Subject + 很 + Adjective
This is how Chinese describes a noun with an adjective: subject, then 很, then adjective — 我很忙, 天气很好, 中文很难. No 'to be' verb. The 很 looks like 'very' but most of the time it isn't translated — it's a grammatical connector that holds the sentence together. From your first week of Chinese, this is the default shape of any 'X is [adjective]' statement.
Structure
[SUBJECT] 很 [ADJECTIVE]
[SUBJ] hěn [ADJ]
How to Think About It
Chinese adjectives are already half-verb — 累 by itself means 'is tired.' But a bare adjective predicate (我累) sounds incomplete or implies a contrast: 'I'm tired (but he isn't).' 很 is the filler that makes the sentence feel neutral and finished, like padding around the adjective. That's why 我很累 doesn't really mean 'I'm very tired' — it's just the standard 'I'm tired.' To say 'really tired,' you'd reach for 非常 or 太……了 instead.
Examples
他很高。
Tā hěn gāo.
He is tall.
今天天气很好。
Jīntiān tiānqì hěn hǎo.
The weather is nice today.
中文很有意思。
Zhōngwén hěn yǒu yìsi.
Chinese is interesting.
Common Mistake
Learners insert 是 between subject and adjective, treating Chinese like English ('I am tired'). Chinese adjectives don't take 是 — using it produces a clear grammatical error.
我是累。
我很累。
Don't Confuse With
Subject + 是 + Noun
Use 是 when the predicate is a noun ('I am a student'). Adjectives don't take 是 — they take 很 or another degree adverb.
Subject + 非常 + Adjective
非常 actually means 'very/extremely.' Use it when you genuinely want to intensify; stick with 很 for a neutral statement.
Subject + Adjective (no 很)
Dropping 很 implies contrast or comparison ('I'm tired, but she isn't'). Keep 很 unless you specifically want that contrastive flavor.
Practice
Fill in the blank: 我___忙。
Show answer
很
Fill in the blank: 这个菜很___。 (delicious)
Show answer
好吃
Arrange: 老师 / 很 / 我们的 / 好
Show answer
我们的老师很好。
Translate to Chinese: My house is big.
Show answer
我的家很大。
Write a sentence with Subject + 很 + Adjective describing today's weather.
Show answer
今天很冷。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 5 Fluentide episodes. Press play to hear the sentence:
年轻人很累。
Young people were very tired.
Sichuan Couple Skips Expensive WeddingBeginner
他的家很漂亮。
His home is very beautiful.
China–Japan Trade After Takaichi's ElectionBeginner
水很脏
The water is very dirty
EPA Civil Enforcement Cases Fall Under TrumpBeginner
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear Subject + 很 + Adjective in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this pattern shows up again and again in real context. The transcript marks it, the audio drills it. Free to start.