enough; sufficient
HSK level
够 is written with 11 strokes. The animation replays automatically.
够 (gòu) means 'enough' or 'sufficient,' expressing that a quantity, degree, or condition reaches the required level.
It works as an adjective/verb (钱够了 'the money is enough'), as a pre-verb sense of 'to be able to reach or afford' (够不着 'can't reach'), and colloquially before an adjective as an intensifier meaning 'really / quite' (够累的 'really tired'). Two differences from English 'enough.' First, 够 usually comes after the noun it evaluates or stands alone as a predicate — 时间够 'time is enough,' not '够 time'; to say 'enough time' before a noun you use 足够的 (zúgòu de).
Second, the colloquial 够…的 intensifier ('这天气够冷的' 'this weather is really cold') has no direct English equivalent and adds a tone of mild complaint or emphasis. Register is neutral and very common in speech.
钱够了，我们可以买。
Qián gòu le, wǒmen kěyǐ mǎi.
We have enough money, we can buy it.
spoken
时间不够，快一点。
Shíjiān búgòu, kuài yìdiǎn.
There isn't enough time, hurry up.
spoken
好了好了，够了！
Hǎo le hǎo le, gòu le!
Okay okay, that's enough!
spoken
这些食物足够我们吃三天。
Zhèxiē shíwù zúgòu wǒmen chī sān tiān.
This food is enough for us to eat for three days.
neutral
足够 is the more formal two-syllable 'sufficient' and can modify a noun directly (足够的时间 'sufficient time'). 够 is the plainer spoken form, usually a predicate (时间够 'time is enough'). Use 足够 before nouns and in writing; 够 in casual speech.
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