Complement of Degree (3): ……极了

In Chinese, the complement of degree 极了 (jí le) is attached to adjectives or psychological verbs to indicate that a quality, state, or feeling has reached an extremely high degree or peak level. In English, it translates to “extremely...”, “exceedingly...”, “immensely...”, or “so very...”.

Grammar Rules

1. Expressing the Maximum Degree: 极了 emphasizes the ultimate peak or limit of a particular characteristic or emotion.

2. Word Combinations: It is placed directly after adjectives (e.g., 甜, 热) or psychological verbs (喜欢, 讨厌).

3. Expressive & Spoken Tone: It carries a strong emotional emphasis and is frequently used in spoken Chinese to convey high praise, excitement, or extreme discomfort.

Grammar Structure

Adjective / Psychological Verb + 极了

Examples

这(Zhè)块(kuài)冰(bīng)西(xī)瓜(guā)甜(tián)极(jí)了(le)。

This chilled watermelon is extremely sweet.

今(Jīn)年(nián)夏(xià)天(tiān)热(rè)极(jí)了(le)。

This summer is extremely hot.

这(Zhè)本(běn)书(shū)我(wǒ)喜(xǐ)欢(huan)极(jí)了(le)。

I like this book immensely.

Important Note

Do NOT add preceding degree adverbs: When using 极了 after an adjective or verb, you must not place degree adverbs like 很 (hěn) or 非常 (fēicháng) in front of it. Writing “很甜极了” is grammatically incorrect. Comparison with “……死了”: ……极了 (jí le): Works well with both positive and negative attributes (好极了 — fantastic; 累极了 — extremely tired). ……死了 (sǐ le): Highly informal and predominantly used for unpleasant or extreme physical states (累死了 — tired to death; 饿死了 — starving to death).