非常
very; extremely
fēicháng
What does 非常 mean?
非常 (fēicháng) is an intensifying adverb meaning 'very / extremely,' literally 'not ordinary.' It modifies adjectives and emotional/state verbs to mark a stronger degree than 很 (hěn): 这个菜很好吃 ('this dish is tasty') vs. 这个菜非常好吃 ('this dish is extremely tasty'). Two things differ from English 'very.'
First, Chinese has a hierarchy of intensifiers — 有点 < 很 < 非常 < 特别 < 太 — and 非常 sits in the upper-middle, stronger than 很 but slightly more measured than the spoken 太...了 pattern. Second,
Character breakdown
not; non-
ordinary; often
Memory hook: 'Not ordinary' — if it's not ordinary, it must be extreme.
Example sentences
这个电影非常好看。
Zhège diànyǐng fēicháng hǎokàn.
This movie is extremely good.
neutral
我非常喜欢吃饺子。
Wǒ fēicháng xǐhuan chī jiǎozi.
I really love eating dumplings.
spoken
非常感谢您的帮助。
Fēicháng gǎnxiè nín de bāngzhù.
Thank you very much for your help.
polite
今天天气非常热。
Jīntiān tiānqì fēicháng rè.
The weather is extremely hot today.
neutral
学习汉语非常重要。
Xuéxí Hànyǔ fēicháng zhòngyào.
Studying Chinese is extremely important.
neutral
Common phrases with 非常
Synonyms
很 is the default intensifier 'very,' but it's so common in Chinese that it often just marks adjectives without strong emphasis. 非常 is a real 'extremely' — use it when you actually mean a stronger degree.
特别 ('especially / really') is more colloquial and warmer than 非常. In speech, 特别好 sounds friendly; 非常好 sounds slightly more formal or polished.
十分 ('fully / very') is a written / formal alternative to
Don't confuse 非常 with
FAQ
Acquire by listening
Hear 非常 in real Chinese, not in a flashcard.
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