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verb + 得 + adverb (UTF-8)

English translation: ...

10:30 Jan 26, 2004
Chinese to English translations [Non-PRO]
/ 中文文法
Chinese term or phrase: verb + 得 + adverb (UTF-8)
The below sentence provides several important grammatical challenges that I will render in three separate questions

我的房租貴得很，每月的錢大半花在那裡。

Question 1: As 很 is not an adjective per se, it breaks the rule verb + 得 + adjective. Thus, I feel that item #1 is improper, and would be more correctly written as I have in item #2. What do you think?

1) 我的房租貴得很 and
2) 我的房租很貴
Roddy Stegemann
United States
Local time: 17:42
English translation:...
Explanation:
I can't tell you about the grammar rules but i can tell you #1 has an emphasis over #2.

Moreover, in colloquial Cantonese, the constructions become:
1) 我嘅房租貴到死
2) 我嘅房租好貴

interestingly, when translated back to mandarin, #1 becomes: 我的房租貴得要命

But the construction you have in question does exist in colloquial cantonese, but for expressing different meaning:
我嘅房租貴得滯 - my rent is too expensive
我嘅房租貴得合理 - my rent is reasonably expensive
Selected response from:

Kvasir
Canada
Local time: 18:42
Grading comment
Although Kvasir's responses are not a statistician's dream, his wealth of examples often provide grammatical insight that he himself perhaps does not intend.

Once it is made clear that there is no difference in meaning between the two expressions in Mandarin, it is easy to see how the one expression provides more emphasis than the other in Cantonese. The sound of a in the phoetic transcription of 得 in Cantonese is as a low-mid vowel with high pitch. As such it leaves the mouth with some tension, but little trouble. Hence, it is noisy and good for emphasis.

So thanks to everyone.

That one could split the points!

4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +2貴得很 is the same as 很貴
isahuang
3 +2...
Kvasir


  

Answers


59 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
...


Explanation:
I can't tell you about the grammar rules but i can tell you #1 has an emphasis over #2.

Moreover, in colloquial Cantonese, the constructions become:
1) 我嘅房租貴到死
2) 我嘅房租好貴

interestingly, when translated back to mandarin, #1 becomes: 我的房租貴得要命

But the construction you have in question does exist in colloquial cantonese, but for expressing different meaning:
我嘅房租貴得滯 - my rent is too expensive
我嘅房租貴得合理 - my rent is reasonably expensive

Kvasir
Canada
Local time: 18:42
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese
PRO pts in pair: 123
Grading comment
Although Kvasir's responses are not a statistician's dream, his wealth of examples often provide grammatical insight that he himself perhaps does not intend.

Once it is made clear that there is no difference in meaning between the two expressions in Mandarin, it is easy to see how the one expression provides more emphasis than the other in Cantonese. The sound of a in the phoetic transcription of 得 in Cantonese is as a low-mid vowel with high pitch. As such it leaves the mouth with some tension, but little trouble. Hence, it is noisy and good for emphasis.

So thanks to everyone.

That one could split the points!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Beth Dennison: Grammar's not my thing, but I've certainly heard number 1 a lot - it emphasises the fact that it's really expensive
36 mins
  -> yeah.
agree  HymnLau
22 hrs
  -> thx
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
貴得很 is the same as 很貴


Explanation:
得 has many usages in Chinese. V+得+adj. is one of them. 貴得很 doesn't belong to V+得+adj. It means 很貴. Almost all the adj. can be used in this structure. It is an colloquial expression. For grammar experts, 貴得很 is more expensive than 很貴. But to me there is not much difference.

isahuang
Local time: 20:42
Native speaker of: Chinese
PRO pts in pair: 341

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Benko
13 hrs
agree  HymnLau
19 hrs
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