很 very ... hen3 ...?

[geek_frappa]

我舒服 i am more confortable than in other conditions..

我很舒服 i am comfortable

我很舒服 i am very comfortable

[Shi Rui'en]

I've always thought of hen3 as meaning very. For example my teacher always asks if something is 明白了没有？I always answer as to this or that matter being 很明白。That is of course when I am not completely lost.

[Altair]

My understanding is that "hen3" means that the person has a lot of a particular characteristic and is used to describe the individual characteristics of a thing or person. Without the "hen3," the same adjectives are used to classify, rather than describe.

Classification implies a contrast with something else rather than an absolute amount of a particular characteristic. "Hen3 shu1fu5" would mean that you have a lot of feelings of comfort; whereas as "shu1fu5" would mean you are in the relatively comfortable group. A "big brother" need not have a lot of "bigness," but just needs to be bigger than another brother. A "large brother" must be characterized by a lot of size, irrespective of other brothers.

My understanding is that "wo3 shu1fu5" would be an unusual thing to say by itself, without other words to give it context.

[Quest]

I think it's been discussed before in another thread. 很 does not always mean a higher degree of something. (i.e. very)

it is just not natural in Chinese to have a subject followed directly by an adjective. 我舒服 sounds incomplete.

[shibo77]

"很 hen3" is a predicative adverb.

To equate NOUN to NOUN, use the verb 是shi4, this is the affirmative "(to) be".

我是人. Wo3 shi4 ren2. "I be person." -I am a person.

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To negate NOUN to NOUN, use the

("不 bu4", negation prefix) + ("是 shi4", verb) >>> 不是 bu2 shi4, this is the negative "(to) not be" **Tonal shift: 不 bu4, when it comes before another falling pitch (4th tone) character, it shifts to the rising pitch (2nd tone). "是shi4" which "不bu4" precedes here, is in the fourth tone, so:

( 不是 bu4 shi4 >>> 不是 bu2 shi4 )

我不是人. Wo3 bu2 shi4 ren2. I not be person. -I am not a person.

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To equate NOUN to ADJECTIVE, use the adverb 很hen3, this is the affirmative.

我很坏. Wo2 hen3 huai4. "I very bad." -I am bad.

** Tonal shift: When a character of the 3rd tone (lower rising pitch) precedes another character of the 3rd tone, the previous character shifts its tone to the 2nd tone.

你ni3 + 好hao3 >>> 你ni2 好hao3 "You good." -Hello.

** Similarily, if there are more 3rd tone characters preceding, then all of the previous characters shift to the 2nd tone, leaving only the last 3rd tone character unchanged.

你有几本书? Ni3+you3+ji3+ben3 +shu1? >>>

你有几本书? Ni2 you2 ji2 ben3 shu1?

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To negate NOUN to ADJECTIVE, simply use the negation prefix 不 bu4.

** Remember the "不bu4+4th tone" tonal shift, because "坏huai4" which "不bu4" precedes here, is also in the 4th tone.

我不坏. Wo3 bu2 huai4. "I not bad." -I am not bad.

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Summary:

NOUN + 是shi4 + NOUN equate

NOUN + 不是bu2shi4 + NOUN negate

NOUN + 很hen3 + ADJECTIVE equate

NOUN + 不bu4 + ADJECTIVE negate

很hen3 acts as the default adverb to equate NOUNS to ADJECTIVES, it can also carry the meaning of "very".

我很高兴. Wo2 hen3 gao1 xing4. I (am/very) happy.

This can be translated as: "I am happy." or "I am very happy."

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I hope this helped.

- Shibo