太
too; extremely
tài
What does 太 mean?
太 (tài) is an intensifier meaning 'too' or 'extremely,' placed before an adjective or verb. In its most common HSK 1 pattern, it pairs with 了 at the end: 太好了! 'Awesome!' (literally 'too good!'), 太贵了 'too expensive,' 太累了 'so tired.'
This 太…了 frame is what makes 太 sound natural — using 太 alone (我太累) without 了 feels incomplete in speech. Unlike English 'too,' which is mostly negative ('too expensive = can't afford'), Chinese 太 can be positive: 太棒了 means 'fantastic!' Context tells you which. The negative 不太 means 'not very' — 不太好 'not very good,' a softer way to say 'not great.' For neutral 'very,' use 很 (hěn)
Character breakdown
too; extremely; (also) great
Memory hook: 太 is 大 'big' with an extra dot — 'bigger than big' = too much / extremely.
Example sentences
太好了！
Tài hǎo le!
Awesome!
spoken
这个太贵了。
Zhège tài guì le.
This is too expensive.
spoken
今天太累了。
Jīntiān tài lèi le.
Today I'm so tired.
spoken
他不太喜欢吃辣。
Tā bú tài xǐhuan chī là.
He doesn't really like spicy food.
neutral
Common phrases with 太
Synonyms
Don't confuse 太 with
FAQ
Acquire by listening
Hear 太 in real Chinese, not in a flashcard.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this word shows up again and again in real sentences. Pinyin, translation, and the episode where you heard it — every time. Free to start, no card.