# Adjectives with "-极了"

<SentenceQuiz>

- 这个 主意 好 _极了_ 。
  <!-- - Zhège zhǔyi hǎo _jíle_. -->
  - This idea is perfect.
- 味道 好 _极了_ !
  <!-- - Wèidào hǎo _jíle_! -->
  - The taste is perfect!
- 他 的 英文 棒 _极了_ 。
  <!-- - Tā de Yīngwén bàng _jíle_. -->
  - His English is perfect.
- 婚礼 热闹 _极了_ 。
  <!-- - Hūnlǐ rènao _jíle_. -->
  - The wedding was very lively.
- 一点 声音 都 没有 ，安静 _极了_ 。
  <!-- - Yīdiǎn shēngyīn dōu méiyǒu, ānjìng _jíle_. -->
  - There is no sound at all. It's extremely quiet.
- 昨天 的 派对 无聊 _极了_ !
  <!-- - Zuótiān de pàiduì wúliáo _jíle_! -->
  - Yesterday's party was so boring!
- 他 那么 生气 ，我们 都 害怕 _极了_ 。
  <!-- - Tā nàme shēngqì, wǒmen dōu hàipà _jíle_. -->
  - He was so angry. We were all so scared.
- 高考 那 天 ，我 紧张 _极了_ 。
  <!-- - Gāokǎo nà tiān, wǒ jǐnzhāng _jíle_. -->
  - I was super nervous the day I took the college entrance examination.
- 这 件 事 让 我们 都 尴尬 _极了_ 。
  <!-- - Zhè jiàn shì ràng wǒmen dōu gāngà _jíle_. -->
  - This incident made us all extremely embarrassed.
- 那个 男孩 讨厌 _极了_ !
  <!-- - Nàge nánhái tǎoyàn _jíle_! -->
  - That boy is super annoying!

</SentenceQuiz>

<TOC>

- Level: [B1](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/B1_grammar_points) / [HSK3](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/HSK3_grammar_points)
- Similar to
  - [Expressing "excessively" with "太"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22excessively%22_with_%22tai%22) (A1)
  - [Expressing "really" with "真"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22really%22_with_%22zhen%22) (A2)
  - [Intensifying with "多"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Intensifying_with_%22duo%22) (A2)
  - [Negative adjectives with "-死了"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Negative_adjectives_with_%22-si_le%22) (A2)
  - [Special verbs with "很"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Special_verbs_with_%22hen%22) (A2)
  - [Superlative "最"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Superlative_%22zui%22) (A2)
  - [Adjectives with "那么" and "这么"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Adjectives_with_%22name%22_and_%22zheme%22) (B1)
  - [Degree complement](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Degree_complement) (B1)
  - [Expressing "quite" with "挺"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22quite%22_with_%22ting%22) (B1)
  - [Adjectival complement "得不得了"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Adjectival_complement_%22de_budeliao%22) (B2)
  - [Adjectival complement "得很"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Adjectival_complement_%22de_hen%22) (B2)
  - [Advanced degree complements](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Advanced_degree_complements) (B2)
  - [Complement "-坏了"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Complement_%22-huai_le%22) (B2)
- Used for: [Expressing degree](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_degree), [Emphasizing](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Emphasizing)
- Keywords: [了](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%BA%86), [极了](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E6%9E%81%E4%BA%86)

</TOC>

Just as [死了 (sǐle) can be used to intensify negative adjectives](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Negative_adjectives_with_%22-si_le%22), 极了 (jíle) is a somewhat less common way to intensify both positive and negative adjectives. It is used in spoken, colloquial Chinese. 极 (jí) means "extreme" or "utmost."

## Structure

This structure is technically a kind of [degree complement](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Degree_complement) and one of the few that you can use after the adjective and without adding a 得 (de). Remember to add the 了 (le), since it would be incorrect without it.

Subj. + Adj. + 极了

## Examples

Some examples with a positive connotation:

- 这个 主意 好 _极了_ 。
  <!-- - Zhège zhǔyi hǎo _jíle_. -->
  - This idea is perfect.
- 味道 好 _极了_ !
  <!-- - Wèidào hǎo _jíle_! -->
  - The taste is perfect!
- 他 的 英文 棒 _极了_ 。
  <!-- - Tā de Yīngwén bàng _jíle_. -->
  - His English is perfect.
- 婚礼 热闹 _极了_ 。
  <!-- - Hūnlǐ rènao _jíle_. -->
  - The wedding was very lively.
- 一点 声音 都 没有 ，安静 _极了_ 。
  <!-- - Yīdiǎn shēngyīn dōu méiyǒu, ānjìng _jíle_. -->
  - There is no sound at all. It's extremely quiet.

Some examples with a negative connotation:

- 昨天 的 派对 无聊 _极了_ !
  <!-- - Zuótiān de pàiduì wúliáo _jíle_! -->
  - Yesterday's party was so boring!
- 他 那么 生气 ，我们 都 害怕 _极了_ 。
  <!-- - Tā nàme shēngqì, wǒmen dōu hàipà _jíle_. -->
  - He was so angry. We were all so scared.
- 高考 那 天 ，我 紧张 _极了_ 。
  <!-- - Gāokǎo nà tiān, wǒ jǐnzhāng _jíle_. -->
  - I was super nervous the day I took the college entrance examination.
- 这 件 事 让 我们 都 尴尬 _极了_ 。
  <!-- - Zhè jiàn shì ràng wǒmen dōu gāngà _jíle_. -->
  - This incident made us all extremely embarrassed.
- 那个 男孩 讨厌 _极了_ !
  <!-- - Nàge nánhái tǎoyàn _jíle_! -->
  - That boy is super annoying!

## See also

- [Negative adjectives with "-死了"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Negative_adjectives_with_%22-si_le%22)
- [Advanced degree complements](../B2/degree-complements.md)
- [Adjectives with "那么" and "这么"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Adjectives_with_%22name%22_and_%22zheme%22)
- [Adjectival complement "得不得了"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Adjectival_complement_%22de_budeliao%22)

## Sources and further reading

### Books

- [HSK Standard Course 3](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/HSK_Standard_Course_3) (pp. 129) [Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy](https://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001J0ADWA&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001J0ADWA,)
- [Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (1st ed)](<https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Integrated_Chinese:_Level_1,_Part_1_(1st_ed)>) (pp. 8) [ →buy]
- [Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级)](<https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Chinese_Grammar_-_Broken_down_into_100_items_-_Basic_and_Intermediate_Levels_(%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E8%AF%AD%E6%B3%95%E7%99%BE%E9%A1%B9%E8%AE%B2%E7%BB%83_-_%E5%88%9D%E4%B8%AD%E7%BA%A7)>) (pp. 348) [Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy](https://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001J0ADWA&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001J0ADWA,)
- [Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 1 (博雅汉语初经起步篇)](<https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Boya_Chinese_Elementary_Starter_1_(%E5%8D%9A%E9%9B%85%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%88%9D%E7%BB%8F%E8%B5%B7%E6%AD%A5%E7%AF%87)>) (pp. 190) [Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy](https://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001J0ADWA&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001J0ADWA,)
- [现代汉语八百词](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%85%AB%E7%99%BE%E8%AF%8D) (pp. 286-287) [卓越汉语－公司实战篇 →buy](http://amzn.to/2z4g8q6,)