Noun = Adjective

[KiraKira]

Simple, but I keep finding webpages with somewhat different claims on how to do it.

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Chinese/Lesson_2 .. ..

The adverb Hěn [很]

Though translated as "very", Hěn [很] has a weaker meaning than it does in English. It is often added before single-syllable verbs just to enhance the rhythmic flow of the sentence. Hěn is used before the verb in affirmative sentences, but not in negative sentences or questions. A common mistake of beginners is to insert shì [是] into adjectival sentences, but this usage is incorrect as shì can only be used to equate combinations of nouns, noun phrases and pronouns.

Example: 我很忙 = I am (very) busy.

http://home.unilang.org/wiki3/index.php/Basic_Sentences:_Sentences_describing_properties_in_Mandarin_Chinese .. ..

We will now take a look at a sentence describing a property, equivalent to english sentences such as "the university is old". In this case the chinese use no verb for "to be", but instead they use their word for "very", where this word has a very weak meaning.

大学很旧 (dàxué hěn jiù) - Literal: university [very] old - The university is old

There is another way of forming this sentence. We can use the verb "to be" in combination with the determiner particle (DP):

大学是旧的 (dàxué shì jiù de) - Literal: university is old [DP] - The university is old

This way of expressing a property is usually used when you want to emphasize something, it is pretty much always used with colors.

So one wiki is saying you never use 是 for [noun=adj] ..

The other wiki is saying you can optionally use noun是adj的 to do it.

?

[KiraKira]

Actually I want to take a guess at it, incase both are somewhat correct.

Using the possesive/connective 的 at the end of 大学是旧的 = something like "University is [a] old one" .. or "This university is a old one". So you cannot use that form for 我很忙 unless, 我是忙的 equated to "I am a busy one(person)" .. which would then perhaps mean its also ok. Which either way contradicts the first wiki. No idea.

[Jose]

Chinese adjectives behave very much like verbs, which is why some grammar books prefer to call them "stative verbs". Basically, you can think of 好 or 高 as meaning "to be good" or "to be tall" rather than just "good" and "tall". This explains the structural similarity between 他非常喜歡 ('he very much likes [it]') and 他非常高 ('he is very tall').

Because of this, 'adjectives' are used without the need for a verb "to be", and you simply say 他非常高, 他不高, 他比較高, and so on. However, for whatever reasons, perhaps rythmic or to avoid confusion with comparative structures like 他(比我)高, such sentences require an adverb between the subject and the verb-adjective, so 很 acts as a sort of dummy adverb when no particular emphasis is implied. The original meaning of 很 as 'very' still applies in more complex sentences, though (compare: 他是個好朋友 'he is a good friend' v. 他是個很好的朋友 'he is a very good friend').

Because of its basic meaning as 'very', however, this use of 很 as a sort of dummy adverb does not fit well with adjectives that are non-gradable in meaning, such as 'perfect', 'authentic' or 'absurd'. This is also true of shapes and colours. It is not impossible, either in Chinese or in English, to say that something is 'very round' or 'very red', but it sounds a bit strange. In such cases, the 是...的 collocation is used in Chinese to indicate a more objective non-gradable state. Examples: 這個故事是真的 / 假的 'this story is true / false', 那種理論是荒謬的 'that theory is absurd'.

In short, a good rule of thumb consists in checking whether putting "very" in front of the adjective, in English, sounds all right or not. Two more examples:

The table is big ("very big" sounds fine) -> 桌子很大

The table is round ("very round" sounds a bit odd) -> 桌子是圓的

Of course, there are many grey areas, and you can occasionally hear 桌子是大的 (emphasising its permanent condition of being big) or 桌子很圓 (emphasising its roundness).

[Rrina]

Basically, you can think of 好 or 高 as meaning "to be good" or "to be tall" rather than just "good" and "tall".

I think this is a fantastic way to explain it. I'm just starting and I've been going a bit crazy with the stative verb issue. Your explanation made it all 'click'; thanks so much!

[KiraKira]

Thanks Jose, amazing explanation.