HSK · Level 61
105 words
Chinese word
不得了
Pronunciation
Pinyinbù dé liǎo
Meaning
- adverbextremely
Example
我今天高兴得不得了。wǒ jīn tiān gāo xìng de bù dé liǎo
I am extremely happy today.
More examples
听到录取通知后，她高兴得不得了，跳了起来。tīng dào lù qǔ tōng zhī hòu tā gāo xìng de bù dé liǎo tiào le qǐ lái
After hearing the acceptance news, she was extremely happy and jumped up.
Core concept
Emotion or circumstance overflows the limits of what ordinary control can contain.
Common phrases
高兴得不得了gāo xìng de bù dé liǎo
extremely happy
忙得不得了máng de bù dé liǎo
extremely busy
激动得不得了jī dòng de bù dé liǎo
extremely excited
Similar words
非常fēi cháng: Shows that something is very much so without adding a strong emotional tone.
极其jí qí: Shows an exceptionally high degree in more formal expression.
特别tè bié: Highlights an especially strong degree or noticeable quality in everyday speech.
Definition in Chinese
口语中表示极端程度的副词，可表褒义也可表贬义，既可作补语也可独立用作感叹，语气强烈。kóu yǔ zhōng biǎo shì jí duān chéng dù de fù cí kě biǎo bāo yì yě kě biǎo biǎn yì jì kě zuò bú yǔ yě kě dú lì yòng zuò gǎn tàn yǔ qì qiáng liè
Word origin
The expression developed from an earlier idea of a situation being beyond control, then extended to signal unusually strong feelings or conditions of either kind.
Usage tips
- In a degree-complement pattern, it intensifies the preceding description; used alone, it can be an emphatic reaction, so surrounding words and tone show whether the feeling is positive or negative.
Other meanings
- terribleadjective