非常 (fēicháng) — extremely; very

非常 (fēicháng)

非常 is an adverb meaning "extremely" or "exceptionally." It is a stronger intensifier than 很 (very) and is neutral in register — appropriate in both spoken and written Chinese.

Meanings

1. [adverb] Extremely; exceptionally; very much so.

Example Sentences

她非常聪明。 Tā fēicháng cōngmíng. She is extremely intelligent.

我非常喜欢中国菜。 Wǒ fēicháng xǐhuan Zhōngguó cài. I like Chinese food very much.

这个问题非常重要。 Zhège wèntí fēicháng zhòngyào. This question is extremely important.

今天的天气非常好。 Jīntiān de tiānqì fēicháng hǎo. The weather today is exceptionally good.

Usage Notes

非常 precedes the adjective or verb it modifies and does not require 了 at the end of the sentence (unlike 太). Among the common intensifiers, the rough order of strength is: 有点儿 (a little) < 比较 (relatively) < 很 (very) < 非常 (extremely) < 太 (too/extremely). 非常 does not carry the negative "too much" implication that 太 sometimes does, so it is always safe to use for strong positive or neutral emphasis.

Collocations or Common Phrases

Memory Hook

非常 literally means "not ordinary" (非 = not, 常 = ordinary/usual) — something that is not ordinary is extraordinary.