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Ever burned your tongue on a dumpling and yelled, “It’s too hot!” or tasted juicy watermelon and exclaimed, “So delicious!”? That’s an exclamatory sentence: a sentence that expresses a strong feeling or emotion.
In Chinese, exclamatory sentences are actually very simple. You just use the word 太 (tài) + adjective + 了 (le) to say something is “too” or “so” [adjective]. Or you can use 真 (zhēn) + adjective for “really/so” [adjective]. You’ll sound just like the characters in your favorite drama—or maybe like Lili after surviving a hot day at work!
1. 太 + adjective + 了! (Tài ... le!)
This structure is used to express “too…” or “so...!” (emotionally!)
2. 真 + adjective! (Zhēn ... !)
This is just like saying “so/really…” for emphasis.
Bonus: Add 啊 (a) on the end for extra drama, just like the characters in your stories!
Quick Tip: If you’re ever excited, annoyed, or just feeling dramatic, now you know what to say!
Lili steps out into the sun. She says: Haoran eats some watermelon and can’t resist exclaiming: Xiaotong thinks her exam is difficult: Jianguo is amazed at how tall his son is: Zhiqiang just found a very cheap deal in his store: Xiulan tries some soup and loves it:
今天！
(It’s so hot today!)
这水果！
(This fruit is so delicious!)
这考试！
(This exam is so hard!)
你！
(You’re so tall!)
这个！
(This is so cheap!)
这个汤！
(This soup is so tasty!)