HSK 6
程度副词：特、异常
chéng dù fù cí ： tè 、 yì cháng
Adverbs of degree: 特 and 异常
Explanation
特 (tè) and 异常 (yìcháng) are two adverbs (words that modify a verb or adjective) indicating a high degree, equivalent to 'very' or 'extremely' in English, placed before an adjective to express a high level of some quality.
特 / 异常 + adjective (e.g. 特高兴 tè gāoxìng = very happy; 异常寒冷 yìcháng hánlěng = unusually cold).
特 (tè) is the colloquial shortened form of 特别 (tèbié), used in casual conversation to emphasize how special something is. 异常 (yìcháng) has a formal shade, leaning toward formal/written usage (used in books and documents, rarely in speech), and refers to a phenomenon that goes beyond the normal level.
特 leans toward colloquial speech and subjective emotion; 异常 leans toward formal/written usage and describing objective phenomena (weather, figures, conditions).
Vietnamese learners often use 特 in formal written text (it should be replaced with 特别 or 异常); and they often forget that 异常 is somewhat stiff and should not be used for everyday emotions of happiness or sadness.
Examples
He is extremely happy, because his design won an award.
The weather today is unusually cold.
Practice
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Learn “程度副词：特、异常” effectively
The grammar point “程度副词：特、异常” (Adverbs of degree: 特 and 异常) is one of the key structures at HSK 6. To use it fluently, you need to understand the contexts where it's used and practice regularly.
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