很

很 U+5F88, 很 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5F88 ← 徇 [U+5F87] CJK Unified Ideographs 徉 → [U+5F89]

Translingual

Stroke order

Stroke order

Han character

很 (Kangxi radical 60, 彳+6, 9 strokes, cangjie input 竹人日女 (HOAV), four-corner 2723₂, composition ⿰彳艮)

Derived characters

• 䓳 𭉂 𭦶 𭿉 𧩺 𢉟 𭝮

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 366, character 13
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 10093
• Dae Jaweon: page 687, character 7
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 822, character 1
• Unihan data for U+5F88

Chinese

simp. and trad.		很

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (艮) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
艱	*krɯːn
齦	*kʰrɯːnʔ, *kʰɯːnʔ, *ŋɯn
眼	*ŋrɯːnʔ
蛝	*ɡrɯːn
限	*ɡrɯːnʔ
硍	*ɡrɯːnʔ
豤	*kʰɯːnʔ, *kʰɯːnʔ, *kʰuːn
詪	*ɡlɯːnʔ, *kɯːnʔ, *kɯːns
根	*kɯːn
跟	*kɯːn
珢	*kɯːn, *kɯːns, *ŋrɯn
艮	*kɯːns
茛	*kɯːns
墾	*kʰɯːnʔ
懇	*kʰɯːnʔ
垠	*ŋɯːn, *ŋrɯn, *ŋɯn
泿	*ŋɯːn, *ŋrɯn
痕	*ɡɯːn
拫	*ɡɯːn
鞎	*ɡɯːn
很	*ɡɯːnʔ
恨	*ɡɯːns
銀	*ŋrɯn
檭	*ŋrɯn

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *ɡɯːnʔ): semantic 彳 + phonetic 艮 (OC *kɯːns).

Etymology

“Cruel (~ 狠); to disobey; to defy” > “very; quite” (since Yuan dynasty). Compare 蠻／蛮 (mán).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): hěn (hen³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄏㄣˇ

  (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): хын (hɨn, II)

• Cantonese (Jyutping): han²

• Gan (Wiktionary): hen³
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): hàn

  (Meixian, Guangdong): hên¹

• Jin (Wiktionary): heng²
• Northern Min (KCR): hǎing
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): hún / hín

  (Teochew, Peng'im): heng²

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁵hen; ¹hen
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): he³ / hen³

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: hěn
    • Zhuyin: ㄏㄣˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: hěn
    • Wade–Giles: hên³
    • Yale: hěn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: heen
    • Palladius: хэнь (xɛnʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /xən²¹⁴/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic and Wiktionary: хын (hɨn, II)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /xəŋ⁵¹/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: han²
    • Yale: hán
    • Cantonese Pinyin: han²
    • Guangdong Romanization: hen²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hɐn³⁵/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: hen³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hɛn²¹³/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: hàn
    • Hakka Romanization System: han^ˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: han²
    • Sinological IPA: /han¹¹/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: hên¹
    • Sinological IPA: /hɛn⁴⁴/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: heng²
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /xəŋ⁵³/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: hǎing
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /xaiŋ²¹/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou, General Taiwanese, Xiamen)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hún
    • Tâi-lô: hún
    • Phofsit Daibuun: huon
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /hun⁵⁵⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei, Xiamen): /hun⁵³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /hun⁴¹/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hín
    • Tâi-lô: hín
    • Phofsit Daibuun: hien
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /hin⁵³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: heng²
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: hṳ́ng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hɯŋ⁵²/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁵hen; ¹hen
    • MiniDict: hen^去; hen^平
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²hen; ¹hen
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /hən³⁴/, /hən⁵³/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: he³ / hen³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /xɤ̞⁴¹/, /xən⁴¹/

Note: he3 - vernacular.

---

• Middle Chinese: honX

Rime
Character	很
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	匣 (33)
Final (韻)	痕 (53)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	胡墾切
Baxter	honX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ɦənX/
Pan Wuyun	/ɦənX/
Shao Rongfen	/ɣənX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ɦənX/
Li Rong	/ɣənX/
Wang Li	/ɣənX/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ɣənX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	hèn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	han6

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*ɡɯːnʔ/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	很
Reading #	1/1
No.	3937
Phonetic component	艮
Rime group	文
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	很
Old Chinese	/*ɡɯːnʔ/

Definitions

很

1. very; rather; quite

   他很高興。／他很高兴。  ―  Tā hěn gāoxìng.  ―  He is very pleased.

   我很喜歡。／我很喜欢。  ―  Wǒ hěn xǐhuān.  ―  I like it very much.

   我喜歡得很。／我喜欢得很。  ―  Wǒ xǐhuān de hěn.  ―  I like it very much.

2. (Mandarin, especially before monosyllabic adjectives) (no meaning, see usage note)

   Synonym: 好 (Cantonese)

   我很好。  ―  Wǒ hěn hǎo.  ―  I'm good. (no intensification)

3. (obsolete, original senses)
   1. to disobey; to defy; to be querulous

      • 見過不更，聞諫愈甚，謂之很。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
        见过不更，闻谏愈甚，谓之很。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

        From: Zhuangzi, circa 3^rd – 2^nd centuries BCE

        Jiàn guò bù gèng, wén jiàn yù shèn, wèi zhī hěn. [Pinyin]

        To see one's errors and not improve, to hear words of advice and become ever more extreme: this is called being querulous.

   2. struggle; dispute; lawsuit

      • 臨財毋苟得，臨難毋苟免。很毋求勝，分毋求多。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
        临财毋苟得，临难毋苟免。很毋求胜，分毋求多。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

        From: The Book of Rites, c. 4^th – 2^nd century BCE

        Lín cái wú gǒu dé, lín nán wú gǒu miǎn. Hěn wú qiú shèng, fēn wú qiú duō. [Pinyin]

        When faced with wealth, do not obtain it improperly; when faced with hardship, do not escape it improperly. As for disputes, do not seek victory; as for your share, do not seek too much.

      • 從耳目之欲，以為父母戮，四不孝也；好勇鬥很，以危父母，五不孝也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
        从耳目之欲，以为父母戮，四不孝也；好勇斗很，以危父母，五不孝也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

        From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE

        Cóng ěrmù zhī yù, yǐwéi fùmǔ lù, sì bùxiào yě; hǎo yǒng dòuhěn, yǐ wēi fùmǔ, wǔ bùxiào yě. [Pinyin]

        To follow sensual desires and cause shame for one's parents is the fourth case of filial impiety; to love recklessness and fighting and thereby imperil one's parents is the fifth case of filial impiety.

   3. to try to one's utmost
4. (obsolete) Alternative form of 狠 (hěn, “cruel; savage; inhumane”).

Usage notes

• Mandarin speakers have a strong tendency to avoid monosyllabic terms. In order to satisfy this restriction, 很 is added before monosyllabic adjectives without any actual meaning. Similarly, Chinese people with monosyllabic first names will usually be addressed by their full name, even by their parents.
• Such usage of 很 is not uncommon before other adjectives as well, to the point where forming a sentence without 很 may be perceived as very unnatural. Additionally, using an adjective as a predicate without 很 might carry notions of a comparative statement, e.g. '我好' could be interpreted as 'I am good [unlike some other person that was mentioned]'.

Synonyms

• (very):

edit

• 不要太 (bùyàotài) (slang)
• 十分 (shífēn)
• 危險 / 危险 (Wu)
• 壞 / 坏 (huài)
• 孔 (kǒng) (literary, or in compounds)
• 極其 / 极其 (jíqí)
• 極度 / 极度 (jídù)
• 極為 / 极为 (jíwéi)
• 極端 / 极端 (jíduān)
• 滾 / 滚 (gǔn) (literary, or in compounds)
• 異常 / 异常 (yìcháng)
• 老大 (lǎodà) (colloquial, usually in the negative)
• 良
• 超 (chāo)
• 非常 (fēicháng)
• 頗 / 颇 (pō) (literary)
• 頗為 / 颇为 (pōwéi) (literary)

Dialectal synonyms of 很 (“very”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		甚, 孔
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		很, 非常, 十分
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	挺, 很, 倍兒, 怪
	Taiwan	很, 好, 非常, 超, 蠻, 超級
	Malaysia	很
	Singapore	很, 蠻, 非常
Jilu Mandarin	Tianjin	挺, 很, 傻, 老, 倍兒, 齁兒
	Jinan	挺, 楞
Central Plains Mandarin	Xi'an	很
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	很, 好
	Chongqing	很
	Wuhan	蠻, 很
Jianghuai Mandarin	Yangzhou	蠻, 稀, 很
	Hefei	很
Cantonese	Guangzhou	好, 非常之
	Hong Kong	好, 非常, 非常之, 超, 勁, 十分之, 無敵
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	好
	Taishan	好, 十分之
	Yangjiang	好
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	好
	Singapore (Guangfu)	好, 非常之, 非常
Gan	Nanchang	蠻
Hakka	Meixian	好, 刮, 已, 還, 異, 還 exclamation
	Huidong (Daling)	好
	Wuhua (Meilin)	好
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	頂
	Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang)	好
	Changting	野
	Wuping (Pingyu)	已, 刮
	Liancheng	樣
	Ninghua	好
	Ruijin	蠻
	Shicheng	蠻
	Shangyou (Shexi)	蠻
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	當, 已, 還
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	蓋, 盡, 還
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	當, 盡, 已, 還
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	當, 已, 還
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	當, 已, 還
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	足, 真, 實在
	Hong Kong	好
	Sabah (Bao'an)	好
	Kuching (Hepo)	很
	Singapore (Dabu)	好
Jin	Taiyuan	很, 挺
Northern Min	Jian'ou	盡
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	野, 真
	Singapore (Fuqing)	真
	Sitiawan (Gutian)	真
Southern Min	Xiamen	真, 野, 誠, 有夠, 萬代, 死人, 非常, 真正, 設汰, 一
	Xiamen (Tong'an)	真
	Quanzhou	真, 野, 誠, 有夠, 萬代, 死人, 設汰
	Jinjiang	野, 萬代
	Zhangzhou	盡, 蓋, 足, 足範, 有夠, 出奇, 極死, 見死, 死了了, 死人, 設汰, 設汰仔
	Zhao'an	很, 真, 死絕, 好, 非常
	Dongshan	真, 非常
	Taipei	真, 誠
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	真, 誠
	Kaohsiung	有夠, 足, 真, 誠, 蓋
	Yilan	有夠, 足, 誠, 盡
	Changhua (Lukang)	真, 誠
	Taichung	誠, 蓋, 足
	Tainan	有夠, 足, 真, 誠, 蓋
	Hsinchu	真, 誠
	Kinmen	足, 誠
	Penghu (Magong)	真, 誠
	Penang (Hokkien)	真, 誠, 真正
	Singapore (Hokkien)	真, 死爸, 真正, 誠, 足, 有夠
	Manila (Hokkien)	野, 真, 萬代, 真誠, 誠, 有夠
	Chaozhou	過, 好, 非常, 死爸
	Shantou	過, 鐵, 好, 很, 死爸, 死絕
	Shantou (Chenghai)	好, 死絕
	Shantou (Chaoyang)	好, 非常
	Jieyang	過, 好, 死爸, 死絕
	Bangkok (Teochew)	好
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	好
	Singapore (Teochew)	真, 死爸, 非常
	Wenchang	極, 但顧, 真
	Haikou	但顧
	Qionghai	但顧, 真
	Singapore (Hainanese)	但顧, 真
Zhongshan Min	Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi)	好, 蠻
Wu	Shanghai	蠻, 老, 邪氣, 老老, 瞎, 絕, 十分, 十二萬分, 非常, 非常之, 畢, 畢畢, 來得, 來得個, 煞, 交關, 十二分 rare, 窮 dated, 野 dated, 邪 dated
	Suzhou	蠻, 窮
	Hangzhou	蠻, 交關, 木佬佬, 冒
	Ningbo	交關, 蠻, 堪, 𣍐好, 𣍐派, 甮派, 出格, 木牢牢 rare, 猛 rare
	Zhoushan	交關, 蠻, 猛, 堪, 出格, 木牢牢 rare
	Wenzhou	蠻, 蒙, 顯
Xiang	Changsha	很, 蠻
	Shuangfeng	蠻

See also

• 太 (tài)

Compounds

• 傲很
• 很多 (hěnduō)
• 很少 (hěnshǎo)
• 很是 (hěnshì)
• 得很 (dehěn)
• 鬥很 / 斗很

Japanese

Kanji

很

(Hyōgai kanji)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Readings

• Go-on: ごん (gon)
• Kan-on: こん (kon)
• Kun: もとる (motoru, 很る)

Korean

Hanja

很 (eumhun 패려궂을 흔 (paeryeogujeul heun))

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Vietnamese

Han character

很: Hán Nôm readings: ngận, hẩn

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.