Adjectives in Chinese – Introduction & Comparison
✅ Definition: What is an adjective?
German English
Adjectives are words that describe qualities, appearances, or states of people, things, or actions (e.g., „beautiful,“ „fast,“ „tall“).
📌 Chinese: Adjective = 形容词 (xíngróngcí)
Literally: „word that describes form“
🧠 1. Function of adjectives in a sentence
Language Use as an attribute (before nouns) Use as a predicate (after subject)
German ein große Haus Das Haus ist groß.
English a big house The house is big.
Chinese: 一个大的房子 (yí gè dà de fángzi) 房子很大. (Fángzi hěn dà.)
📌 Important in Chinese:
In attributive position, there is often 的 (de) between the adjective and the noun.
In predicate position, there is no verb „to be“ (是 shì) between the subject and the adjective!
🧱 2. Structure: How are adjectives used in Chinese?
🔹 Adjective + subject → as predicate
Example:
他高
Tā gāo. → He is tall.
她漂亮
Tā piàoliang. → She is beautiful.
📌 Often, „很“ (hěn = very) is added, even when one means „not very,“ e.g.:
他很高。Tā hěn gāo. → He is tall. (not necessarily „very“!)
🔹 Adjective + adjective + noun → as an attribute
Example:
漂亮的花 (piàoliang de huā) → beautiful flower
新的手机 (xīn de shǒujī) → new cell phone
🗂️ 3. Categories of Adjectives in Chinese
Category Examples (Chinese) Meaning
Property 大 (dà), 小 (xiǎo), 新 (xīn) big, small, new
Color 红 (hóng), 白 (bái), 黑 (hēi) red, white, black
Feeling / Condition 高兴 (gāoxìng), 累 (lèi) happy, tired
Form / Structure 圆 (yuán), 平 (píng) round, flat
Taste / Impression 好吃 (hǎochī), 漂亮 (piàoliang) delicious, beautiful
Morality / Evaluation 坏 (huài), 好 (hǎo) bad, good
Morality / Evaluation
🔍 4. Comparison: Chinese vs. German & English
Aspect Chinese German / English
Is a copula verb („to be“) necessary? ❌ No – the adjective comes directly after the subject ✅ Yes – „to be“ is necessary
Comparative? 没有词尾, with 更 (gèng), 最 (zuì), etc. Word ending: -er / am -sten (DE), more/most
Attributive connection? Adjective + 的 + noun immediately before noun (without “de”)
Intensification? with 很 (hěn), 非常 (fēicháng) with “very”, “extreme”, “quite” etc.
📝 Examples of typical adjectives
中文 Pinyin German English
大 dà big big
小 xiǎo small small
漂亮 piàoliang beautifully beautiful
新 xīn new new
累 lèi tired tired
高兴 gāoxìng happy happy
好吃 hǎochī delicious delicious
快 kuài quickly almost
慢 man slowly slow
贵 guì expensive expensive