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HSK 3

极

extremely; pole; utmost

adverbneutral
极
jí2nd tone

HSK level

1
2
3
4
5
6
Pinyin
jí
Part of speech
adverb
Level
HSK 3
Strokes
7
Register
neutral

Stroke order for 极

极 is written with 7 strokes. The animation replays automatically.

What does 极 mean?

极 (jí) means 'extreme' or 'to the highest degree.'

In everyday Mandarin it functions almost entirely as an intensifier, and learners meet it first in the pattern 'adjective + 极了' — 好极了 (hǎo jí le, 'great!'), 累极了 (lèi jí le, 'exhausted'). This post-adjective use is colloquial and warm, similar to English 'super' or 'really.'

Placing 极 before the adjective (极好) is grammatical but sounds formal or written, like 'utterly good.' 极 also carries the older noun sense of 'pole' or 'extremity,' surviving in compounds such as 北极 (North Pole), 南极 (South Pole), and 极限 (limit). Unlike 很 (hěn, 'very'), which is mild and almost neutral, 极了 marks a true peak — speakers reserve it for genuine emphasis, not casual filler.

Note: Most commonly used as the post-adjective suffix 极了 in spoken Mandarin. As a standalone adverb before the adjective (极美 jí měi), it sounds written or literary.

Example sentences

今天天气好极了！

Jīntiān tiānqì hǎo jí le!

The weather is amazing today!

spoken

这个菜好吃极了。

Zhège cài hǎochī jí le.

This dish is incredibly delicious.

spoken

他昨天累极了，很早就睡了。

Tā zuótiān lèi jí le, hěn zǎo jiù shuì le.

He was exhausted yesterday and went to bed very early.

neutral

在北极，冬天非常冷。

Zài běijí, dōngtiān fēicháng lěng.

In the North Pole, winter is extremely cold.

neutral

Common phrases with 极

好极了hǎo jí legreat!; excellent!
极了jí leextremely (post-adjective suffix)
北极běi jíthe North Pole
南极nán jíthe South Pole
极少jí shǎovery few; rarely

Synonyms

非常fēicháng

非常 ('extremely') goes before the adjective (非常好) and is the neutral default. 极了 goes after the adjective (好极了) and feels more emotional or exclamatory.

特别tèbié

特别 ('especially, particularly') marks the adjective as standing out from a comparison. 极 marks the absolute peak of the scale, with no comparison implied.

最zuì

最 ('most') is comparative — the most X out of a group. 极了 is absolute — extremely X in itself, no group needed.

Don't confuse 极 with

及jí

及 (jí, 'and; to reach') is a connector or verb meaning 'reach,' as in 来不及 (couldn't make it in time). Same pinyin, completely different function from 极 the intensifier.

急jí

急 (jí) means 'urgent' or 'anxious' — 着急 (zháojí, to be anxious). Same sound and tone as 极, but the heart radical 忄 in 急 signals emotion, not extremity.

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