很
Meanings
- very; quite
- (also, often used before an adjective without intensifying its meaning, i.e. as a meaningless syntactic element)
Characters in this entry
- 很
- hěn · very, quite, much
Explore the spelling
Mandarin tones
3 · hen3
Compare attested words with these syllables ↗Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.
Connected dictionary
Sentences in context
Exact source-spelling matches. Open the reader for dictionary lookups, construction notes and related examples. Occurrence does not establish a particular dictionary sense.
Read this spelling in Classical texts
Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.
Compare dictionary sources Rime · Wiktionary
Rime Cantonese 粵拼
han2
Cantonese word readings for 很. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.
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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section
Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.
character
- very; extremely; in a high degree
- (Mandarin, especially before monosyllabic adjectives) (no meaning, see usage note)
- (obsolete, original senses) — to disobey; to defy; to be querulous
- (obsolete, original senses) — struggle; dispute; lawsuit
- (obsolete, original senses) — to try to one's utmost
- (obsolete) alternative form of 狠 (hěn, “cruel; savage; inhumane”)
Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack