HSKReadyGet the appHSK 4 Fixed Phrase: 够……的 for High Degree and Subjective Emphasis
In conversation, 够……的 often emphasizes a high degree: “really quite” or “remarkably”. It can express complaint, surprise or admiration. Some uses also retain the idea of sufficiency, so interpret the whole sentence rather than treating final 的 as an automatic switch of meaning.
今天外边真够冷的，你多穿点儿衣服。
Uses 真 before 够……的 to emphasize an unpleasantly high degree of coldness.
× 他昨天晚上够很累的。
Incorrect: 够 already modifies the degree of 累, so adding 很 inside 够……的 creates a conflicting double degree modifier. See the corrected version.
Corrected example: 他昨天晚上真够累的。
Read the full explanation and examples
Core Meaning and Syllabus Scope
Learners first meet 够 (gòu) as a verb or adverb meaning 'enough'. However, in the HSK 4 grammar outline, 够……的 (gòu... de) is listed as a distinct fixed phrase (固定短语). When 够 pairs with a sentence-final 的, the meaning usually shifts away from objective sufficiency. Instead, the speaker uses it to exclaim that a quality, state, or situation has reached a remarkably high degree—often translated into English as 'really quite...', 'pretty...', or 'certainly... enough'.
This pattern belongs primarily to spoken and informal Chinese. It frequently expresses mild complaint, sympathy, surprise, or a sense that a situation is slightly overwhelming or taxing.
今天外边真够冷的，你多穿点儿衣服。
Uses 真 before 够……的 to emphasize an unpleasantly high degree of coldness.
Two Common Structural Patterns
In everyday conversation, 够……的 appears in two main structural variations depending on whether you are describing a quality directly or commenting on how much effort a situation demands from someone.
In the first pattern, the slot between 够 and 的 is filled by an adjective or a psychological/state verb phrase. Words like 真 (zhēn, really) or 可 (kě, certainly/really) very often appear right before 够 to strengthen the exclamatory tone.
这个问题够复杂的，我们得好好儿商量一下。
Shows 够 + adjective + 的 commenting on a challenging situation.
这几个星期他可够忙的，连周末都没休息。
Pairs 可 with 够……的 to express sympathy and emphasis.
In the second pattern, a person and a verb phrase occur between 够 and 的, often with final 了. It can emphasize how much a situation involves or how long resources will last. It need not express trouble: 这笔钱够你花一年的了 means the money will last you a year.
这么多行李，够你搬一阵子的了。
Illustrates the 够 + person + verb phrase + 的（了） pattern.
Useful Contrast: 够 + Adjective vs. 够 + Adjective + 的
够厚 can neutrally mean “thick enough”, while 够厚的 often adds the speaker’s evaluation, “really quite thick”. Context decides whether practical sufficiency is also relevant. 这件毛衣够厚的，不用再穿外套了 can still connect that evaluation with being warm enough; 的 does not forbid this reading.
这件毛衣够厚，不用再穿外套了。
Contrast example without 的: expresses practical sufficiency rather than an emotional exclamation.
- 够 + adjective can assess sufficiency; it may also carry emphasis in a suitable context.
- 够 + adjective + 的 often adds an expressive evaluation. Both positive and negative qualities can occur, and sufficiency may still be part of the meaning.
Common Learner Mistake and Limits
Because 够……的 already functions as a degree modifier on the adjective, you cannot insert another basic degree adverb such as 很 (hěn), 非常 (fēicháng), or 太 (tài) directly before the adjective inside the frame. If you want to intensify the whole expression, place modal adverbs like 真 (zhēn) or 可 (kě) before 够.
× 他昨天晚上够很累的。
Incorrect: 够 already modifies the degree of 累, so adding 很 inside 够……的 creates a conflicting double degree modifier. See the corrected version.
Corrected example: 他昨天晚上真够累的。
他昨天晚上真够累的。
Correct replacement: removes 很 from inside the frame and places 真 before 够 for natural emphasis.
Frequently asked questions
Can 够……的 only be used with negative adjectives?
No. While it is very common with tiring or unpleasant qualities like 冷 (cold), 累 (tired), 麻烦 (troublesome), or 贵 (expensive), it can also appear with neutral or positive words when the speaker finds the degree surprising or remarkable, depending on tone and context.
Why is there a 的 at the end of 够……的?
Here, sentence-final 的 works as a modal particle that affirms a state and conveys the speaker's certainty and subjective assessment, locking together with 够 as an idiomatic frame.
