# 够……的 Grammar Guide: HSK 4 Fixed Phrase & Usage | HSKReady Canonical: https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-4-fixed-phrases-c23fb40e12 Language: en Content ID: web-grammar-hsk-4-fixed-phrases-c23fb40e12 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 Chinese fixed phrase 够……的 (gòu... de) to express high degree and speaker emotion, with clear contrasts against basic sufficiency. Grammar [HSK 4 · Fixed patterns](https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-4#hsk-4-g035) # HSK 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. Subject / Topic 够 Adjective / State Verb Phrase 的 Example sentence 今天外边真够冷的，你多穿点儿衣服。 Jīntiān wàibian zhēn gòu lěng de, nǐ duō chuān diǎnr yīfu. It is really quite cold outside today; put on some more clothes. Uses 真 before 够……的 to emphasize an unpleasantly high degree of coldness. A common mistake × 他昨天晚上够很累的。 Tā zuótiān wǎnshang gòu hěn lèi de. Intended: He was really quite tired last night. 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。 Jīntiān wàibian zhēn gòu lěng de, nǐ duō chuān diǎnr yīfu. It is really quite cold outside today; put on some more clothes. 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. Subject / Topic 够 Adjective / State Verb Phrase 的 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。 Zhège wèntí gòu fùzá de, wǒmen děi hǎohāor shāngliang yīxià. This problem is pretty complicated; we need to discuss it carefully. 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。 Zhè jǐ gè xīngqī tā kě gòu máng de, lián zhōumò dōu méi xiūxi. He has been awfully busy these past few weeks, not even resting on weekends. Pairs 可 with 够……的 to express sympathy and emphasis. 够 Person Affected Action + Duration / Complement 的 （了） 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。 Zhème duō xíngli, gòu nǐ bān yī zhènzi de le. With this much luggage, it is enough to keep you moving things for quite a while. 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。 Zhè jiàn máoyī gòu hòu, bùyòng zài chuān wàitào le. This sweater is thick enough; there is no need to put on a coat. 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。 Tā zuótiān wǎnshang gòu hěn lèi de. Intended: He was really quite tired last night. 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。 Tā zuótiān wǎnshang zhēn gòu lèi de. He was really quite tired last night. Correct replacement: removes 很 from inside the frame and places 真 before 够 for natural emphasis. Register tip: Keep 够……的 for dialogue, informal messages, and expressive narration. In formal reports or academic writing, standard degree adverbs like 十分 (shífēn) or 相当 (xiāngdāng) are preferred. ## 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. **Source**[hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com · PDF page 396](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=396) ## Continue in the app Full mock exams are available in HSKReady. 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