# HSK 4 Adverbs of Degree: 十分, 更加, 稍, 稍微, 尤其, 多么 | HSKReady Canonical: https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-4-adverbs-a25dffa861 Language: en Content ID: web-grammar-hsk-4-adverbs-a25dffa861 HSK levels: 4 Updated: 2026-10-23T04:56:22.922Z Scope: published website educational content; full vocabulary, question bank and mock exams remain in the app. Learn how to use the six HSK 4 adverbs of degree (十分, 更加, 稍, 稍微, 尤其, 多么) with clear structures, natural examples, and common learner pitfalls. Grammar [HSK 4 · Word classes › Adverbs › Degree adverbs](https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-4#hsk-4-g006) # HSK 4 Adverbs of Degree: 十分, 更加, 稍, 稍微, 尤其, and 多么 At HSK 4, expressing degree moves beyond basic words into nuanced modifiers that show formal intensity, comparative increase, slight adjustment, standout examples, and strong exclamation. Subject 十分 / 更加 Adjective Example sentence 大家对这次演出的结果十分满意。 dàjiā duì zhè cì yǎnchū de jiéguǒ shífēn mǎnyì. Everyone is very satisfied with the result of this performance. 十分 modifies the two-syllable mental adjective 满意 to express a high, non-comparative degree. **Read the full explanation and examples** ## What This HSK 4 Degree Adverb Group Covers In the HSK 4 grammar outline, the adverbs of degree (程度副词) category introduces six items: 十分, 更加, 稍, 稍微, 尤其, and 多么. Note that this level designation reflects the supplied syllabus outline rather than a guarantee of what any specific test center administers on a given date. The outline groups all six as degree adverbs, but their uses differ. 十分 and 更加 modify degree, 稍 and 稍微 can also soften or limit an action, 尤其 highlights a relevant case, and 多么 often adds exclamatory force. They are not six interchangeable words for “very.” ## High and Comparative Degree: 十分 and 更加 十分 and 更加 commonly modify adjectives or psychological verbs, such as 十分满意 and 更加清楚. They can sound more formal than 很 and 更. The number of syllables is a useful rhythm clue, not a rule allowing only two-syllable predicates. Subject 十分 / 更加 Adjective - 十分 means 'very' or 'fully'. It states a high absolute degree without comparing one thing to another. It pairs most naturally with disyllabic adjectives and mental verbs. - 更加 means 'even more' or 'further'. It requires a baseline—either an earlier state or another item—and indicates that the quality has risen above that baseline. 大家对这次演出的结果十分满意。 dàjiā duì zhè cì yǎnchū de jiéguǒ shífēn mǎnyì. Everyone is very satisfied with the result of this performance. 十分 modifies the two-syllable mental adjective 满意 to express a high, non-comparative degree. 经过详细解释，这个问题变得更加清楚了。 jīngguò xiángxì jiěshì, zhège wèntí biàn de gèngjiā qīngchu le. After a detailed explanation, this issue became even clearer. 更加 builds on the change introduced by 经过详细解释, showing an increase compared to before. 十分满意 and 更加清楚 are useful four-syllable phrases. Single-syllable adjectives also occur, for example 十分好 and 更加好. A following 了 is not a general requirement for 更加 with a one-syllable adjective. Choose a natural phrase for the intended meaning. ## Slight Degree and Polite Softening: 稍 and 稍微 稍 and 稍微 express a small degree or a limited action. Complements such as 一点儿 and 一下 are common, as in 稍微大一点儿 and 稍等一下, but are not compulsory in every predicate: 稍等, 稍微休息 and 稍微偏大 can be natural in context. Subject 稍微 Adjective 一点儿 稍 / 稍微 Verb Brief duration or quantity complement 稍 is compact and common in phrases such as 稍等 and 稍作休息. 稍微 is flexible in conversation. The predicate still needs a meaning compatible with a small degree, amount or brief action; adding 一下 mechanically does not make every verb suitable. 请您稍等一下，经理马上就来。 qǐng nín shāo děng yīxià, jīnglǐ mǎshàng jiù lái. Please wait a moment; the manager will be right here. 稍 pairs compactly with the single-syllable verb 等 and the brief duration complement 一下. 这双鞋稍微大了一点儿，有小一号的吗？ zhè shuāng xié shāowēi dà le yīdiǎnr, yǒu xiǎo yī hào de ma? These shoes are slightly too big; do you have one size smaller? 稍微 limits the degree of 大. The expression 了一点儿 makes the small excess explicit. Compare the shorter conversational variant in the next example. Compare the two shoe sentences below and above as useful variants. 稍微大了一点儿 explicitly highlights the small excess; 稍微大 can be understood naturally in a fitting conversation. Do not add a complement solely because the adjective has one syllable. 这双鞋稍微大，有小一号的吗？ zhè shuāng xié shāowēi dà, yǒu xiǎo yī hào de ma? These shoes are slightly big; do you have one size smaller? This can be a natural conversational statement in the fitting context. Adding 了一点儿, as in the earlier example, is another common way to make the small excess explicit; it is not a compulsory grammatical repair. ## Singling Out and Exclaiming: 尤其 and 多么 The final two adverbs in this group do more than scale an adjective up or down; they organize how the speaker frames the sentence. General statement ， 尤其 Specific standout item Verb or adjective phrase 尤其 means “especially” or “in particular.” It highlights something against a wider background supplied by the sentence or the conversation. That background need not be stated first in the same sentence. A useful example is 他喜欢各种运动，尤其喜欢踢足球. 他喜欢各种运动，尤其喜欢踢足球。 tā xǐhuan gè zhǒng yùndòng, yóuqí xǐhuan tī zúqiú. He likes all kinds of sports, and especially likes playing football. 尤其 singles out 踢足球 from the broader category 各种运动 introduced in the first clause. Subject 多么 Adjective 啊！ 多么 commonly strengthens an exclamation, as in 多么美啊. It also appears in degree clauses such as 无论多么忙 (however busy) or 你知道他多么高兴吗 (Do you know how happy he is?). For a direct question asking age, distance or quantity, use forms such as 多大, 多远 or 多少. 看，山上的风景多么美啊！ kàn, shān shàng de fēngjǐng duōme měi a! Look, how beautiful the scenery on the mountain is! 多么 pairs with the clause-final particle 啊 to form a strong exclamation rather than a question. ## Quick Selection Guide When choosing among these six adverbs, check the surrounding clause for structural clues: - Choose 十分 when stating a strong, standalone quality in a polite or formal tone, with no comparison involved. - Choose 更加 when a change or comparison is already established in the context and the degree increases further. - Choose 稍 or 稍微 for a small degree, amount or brief action; common partners include 一点儿, 一些 and 一下 when the meaning calls for them. - Choose 尤其 to highlight a relevant case against a broader background understood from the sentence or conversation. - Choose 多么 when the sentence is an emotional exclamation, often paired with 啊 at the end. ## Frequently asked questions **Can I always swap 稍 and 稍微?** Not always. While they share the same core meaning, 稍 is monosyllabic and prefers fixed, concise phrases like 稍等 or formal written structures. In everyday speech before longer verb phrases or adjectives with 一点儿, two-syllable 稍微 sounds much more natural. **Is 多么 used to ask questions like 'how much' or 'how old'?** For direct questions such as “How old?” or “How much?”, normally use 多大 or 多少. 多么 commonly adds exclamatory force, but can also occur inside a question about degree, as in 你知道他多么高兴吗. Distinguish the question’s function instead of banning 多么 from every sentence with a question mark. **Can I start a brand-new topic with 尤其 without mentioning a broader group first?** No. 尤其 means 'especially' by contrasting one standout item against a wider background. Without a prior general statement or implied group in the context, 尤其 has nothing to single out and sounds incomplete. **Source**[hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com · PDF page 395](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=395) ## Continue in the app Full mock exams are available in HSKReady. [![Download on the App Store](https://hskready.app/download-on-app-store-black.svg)Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6791916440?l=en)[![Get it on Google Play](https://hskready.app/get-it-on-google-play.svg)Get it on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.curiolab.hskready&hl=en) [HSKReady App](https://hskready.app/en/app)