非常

fēi cháng adv.

very; extremely; highly

Extraordinary, far exceeding the ordinary baseline of daily life.

Literally "not ordinary" (非 + 常). It expresses intense degree without emotional melodrama.

Common Usage & Traps

  • 非常高兴 — extremely happy / delighted
  • 非常很大 非常大

    Do not stack two degree adverbs together.

How does 非常 differ from 很 and 太...了?

很 is often neutral; 非常 is genuinely intense; 太...了 expresses an overflowing threshold.

天气非常冷 is a factual statement that it is brutally cold outside, stronger and more objective than 很冷.

Appears in Stories 9 stories

Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.

《森林大火》 (Forest Fires and a Homesick Heart) HSK 4
~4 min read 454 chars
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Follow Xiao Li as he copes with the effects of forest fires near his home in the US and reflects on environmental changes. A thoughtful story for HSK 4 learners.

  • 可是今年很奇怪,天上很少有云,也很少下雨,一直 非常 热。

  • 因为风把烟吹到城里,空气变得 非常 差,很多人开始咳嗽,小李也是其中一个。

《热面条》 (Hot Noodles on a Cold Night) HSK 1
~5 min read 399 chars
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Follow Dazhong, a busy worker in China, as he finds warmth and kindness at a small noodle shop. Practice everyday words for food, weather, and expressing gratitude.

  • 一天晚上,外边下大雨,天气 非常 冷。

  • 老先生看见大中来了, 非常 高兴。

《找“大白”》 (Looking for Big White) HSK 1
~5 min read 361 chars
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A young man helps an old man look for his cat. But the real surprise is why the old man wanted to find the cat. Read on to learn about kindness and friendship.

  • 听见有人和我说话,我觉得 非常 高兴。”

  • 老先生听了, 非常 高兴。

《电脑没脑子》 (Computers Have No Brains) HSK 1
~1 min read 76 chars
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This playful poem will make you smile as you explore how Chinese words like 'computer' and 'phone' can be funnier than they seem. Get ready to enjoy simple HSK 1 vocabulary and a twist of logic!

  • 超市 非常 小,电脑没脑子,电话不能打。

《五块钱》 (The Five-Yuan Gift) HSK 1
~6 min read 414 chars
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This heartwarming story shows how a small act of kindness can be passed on. Follow Gao Xianming as he learns an important lesson about generosity in his new city.

  • 高先明听了,觉得 非常 高兴。

  • 安小语 非常 高兴,对高先明说:“谢谢你!

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