HSK 4
够
gòu
sufficient
Structure
Subject + (不) + 够 + Noun / Adjective
How it works
The word '够' is used to indicate sufficiency or that a certain requirement has been met. It can function as an adjective meaning 'enough' or as an adverb before other adjectives to mean 'sufficiently' or 'really'.
Examples
我们带的钱够买两张票吗？
Wǒmen dài de qián gòu mǎi liǎng zhāng piào ma?
Is the money we brought enough to buy two tickets?
这间屋子的光线不够亮。
Zhè jiān wūzi de guāngxiàn bú gòu liàng.
The light in this room is not bright enough.
这种天气去游泳够冷的。
Zhè zhǒng tiānqì qù yóuyǒng gòu lěng de.
Going swimming in this weather is quite cold.
Common mistakes
Placement error: Students often put '够' after the adjective (like 'bright enough' in English), but in Chinese, '够' must come before the adjective.
Tip
When '够' is used before an adjective to emphasize a high degree (meaning 'really' or 'quite'), it is often followed by '的' at the end of the phrase.
More HSK 4 grammar
See 够 in real Chinese
Import an article and tap any sentence using it. The explanation comes back about the sentence in front of you, not a textbook example.
Try InputDojo free