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HSK 2.0 Level 6+ HSK 3.0 Level 6+ 6 min read

Degree Adverbs 特, 异常 and 较为

Choose between casual 特 “really”, formal 异常 “extremely, unusually” and formal 较为 “fairly” to set both the degree and the tone.

Pattern

特 / 异常 / 较为 + adjective

特 is chatty and strong, 异常 is formal and very strong, 较为 is formal and mild.

听到这个消息，他异常激动。

When to use Degree Adverbs 特, 异常 and 较为

Like 很 and 非常, these three go right before an adjective (or a verb of feeling) to show how strong it is. They differ in strength and tone: 特 is casual spoken “really, super”, a short form of 特别 (今天特冷); 异常 is formal and very strong, “extremely, unusually” (异常激动); 较为 is formal and mild, “relatively, fairly”, the written partner of 比较 (较为复杂).

今天特冷，多穿点儿衣服。

It’s really cold today; put on some more clothes.

这个问题较为复杂，我们需要再研究一下。

This problem is fairly complex; we need to look into it a bit more.

那家店的东西特便宜。

Things at that shop are super cheap.

这部电影特有意思，你一定要看。

This movie is super interesting; you’ve got to see it.

Common traps

  • Keep 特 out of formal writing: in an essay write 非常重要 or 特别重要, not 特重要.
  • 较为 can’t be a verb: say 比较一下这两个方案, not 较为一下这两个方案.
  • In casual chat, 今天特别冷 or 今天特冷 sounds natural; 今天异常冷 sounds like a weather report.

Targeted drill

Practice this exact pattern before moving on.

这个解释 简单，遗漏了关键细节

This explanation is overly simple and leaves out key details
Fill in the missing piece, then press Enter

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