HSK 7-9
颇
pō
Quite; rather; considerably
Structure
Subject + 颇 + Adjective (usually two characters) / Psychology Verb
How it works
The word '颇' is a formal adverb used to indicate a high degree, similar to 'very' or 'quite'. It is typically used in written or formal Chinese and is most frequently followed by disyllabic (two-character) adjectives or verbs describing psychological states.
Examples
他的建议让在场的所有人都颇感意外。
Tā de jiànyì ràng zàichǎng de suǒyǒurén dōu pō gǎn yìwài.
His suggestion made everyone present feel quite surprised.
这篇文章的见解颇为独特，值得一读。
Zhè piān wénzhāng de jiànjiě pōwéi dútè, zhídé yī dú.
The insights in this article are quite unique and worth reading.
经过多年的努力，他在学术界颇有名气。
Jīngguò duōnián de nǔlì, tā zài xuéshùjiè pō yǒu míngqì.
After years of hard work, he has gained considerable fame in academia.
Common mistakes
Do not use '颇' with simple monosyllabic adjectives like '好' or '大'; it should generally be paired with words like '颇见', '颇具', or multi-syllable adjectives.
Tip
In formal writing, you will often see '颇' combined with '为' (颇为) to act as a modifier for adjectives, functioning much like '非常' but with a more literary tone.
More HSK 7-9 grammar
See 颇 in real Chinese
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