Complement of degree 1: 坏了
In Chinese, the complement of degree 坏了 (huàile) is used after adjectives or state verbs to indicate an extremely high degree of a condition. It carries an exaggerated, hyperbolic tone and is primarily used in unpleasant or uncomfortable situations. In English, it typically translates to “extremely”, “terribly”, “to death”, or “dying of...”.
Grammar Rules
1. Exaggerated High Degree: Indicates that a physical or emotional state has reached an extreme limit that is difficult to endure.
2. Negative Context: It is almost exclusively paired with adjectives describing discomfort, stress, or distress — such as 忙 (busy), 累 (tired), 渴 (thirsty), 饿 (hungry), or 吓 (scared).
3. Positioning: The phrase 坏了 (huàile) is placed directly after the adjective or state verb.
Grammar Structure
Adjective / State Verb + 坏了
Examples
我这几天忙坏了。
I've been so busy these past few days.
我渴坏了，哪里能买水？
I'm dying of thirst; where can I buy some water?
这几天非常忙，大家都累坏了。
It's been extremely busy these past few days, and everyone is exhausted to death.
Important Note
While 坏 (huài) literally means “broken” or “bad”, as a complement of degree it loses its literal meaning and acts purely as an intensifier for negative states.
Common conversational combinations include:
忙坏了 (máng huàile) = Extremely busy / worked to exhaustion
累坏了 (lèi huàile) = Exhausted to death / worn out
饿坏了 (è huàile) = Starving / dying of hunger
吓坏了 (xià huàile) = Scared to death / terrified