Advanced Degree Adverbs in Cantonese

In Brief

Cantonese does not use one single equivalent of English so, quite, or extremely. 咁 points to a degree (“so/that”), 幾咁 makes an exclamation or highlights a striking degree, 特別 means “especially,” 相當 gives a measured “quite,” and 極 raises the degree to an extreme. 簡直 is broader: it presents the whole claim as astonishingly or unmistakably true.

Overview

A degree adverb modifies the strength of a description—plainly put, it tells you how cold, difficult, happy, or surprising something is. By B2, simply knowing 好 hou2 (“very”) and 太 taai3 (“too”) is not enough. Natural Cantonese speakers choose among several expressions according to whether the degree is being pointed out, measured calmly, exclaimed over, or judged dramatically.

The six forms in this article overlap, but they are not interchangeable. Compare 咁凍 gam3 dung3 (“so/that cold”), 特別凍 dak6 bit6 dung3 (“especially cold”), and 相當凍 soeng1 dong1 dung3 (“quite cold”). The first often depends on the situation or a comparison already understood; the second singles this case out; the third sounds like a considered assessment.

English encourages learners to search for one fixed translation for each adverb. That can be misleading. English so may correspond to 咁, 幾咁, or neither, while simply in 簡直 does not mean “in a simple way.” It is more reliable to learn the speaker’s purpose and the complete Cantonese pattern.

How It Works

The basic position

Most of these expressions stand directly before an adjective or a stative verb (a word that describes a state, such as “be cold” or “be expensive”):

subject/topic + degree expression + adjective or stative verb

• 今日 特別凍。 gam1 jat6 dak6 bit6 dung3 — “It is especially cold today.”
• 呢個方法 相當有效。 ni1 go3 fong1 faat3 soeng1 dong1 jau5 haau6 — “This method is quite effective.”

Cantonese adjectives can normally act as the main predicate without 係 hai6 (“to be”). Say 佢咁叻 (“he/she is so clever”), not 佢係咁叻 in an ordinary description. 係 is possible when it has another job, such as introducing a noun phrase or adding contrast, but it is not an automatic link before every adjective.

Core contrasts

Form	Jyutping	Core effect	Typical tone and position
咁	gam3	so; this/that degree	Very common in speech; before the description
幾咁	gei2 gam3	how very; so remarkably	Exclamatory or emphatic; before the description
特別	dak6 bit6	especially; unusually	Neutral and flexible; before an adjective or verb
極	gik6	extremely; to the utmost	Often compact or written; placement varies by construction
簡直	gaan2 zik6	simply; practically; absolutely	Speaker’s emphatic judgment; usually before the whole predicate
相當	soeng1 dong1	quite; fairly; considerably	Measured, often more formal; before the description

咁: pointing to a degree

咁 often refers to a degree that is visible, already mentioned, imagined, or surprising:

• 咁遠 — “so far / that far”
• 唔使咁擔心。 — “There’s no need to worry so much.”
• 點解咁貴嘅？ — “Why is it so expensive?”

The final particle 嘅 ge3 in a question such as 佢咁叻嘅？ adds surprise or a request for explanation. It is not part of the degree adverb itself. Likewise, 咁……？ can sound amazed, doubtful, admiring, or critical depending on intonation and the final particle.

Do not confuse degree 咁 with manner 咁樣 gam3 joeng2 (“like this/that; this way”). 咁快 means “so fast,” whereas 咁樣做 means “do it this way.”

幾咁: an emphatic or exclamatory degree

In 幾咁 + adjective, 幾咁 highlights a notably high degree, often corresponding to English “how…” or emphatic “so…”:

• 幾咁開心！ — “How happy!”
• 你知唔知我幾咁擔心？ — “Do you know how worried I was?”

This differs from plain 幾 + adjective, which commonly gives a moderate, conversational assessment: 幾好 often means “quite good” or “pretty good.” Thus 幾好 can be restrained praise, while 幾咁好 strongly foregrounds how good something is. 幾咁 is especially natural in exclamations and in clauses after expressions such as 你知唔知 (“do you know”). It is less suitable for a detached measurement.

特別: singling something out

特別 says that one case stands out from a norm or comparison set:

• 今日特別忙。 — Today is busier than usual / especially busy.
• 我特別鍾意呢一首歌。 — I especially like this song.

Unlike most items here, it readily modifies an action or preference, not only an adjective. When explicitly singling out a person or thing, 特別係 + noun phrase means “especially…”:

• 我鍾意食水果，特別係芒果。 — “I like fruit, especially mangoes.”

特別 can also be an adjective meaning “special” or “unusual,” as in 一份特別嘅禮物 (“a special gift”). Position reveals the difference: before 嘅 + noun, it describes the noun; before a predicate, it usually works adverbially.

極: the upper end of the scale

極 marks an extreme degree, but its syntax is less free than English extremely. Three useful patterns are:

• 極 + adjective: 極重要 (“extremely important”), compact and common in formal or careful language
• 極之 + adjective: 極之危險 (“extremely dangerous”), emphatic and established in both speech and writing
• adjective + 極: 好食極 (“extremely delicious”), a compact pattern that is more marked and lexicalized than ordinary 好 + adjective

For productive use, 極之 + adjective and familiar 極 + adjective combinations are safest. Do not assume that every adjective will sound equally natural in every 極 pattern. In everyday conversation, speakers may instead choose 好, 非常, 超級, or a result-like expression such as 凍到不得了 (“unbelievably cold”).

簡直: judging the whole claim

簡直 is a sentence adverb: it comments on the proposition (the whole claim being made), rather than merely measuring one adjective. It says that the description is almost the only adequate conclusion—“simply,” “practically,” or “nothing short of.”

• 呢度簡直係迷宮。 — “This place is practically a maze.”
• 個表演簡直精彩到不得了。 — “The performance was absolutely fantastic.”

Because it expresses the speaker’s strong stance, 簡直 works with nouns, verbs, comparisons, and degree-result patterns. With a noun phrase, 係 is normally needed: 簡直係一場災難 (“simply a disaster”). Before an adjective predicate, speakers may say 簡直好靚, 簡直靚到不得了, or another natural predicate; do not insert 係 merely because English uses is.

相當: a measured high degree

相當 + adjective means “quite,” “fairly,” or “considerably.” It often sounds more analytical and restrained than 好, and it is frequent in reports, reviews, presentations, and careful speech:

• 個計劃相當可行。 — “The plan is quite feasible.”
• 情況相當嚴重。 — “The situation is quite serious.”

English quite varies by dialect and context, sometimes meaning “fairly” and sometimes “completely.” 相當 normally indicates a substantial degree, but not automatic completeness. It can modify positive or negative descriptions; it is not praise by itself.

Examples in Context

Cantonese	Jyutping	English	Note
佢咁叻嘅？	keoi5 gam3 lek1 ge3	He/She is that smart?	咁 plus 嘅 conveys surprise.
點解今日咁靜嘅？	dim2 gaai2 gam1 jat6 gam3 zing6 ge3	Why is it so quiet today?	The present situation supplies the degree.
唔使咁緊張。	m4 sai2 gam3 gan2 zoeng1	You don’t need to be so nervous.	咁 falls within the scope of “no need.”
幾咁開心！	gei2 gam3 hoi1 sam1	How happy!	A direct exclamation.
你知唔知大家幾咁期待？	nei5 zi1 m4 zi1 daai6 gaa1 gei2 gam3 kei4 doi6	Do you know how much everyone is looking forward to it?	幾咁 highlights a striking degree.
今日特別凍。	gam1 jat6 dak6 bit6 dung3	Today is especially cold.	Today stands out from other days.
我特別鍾意佢最後嗰首歌。	ngo5 dak6 bit6 zung1 ji3 keoi5 zeoi3 hau6 go2 sau2 go1	I especially like his/her last song.	特別 modifies a preference.
呢份資料極之重要。	ni1 fan6 zi1 liu2 gik6 zi1 zung6 jiu3	This information is extremely important.	A strong, dependable 極之 pattern.
山上面嘅天氣極不穩定。	saan1 soeng6 min6 ge3 tin1 hei3 gik6 bat1 wan2 ding6	The weather on the mountain is extremely unstable.	極不… is compact and formal.
嗰間餐廳簡直係最好食。	go2 gaan1 caan1 teng1 gaan2 zik6 hai6 zeoi3 hou2 sik6	That restaurant is simply the best.	簡直 strengthens the speaker’s overall verdict.
呢個價錢簡直貴到離譜。	ni1 go3 gaa3 cin2 gaan2 zik6 gwai3 dou3 lei4 pou2	This price is outrageously high.	簡直 combines naturally with a degree-result phrase.
新系統相當容易用。	san1 hai6 tung2 soeng1 dong1 jung4 ji6 jung6	The new system is quite easy to use.	A measured evaluation.
問題比我哋想像中相當嚴重。	man6 tai4 bei2 ngo5 dei6 soeng2 zoeng6 zung1 soeng1 dong1 jim4 zung6	The problem is considerably more serious than we imagined.	相當 also works in a negative assessment.

Common Mistakes

Adding 係 before every adjective

• Wrong: 佢係咁叻嘅？
• Right: 佢咁叻嘅？
• Why: In a plain adjective predicate, Cantonese does not require a word equivalent to English is. Use 係 when it links to a noun phrase or serves a separate contrastive function.

Treating 幾 and 幾咁 as identical

• Misleading: 呢間餐廳幾咁好。 when you only mean “This restaurant is pretty good.”
• Better: 呢間餐廳幾好。
• Why: Plain 幾好 gives a moderate evaluation. 幾咁好 is more emphatic and usually needs an exclamatory or discourse context, such as 你睇吓呢間餐廳幾咁好！ (“Look how good this restaurant is!”).

Using 特別 without anything being singled out

• Unclear: 間房特別大。 with no relevant norm or comparison.
• Clearer: 呢間房比其他房特別大。 (“This room is especially large compared with the others.”)
• Why: 特別 normally implies “more than usual” or “especially among these cases.” Context can supply the comparison, but without it the sentence may feel incomplete.

Translating “simply” literally in every context

• Wrong: 請簡直啲解釋。 for “Please explain it more simply.”
• Right: 請解釋得簡單啲。
• Why: 簡直 means emphatic “simply/absolutely,” not “in a simple manner.” The adjective 簡單 means “simple.”

Using 相當 as if it meant “completely”

• Misleading: 我相當同意。 when you mean “I completely agree.”
• Better: 我完全同意。
• Why: 相當 indicates a considerable degree; 完全 marks completeness. Depending on context, “quite agree” in English may require one or the other.

Forcing 極 into every informal sentence

• Awkward in casual speech: 我今日極攰。
• More conversational: 我今日好攰。 / 我今日攰到不得了。
• Why: 極 + adjective can sound compact, formal, or written. It is grammatical in suitable contexts, but register and collocation matter.

Usage Notes

咁 and 幾咁 are strongly at home in spoken Cantonese. Sentence-final particles shape their emotional force: 嘅 may ask for an explanation or show surprise, 呀 can make an exclamation more open and lively, and 啫 may downplay the claim. The degree word does not carry all of the attitude by itself.

特別 crosses registers easily. It works in everyday conversation, reviews, and formal prose. 相當 is also widely understood in speech, but it often sounds more detached or evaluative. In a casual chat, 幾好 or 都幾好 may be more idiomatic than 相當好; in a report, 成效相當理想 (“the results are quite satisfactory”) fits naturally.

極 and 簡直 both intensify, but they operate at different levels. 極之困難 raises the degree of “difficult.” 簡直冇可能完成 (“it is simply impossible to finish”) presents the whole judgment as obvious or extreme. 簡直 can praise or criticize, although dramatic complaints are especially common.

Written Cantonese may use forms such as 極為 (“extremely”) or 極其 (“extremely”) that are more formal and closer to standard written Chinese. They are useful to recognize, but they should not automatically replace the colloquial patterns in a spoken-Cantonese sentence.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

Combining stance with degree

A sentence can contain both a stance adverb and a degree expression because they do different work:

• 呢套戲簡直好睇到停唔到。 — “This film is so good that I can’t stop watching.”
• 個情況簡直相當危險。 — “The situation is, quite frankly, considerably dangerous.”

The second example is possible but stylistically heavy. Natural speech usually avoids stacking intensifiers unless the speaker deliberately wants a cumulative effect. Choose one clear center of emphasis.

Degree-result constructions

Cantonese often expresses an extreme degree through adjective + 到 + result (“so adjective that a result follows”):

• 凍到震 — “so cold that [someone is] shivering”
• 忙到冇時間食飯 — “so busy there is no time to eat”
• 貴到離譜 — “unreasonably expensive”

This construction is more vivid than a bare adverb. 簡直 often precedes it because the result supports the speaker’s dramatic verdict: 簡直忙到透唔到氣 (“simply so busy I can hardly breathe”).

Scope changes the meaning

Scope means the part of the sentence an expression applies to. Compare:

• 我特別鍾意呢首歌。 — I especially like this song.
• 我鍾意呢首歌，特別係個旋律。 — I like this song, especially the melody.

In the first, 特別 strengthens 鍾意. In the second, 特別係 selects one item from a larger whole. With 簡直, the scope is usually wider: it evaluates the entire statement that follows.

Understatement and irony

Context and intonation can reverse the social effect without changing the dictionary meaning. 相當精彩 may be sincere measured praise, or ironic criticism after a disastrous performance. 你都幾叻喎 can praise someone, tease them, or challenge them. These readings come from voice, shared knowledge, and final particles—not from the degree adverb alone. At an advanced level, listen for the gap between the literal degree and the speaker’s apparent attitude.

Practice Tips

1. Build contrast sets. Take one adjective, such as 凍, and make four sentences: 咁凍, 特別凍, 極之凍, and 相當凍. Add a situation that makes each choice logical rather than memorizing translations in isolation.
2. Listen for the ending. When hearing 咁 or 幾咁, note the final particle and intonation. Copy the whole phrase—such as 點解咁貴嘅？—because the speaker’s attitude is distributed across the sentence.
3. Separate intensity from stance. In short reviews, use 相當 for a measured assessment, 特別 to single out one feature, and 簡直 only when you genuinely want a dramatic verdict.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Quantity and Degree Expressions — reviews foundational forms such as 幾, 太, 夠, and 差唔多, which make the advanced contrasts easier to see.