很

Translingual

Stroke order

Stroke order

Han character

很 (Kangxi radical 60, 彳+6, 9 strokes, cangjie input 竹人日女 (HOAV), four-corner 2723₂, composition ⿰彳艮)

Derived characters

• 䓳 𭉂 𭦶 𭿉 𧩺 𢉟 𭝮

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 366, character 13
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 10093
• Dae Jaweon: page 687, character 7
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 822, character 1
• Unihan data for U+5F88

Chinese

Glyph origin

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡɯːnʔ) : semantic 彳 + phonetic 艮 (OC *kɯːns).

Etymology

“Cruel (~ 狠); to disobey; to defy” > “very; quite” (since Yuan dynasty). Compare 蠻／蛮 (mán).

Pronunciation

Definitions

很

1. very; rather; quite

   他很高興。／他很高兴。  ―  Tā hěn gāoxìng.  ―  He is very pleased.

   我很喜歡。／我很喜欢。  ―  Wǒ hěn xǐhuān.  ―  I like it very much.

   我喜歡得很。／我喜欢得很。  ―  Wǒ xǐhuān de hěn.  ―  I like it very much.

2. (Mandarin, especially before monosyllabic adjectives) (no meaning, see usage note)

   Synonym: 好 (Cantonese)

   我很好。  ―  Wǒ hěn hǎo.  ―  I'm good. (no intensification)

3. (obsolete, original senses)
   1. to disobey; to defy; to be querulous

      • 見過不更，聞諫愈甚，謂之很。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
        见过不更，闻谏愈甚，谓之很。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

        From: Zhuangzi, circa 3^rd – 2^nd centuries BCE

        Jiàn guò bù gèng, wén jiàn yù shèn, wèi zhī hěn.

        To see one's errors and not improve, to hear words of advice and become ever more extreme: this is called being querulous.

   2. struggle; dispute; lawsuit

      • 臨財毋苟得，臨難毋苟免。很毋求勝，分毋求多。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
        临财毋苟得，临难毋苟免。很毋求胜，分毋求多。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

        From: The Book of Rites, c. 4^th – 2^nd century BCE

        Lín cái wú gǒu dé, lín nán wú gǒu miǎn. Hěn wú qiú shèng, fēn wú qiú duō.

        When faced with wealth, do not obtain it improperly; when faced with hardship, do not escape it improperly. As for disputes, do not seek victory; as for your share, do not seek too much.

      • 從耳目之欲，以為父母戮，四不孝也；好勇鬥很，以危父母，五不孝也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
        从耳目之欲，以为父母戮，四不孝也；好勇斗很，以危父母，五不孝也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

        From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE

        Cóng ěrmù zhī yù, yǐwéi fùmǔ lù, sì bùxiào yě; hǎo yǒng dòuhěn, yǐ wēi fùmǔ, wǔ bùxiào yě.

        To follow sensual desires and cause shame for one's parents is the fourth case of filial impiety; to love recklessness and fighting and thereby imperil one's parents is the fifth case of filial impiety.

   3. to try to one's utmost
4. (obsolete) Alternative form of 狠 (hěn, “cruel; savage; inhumane”).

Usage notes

• Mandarin speakers have a strong tendency to avoid monosyllabic terms. In order to satisfy this restriction, 很 is added before monosyllabic adjectives without any actual meaning. Similarly, Chinese people with monosyllabic first names will usually be addressed by their full name, even by their parents.
• Such usage of 很 is not uncommon before other adjectives as well, to the point where forming a sentence without 很 may be perceived as very unnatural. Additionally, using an adjective as a predicate without 很 might carry notions of a comparative statement, e.g. '我好' could be interpreted as 'I am good '.

Synonyms

• (very):

See also

• 太 (tài)

Compounds

Japanese

Kanji

(uncommon “Hyōgai” kanji)

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Readings

• Go-on: ごん (gon)
• Kan-on: こん (kon)
• Kun: もとる (motoru, 很る)

Korean

Hanja

很 (eumhun 패려궂을 흔 (paeryeogujeul heun))

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Vietnamese

Han character

很: Hán Nôm readings: ngận, hẩn

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