Adverb of degree “挺”

In Chinese, the adverb of degree 挺 (tǐng) is placed before adjectives or psychological verbs (such as 喜欢, 想, 担心) to indicate a relatively high degree. It is primarily used in informal, spoken Chinese and usually translates to “quite”, “pretty”, or “very”.

Grammar Rules

1. Expressing High Degree: The adverb 挺 intensifies an adjective or psychological verb, serving as a casual, conversational alternative to 很 (hěn).

2. Paired with Particle “的”: This structure is almost always paired with the modal particle 的 (de) at the end of the phrase (挺……的).

3. Colloquial Tone: It is widely used in everyday spoken Chinese, giving the sentence a friendly and relaxed tone.

Grammar Structure

挺 + Adjective / Psychological Verb + 的

Examples

这(Zhè)个(ge)小(xiǎo)区(qū)环(huán)境(jìng)挺(tǐng)好(hǎo)的(de)。

The environment in this residential community is quite good.

这(Zhè)家(jiā)饭(fàn)馆(guǎn)的(de)菜(cài)挺(tǐng)好(hǎo)吃(chī)的(de)。

The food at this restaurant is pretty delicious.

买(Mǎi)这(zhè)个(ge)吧(ba)，我(wǒ)挺(tǐng)喜(xǐ)欢(huan)这(zhè)个(ge)颜(yán)色(sè)的(de)。

Let's buy this one; I quite like this color.

Important Note

While the sentence-final 的 (de) in the 挺……的 (tǐng ... de) pattern can occasionally be omitted in casual conversation, keeping 的 makes the expression sound more complete and natural. Common pairings with psychological verbs include: 挺喜欢 (quite like), 挺想 (really miss / really want to), and 挺担心 (pretty worried).