# HSK 3 Degree Adverbs Guide: 比较, 还, 更, 特别, 挺, 有些, 越, 极 | HSKReady Canonical: https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-3-adverbs-20564d783a Language: en Content ID: web-grammar-hsk-3-adverbs-20564d783a HSK levels: 3 Updated: 2026-10-23T04:55:49.488Z Scope: published website educational content; full vocabulary, question bank and mock exams remain in the app. Learn how to use HSK 3 degree adverbs (比较, 还, 更, 特别, 挺, 有些, 越, 极) with clear rules, sentence patterns, natural contrasts, and error corrections. Grammar [HSK 3 · Word classes › Adverbs › Degree adverbs](https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-3#hsk-3-g016) # HSK 3 Degree Adverbs: 比较, 还, 更, 特别, 挺, 有些, 越, and 极 These HSK 3 degree expressions help describe relative, slight, strong, and changing degrees. Most precede the adjective or mental verb they modify. Learn 高兴极了 as a common extreme-degree pattern, while also recognizing pre-adjective 极 in expressions such as 极好 and 极重要. Subject Degree Adverb Adjective / Mental Verb Example sentence 这家饭店的菜比较便宜。 zhè jiā fàndiàn de cài bǐjiào piányi. The dishes at this restaurant are fairly cheap. 比较 sits before the adjective 便宜 to express a moderate, relative degree. A common mistake × 大家高兴了极。 Dàjiā gāoxìng le jí. Intended: Everyone is extremely happy. In the adjective + 极了 pattern, the order is 高兴极了, not 高兴了极. This does not mean that 极 can never precede an adjective: 极好 and 极重要 are valid expressions. Corrected example: 大家高兴极了。 **Read the full explanation and examples** ## Core Function and Basic Word Order In the HSK 3 grammar outline, the degree adverb group includes 比较, 还 (entry 3), 更, 特别, 挺, 有些, 越, and 极. These words modify adjectives or psychological verbs (such as liking, hoping, or worrying) to show how strong a quality or feeling is. Note that this level designation reflects the supplied syllabus outline rather than a guarantee about which exam version a specific test centre currently administers. Subject Degree Adverb Adjective / Mental Verb Except for the post-predicate pattern with 极 and the paired pattern with 越, these adverbs occupy the standard adverbial slot between the subject and the predicate. When you use one of these degree adverbs, you normally drop the default neutral marker 很 because the specific degree is already expressed. ## Moderate, Passable, and Slight Degrees: 比较, 还, and 有些 To soften a statement or show that a quality is present to a limited extent, Chinese uses 比较, 还, and 有些. Although all three sit before the adjective, they carry distinct speaker attitudes. - 比较 means 'fairly' or 'relatively'. It implies a mild comparison against a general standard without needing to name the other item. - 还 can express an acceptable degree in 还可以 or 还不错. In a comparison such as 今天比昨天还冷, it means even more. This lesson explains degree uses; the outline label 还3 alone does not provide a full dictionary definition. - 有些 means 'somewhat' or 'a little'. Like 有点儿, it most often modifies undesirable or uncomfortable states such as being tired, expensive, or nervous, though it sounds slightly more formal than 有点儿. 这家饭店的菜比较便宜。 zhè jiā fàndiàn de cài bǐjiào piányi. The dishes at this restaurant are fairly cheap. 比较 sits before the adjective 便宜 to express a moderate, relative degree. 今天天气还可以，不太冷。 jīntiān tiānqì hái kěyǐ, bù tài lěng. The weather today is passable, not too cold. Here 还可以 means fairly good or acceptable. Compare the stronger comparative use in 比昨天还冷: even colder than yesterday. 走了一上午，大家有些累了。 zǒu le yī shàngwǔ, dàjiā yǒuxiē lèi le. After walking all morning, everyone is somewhat tired. 有些 precedes the undesirable state 累. ## High Degrees in Spoken and General Contexts: 特别 and 挺 特别 commonly means especially or very before adjectives and mental verbs. 挺 is conversational and often conveys an approving quite or pretty; it frequently occurs with final 的. Their force depends on the sentence and tone, rather than a fixed intensity ranking. 挺 Adjective / Mental Verb 的 小李特别喜欢打篮球。 Xiǎo Lǐ tèbié xǐhuan dǎ lánqiú. Xiao Li especially likes playing basketball. 特别 modifies the psychological verb 喜欢 to show a strong degree. 这个公园挺安静的。 zhè ge gōngyuán tǐng ānjìng de. This park is quite quiet. 挺 pairs naturally with a clause-final 的 in everyday conversation. ## Comparative and Progressive Degrees: 更 and 越 更 means more or even more relative to a stated or understood baseline. It need not describe a change over time: 他比我更忙 compares two people. The baseline does not have to be high: 今天不忙，明天更不忙 compares two low degrees of busyness. 昨天很忙，今天更忙。 zuótiān hěn máng, jīntiān gèng máng. Yesterday was busy, and today is even busier. 更 builds on the baseline established in the first clause. 越 indicates that a degree changes in proportion to an ongoing action or time. In Chinese, it does not stand alone as a simple pre-adjective modifier; instead, it appears in correlated patterns such as 越...越... ('the more... the more...') or 越来越... ('more and more...'). 越 Verb / Condition 越 Adjective / Mental Verb 风越刮越大。 fēng yuè guā yuè dà. The more the wind blows, the stronger it gets. 越...越... links the ongoing action 刮 with the rising degree of 大. ## Extreme Degree and Common Learner Error with 极 极 expresses a very high degree. In the pattern taught here, it follows the adjective and is followed by 了: 高兴极了. Pre-adjective 极 is also valid, especially in more formal expressions such as 极好、极少 and 极重要. Do not treat every pre-adjective 极 as an error. The incorrect example below reverses the order within 极了. Adjective / Mental Verb 极 了 × 大家高兴了极。 Dàjiā gāoxìng le jí. Intended: Everyone is extremely happy. In the adjective + 极了 pattern, the order is 高兴极了, not 高兴了极. This does not mean that 极 can never precede an adjective: 极好 and 极重要 are valid expressions. Corrected example: 大家高兴极了。 大家高兴极了。 dàjiā gāoxìng jí le. Everyone is extremely happy. Correct replacement: 极了 follows the adjective 高兴 to express an extreme degree. For an everyday spoken model, use 特别高兴 or 非常高兴 with the intensifier first, or 高兴极了 with 极了 last. These are useful models, not a ban on valid written expressions with 极 before the adjective. ## Frequently asked questions **Why does the syllabus list a number next to 还?** The number distinguishes entries for the same written word in the outline; it is not pronounced. Here 还 is listed among degree adverbs. The outline row does not spell out a full dictionary sense, so learn the meaning from the construction, such as 还不错 or 比昨天还冷. **Can I swap 有些 and 比较 freely?** No. 比较 means 'fairly' and works comfortably with both positive and negative qualities. 有些 means 'somewhat' or 'a bit' and is mainly used when a quality feels slightly problematic or undesirable, such as being tired, expensive, or difficult. **Is sentence-final 的 always required with 挺?** In short spoken sentences where 挺 modifies an adjective predicate, adding 的 at the end (挺好的, 挺忙的) is the most natural pattern. However, when 挺 modifies a verb phrase with an object, or in certain compact clauses, 的 can be omitted. **Source**[hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com · PDF page 392](https://hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com/3.0/%E6%96%B0%E7%89%88HSK%E8%80%83%E8%AF%95%E5%A4%A7%E7%BA%B21219.pdf#page=392) ## Continue in the app Full mock exams are available in HSKReady. 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