太

tài adv.

The absolute pinnacle or utmost degree; greatness beyond "big" (大). Too (excessively), extremely, very — marking intensity or excess in modern speech.

Excessive, overflowing the container, reaching an intense threshold.

太 almost always pairs with 了 at the end of the clause, indicating an emotional overflow.

Common Usage & Traps

  • 太冷了 — too cold!
  • 太冷(缺少了,日常口语中) 太冷了

    In spoken Chinese, 太 almost always demands sentence-final 了.

Why does 太 usually need 了 at the end (太...了)?

太 signifies an exceeded boundary, and 了 confirms that the state has overflowed.

Saying 太冷了 or 太晚了 conveys emotional exclamation: "It is way too cold!" or "It is far too late!"

Appears in Stories 6 stories

Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.

《谢谢您请》 (The Day 'Please' Stayed Home) HSK 1
~2 min read 132 chars
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Everyday greetings are a gateway to natural Chinese. Practice time-based hellos like “早上好” and “晚安,” learn to address teachers with the respectful “您,” and see how families skip formalities to speak warmly at home.

  • 家人、朋友关系好,“谢谢”、“您”、“请” 太 客气,在家说话不客气,可以不说“您和请”。

《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.

  • 他想:“十点了, 太 晚了,那个小饭店还开吗?”

  • 今天外边 太 冷了,我给你做热面条。”

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