"没有"）。请用中文（汉字）书写，约80-90字。（8分）
你们学校的中文杂志正在讨论「城市生活还是乡下生活好？」。请写一篇文章，比较在大城市生活和在乡下生活，内容包括：（1）大城市有什么好处（用"比"或"更"来比较）；（2）乡下有什么好处（用"没有"或"跟……一样"来比较）；（3）你自己更喜欢哪一种生活，为什么。请用中文（汉字）书写，约130-150字，用连接词把内容展开，不要只写"城市很好"。（16分）
这是一段口语话题讨论（Conversation）。老师会用中文问你几个关于你的家乡、学校和爱好的问题，请你用比较回答，并说明理由。可能的问题包括： （1）你的家乡跟大城市比，有什么不一样？你更喜欢哪里？ （2）你觉得学中文比学别的科目难吗？为什么？ （3）你以前的爱好和现在的爱好比，有什么变化？ 请用完整的句子回答，多用形容词和比较结构（比／更／最／没有／跟……一样），并给出理由。（约30分）
