Adjectival Complement 得不得了 || Chinese Grammar

Q: How do you use 得不得了 in a sentence?

It follows an adjective to express a high degree, 他高兴得不得了 . He is incredibly happy.

Q: What are some alternatives to 得不得了?

Other intensifiers in Chinese include 极了 , 非常 , and 太…了 , though each has subtle differences in tone and usage.

Home HSK 5 Adjectival complement 得不得了

HOW TO USE 得不得了

The phrase 得不得了 is a common Chinese expression used as an adjectival complement to emphasise a superlative or extreme degree of a quality or feeling.

It is highly colloquial and often used in spoken Chinese.

INTRODUCTION

The general structure of a sentence using 得不得了 is:

PATTERN

[Subject] + [Adjective] + 得不得了

得不得了 literally translates to so much that it’s unmanageable or unbearable. However, in practice, it simply means extremely or incredibly, without a negative connotation.

The phrase highlights an intense degree of an adjective’s quality, often used for dramatic or exaggerated effects.

^{Tā è de bùdéliǎo.}

他饿得不得了。

_{He is starving.}

^{Wǒ xiǎng nǐ xiǎng de bùdéliǎo.}

我想你想得不得了。

_{I miss you so much.}

View More Examples:

这个游戏好玩得不得了。	Zhège yóuxì hǎowán de bùdéliǎo.	This game is incredibly fun.
那个故事有趣得不得了。	Nàge gùshì yǒuqù de bùdéliǎo.	That story is extremely interesting.
他伤心得不得了。	Tā shāngxīn de bùdéliǎo.	He is heartbroken.
我的朋友热情得不得了。	Wǒ de péngyǒu rèqíng de bùdéliǎo.	My friend is incredibly enthusiastic.
那座山高得不得了。	Nà zuò shān gāo de bùdéliǎo.	That mountain is extremely tall.
她的歌声好听得不得了。	Tā de gēshēng hǎotīng de bùdéliǎo.	Her singing is beautiful beyond words.

USING 得不得了

1. To describe feelings or emotions

Usage: Express intense emotional states like happiness, anger, or excitement.

^{Tā gāoxìng de bùdéliǎo.}

她高兴得不得了。

_{She is extremely happy.}

View More Examples:

我激动得不得了。	Wǒ jīdòng de bùdéliǎo.	I am extremely excited.
他生气得不得了。	Tā shēngqì de bùdéliǎo.	He is furious.
她担心得不得了。	Tā dānxīn de bùdéliǎo.	She is very worried.
我高兴得不得了。	Wǒ gāoxìng de bùdéliǎo.	I am overjoyed.
孩子们害怕得不得了。	Háizimen hàipà de bùdéliǎo.	The children are terrified.
我感动得不得了。	Wǒ gǎndòng de bùdéliǎo.	I am deeply moved.
他嫉妒得不得了。	Tā jídù de bùdéliǎo.	He is extremely jealous.
他们紧张得不得了。	Tāmen jǐnzhāng de bùdéliǎo.	They are incredibly nervous.

2. To emphasize physical sensations or conditions

Usage: Describe extreme physical states like heat, cold, or tiredness.

^{Jīntiān tiānqì rè de bùdéliǎo.}

今天天气热得不得了。

_{The weather today is unbearably hot.}

View More Examples:

我累得不得了。	Wǒ lěi de bùdéliǎo.	I’m incredibly tired.
天气冷得不得了。	Tiānqì lěng de bùdéliǎo.	The weather is freezing cold.
他疼得不得了。	Tā téng de bùdéliǎo.	He is in unbearable pain.
我饿得不得了。	Wǒ è de bùdéliǎo.	I’m starving.
他热得不得了。	Tā rè de bùdéliǎo.	He’s unbearably hot.
车脏得不得了。	Chē zāng de bùdéliǎo.	The car is unbearably dirty.

3. To exaggerate situations or to describe extremes in qualities

Usage: Highlight extreme qualities or conditions in situations, objects, or people.

^{Nàge dìfāng měi de bùdéliǎo.}

那个地方美得不得了。

_{That place is stunningly beautiful.}

View More Examples:

这部电视剧好得不得了。	Zhè bù diànshìjù hǎo de bùdéliǎo.	This TV drama is unbelievably good.
他的技巧高得不得了。	Tā de jìqiǎo gāo de bùdéliǎo.	His skills are extremely advanced.
这地方美得不得了。	Zhè dìfāng měi de bùdéliǎo.	This place is stunningly beautiful.
那首歌好听得不得了。	Nà shǒ gē hǎotīng de bùdéliǎo.	That song is incredibly pleasant.
他善良得不得了。	Tā shànliàng de bùdéliǎo.	He is incredibly kind-hearted.
那张地图大得不得了。	Nà zhāng dìtú dà de bùdéliǎo.	That map is unbelievably big.

KEY POINTS

➡️ Colloquial Nature: This phrase is more common in spoken Chinese and casual contexts.

➡️ Positive or Negative Contexts: Can be used for both positive and negative adjectives, depending on the context.

^{Tā lèi de bùdéliǎo.}

他累得不得了。

_{He is exhausted.}

^{Tā piàoliang de bùdéliǎo.}

她漂亮得不得了。

_{he is unbelievably beautiful.}

➡️ Omitted Subject: Sometimes the subject is implied in conversation.

^{Lèi de bùdéliǎo!}

累得不得了！

_{So tired}

➡️ Cannot Stand Alone: 得不得了 must follow an adjective and cannot be used independently.

SIMILAR EXPRESSIONS TO 得不得了

While 得不得了 is a vivid way to express extremes in Chinese, there are several similar expressions that convey a similar meaning, each with slight differences in tone or context.

Here are some commonly used alternatives:

1. 得很

Meaning: It’s the reverse use of 很 (hěn), which means very. 很 is always before the adjectives (ex: 很多, hěn duō, a lot of). Whereas by changing 很 into 得很 we use it after the adjectives.
Tone: Informal

PATTERN

[Subject] + [Adjective] + 得很

^{Tā kāixīn de hěn.}

她开心得很。

_{She is very happy.}

^{Tiānqì lěng de hěn.}

天气冷得很。

_{The weather is very cold.}

View More Examples:

那条裙子漂亮得很。	Nà tiáo qúnzi piàoliang de hěn.	That dress is very beautiful.
他最近忙得很。	Tā zuìjìn máng de hěn.	He has been very busy recently.
这个菜辣得很。	Zhège cài là de hěn.	This dish is very spicy.
他的中文进步得很快。	Tā de Zhōngwén jìnbù de hěn kuài.	His Chinese is improving very quickly.
这地方安静得很。	Zhè dìfāng ānjìng de hěn.	This place is very quiet.
孩子们玩得很开心。	Háizimen wán de hěn kāixīn.	The children are playing very happily.

2. 极了

Meaning: Indicates an extreme degree, similar to extremely or terribly.
Tone: Often used in written or formal contexts.

PATTERN

[Adjective] + 极了

^{Zhè dào cài hǎochī jí le.}

这道菜好吃极了。

_{This dish is extremely delicious.}

^{Nàge dìfāng piàoliang jí le.}

那个地方漂亮极了。

_{That place is extremely beautiful.}

View More Examples:

他聪明极了。	Tā cōngmíng jí le.	He is extremely smart.
她的笑容甜美极了。	Tā de xiàoróng tiánměi jí le.	Her smile is incredibly sweet.
天气冷极了。	Tiānqì lěng jí le.	The weather is extremely cold.
我最近忙极了。	Wǒ zuìjìn máng jí le.	I have been extremely busy recently.
这座山壮观极了。	Zhè zuò shān zhuàngguān jí le.	This mountain is incredibly magnificent.
那只猫可爱极了。	Nà zhī māo kě’ài jí le.	That cat is super cute.

3. 得要命

Meaning: Expresses an unbearable or extreme level, similar to deadly or to death.
Tone: Informal and often used in negative contexts.

PATTERN

[Subject] + [Adjective] + 得要命

^{Tā lèi de yàomìng.}

他累得要命。

_{He is exhausted to death.}

^{Tiānqì rè de yàomìng.}

天气热得要命。

_{The weather is unbearably hot.}

View More Examples:

我饿得要命。	Wǒ è de yàomìng.	I am starving to death.
她担心得要命。	Tā dānxīn de yàomìng.	She is worried to death.
那本书无聊得要命。	Nà běn shū wúliáo de yàomìng.	That book is unbearably boring.
这里吵得要命。	Zhèlǐ chǎo de yàomìng.	It is unbearably noisy here.
他想家想得要命。	Tā xiǎng jiā xiǎng de yàomìng.	He misses home terribly.
这个问题麻烦得要命。	Zhège wèntí máfan de yàomìng.	This problem is terribly troublesome.

4. 坏了

Meaning: Indicates something has reached an extreme degree, often unexpected.
Tone: Informal

PATTERN

[Subject] + [Adjective] + 坏了

^{Tā gāoxìng huài le.}

他高兴坏了。

_{He is overjoyed.}

^{Wǒ lèi huài le.}

我累坏了。

_{I am completely exhausted.}

View More Examples:

她急坏了。	Tā jí huài le.	She is terribly anxious.
孩子们开心坏了。	Háizimen kāixīn huài le.	The children are over the moon.
我饿坏了。	Wǒ è huài le.	I am starving.
那个消息把他吓坏了。	Nàge xiāoxi bǎ tā xià huài le.	That news scared him to death.
我冻坏了。	Wǒ dòng huài le.	I am freezing.
他伤心坏了。	Tā shāngxīn huài le.	He is heartbroken.

5. 死了

Meaning: Indicates an extreme level of something, often with a dramatic tone.
Tone: Informal contexts only, often exaggerative, and used in both positive and negative contexts.

PATTERN

[Subject] + [Adjective] + 死了

^{Wǒ lèi sǐ le.}

我累死了。

_{I am exhausted to death.}

^{Tā piàoliang sǐ le.}

她漂亮死了。

_{She is stunningly beautiful.}

View More Examples:

这天气热死了。	Zhè tiānqì rè sǐ le.	This weather is unbearably hot.
我饿死了。	Wǒ è sǐ le.	I am starving to death.
他想家想死了。	Tā xiǎng jiā xiǎng sǐ le.	He misses home terribly.
她急死了。	Tā jí sǐ le.	She is extremely worried.
孩子们玩得高兴死了。	Háizimen wán de gāoxìng sǐ le.	The kids are having so much fun.
他高兴死了。	Tā gāoxìng sǐ le.	He is overjoyed.

6. Summary of Similar Expressions

Expression	Tone	Usage	Example Translation
得很	Informal	Everyday use	He is very busy.
极了	Formal	Written or literary	This mountain is incredibly magnificent.
得要命	Informal,negative	Extreme, unbearable	She is worried to death.
坏了	Informal	Surprising extremes	The children are overjoyed.
死了	Informal,dramatic	Exaggeration	I am starving to death.

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FAQs

What does 得不得了 mean in Chinese?

It is an intensifier used to emphasise extreme degrees, often meaning “incredibly,” “extremely,” or “unbelievably.”

How do you use 得不得了 in a sentence?

It follows an adjective to express a high degree,

他高兴得不得了. He is incredibly happy.

Can 得不得了 be used with all adjectives?

It is mostly used with adjectives describing emotions or states, like 开心 (happy), 热闹 (lively), or 忙 (busy).

Is 得不得了 formal or informal?

It is more common in spoken Chinese and informal writing, but it can also appear in literature.

What are some alternatives to 得不得了?

Other intensifiers in Chinese include 极了, 非常, and 太…了, though each has subtle differences in tone and usage.

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Chinese Grammar Bank

HOW TO USE 得不得了

INTRODUCTION

PATTERN

USING 得不得了

1. To describe feelings or emotions

2. To emphasize physical sensations or conditions

3. To exaggerate situations or to describe extremes in qualities

KEY POINTS

SIMILAR EXPRESSIONS TO 得不得了

1. 得很

PATTERN

2. 极了

PATTERN

3. 得要命

PATTERN

4. 坏了

PATTERN

5. 死了

PATTERN

6. Summary of Similar Expressions

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FAQs

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