甚 (shèn) - very, extremely & what, why
甚 · shèn
very, extremely;
what, why;
to exceed, to go beyond;
serious, critical
very, extremelywhat, whyto exceed, to go beyond
Usage highlights
even moreextremelywhat moreexcessiveserious illnessvery beautiful
Usage & contexts
Examples
- The scenery is extremely beautiful (甚美).
- What more is there to say? (何甚?).
- His illness has become critical (病甚).
- This is even more important (甚为重要).
Collocations
- even more(甚至)
- extremely(甚为)
- what more(何甚)
- excessive(过甚)
- serious illness(病甚)
- very beautiful(甚美)
Idioms
- To go from bad to worse(每况愈甚)
- To be even more so(更有甚者)
- To praise excessively(称誉过甚)
- To be extremely urgent(急如星火，甚于燃眉)
- To be more than words can describe(言之甚甚)
Cultural background
FAQ- In classical Chinese, 甚 often functions as an interrogative pronoun meaning 'what' or 'why'.
- The character conveys strong emphasis and intensity, used to express extremes in both positive and negative contexts.
- In medical contexts, 病甚 indicates a serious or critical condition of an illness.