How to Say “Enough” with 够 (gòu)
够 (gòu) means “enough / sufficiently” and goes before the word it measures: 够 + Verb/Adj — 这些钱够了 (“this money is enough”), 今天够冷了 (“it’s cold enough today”). With an adjective the affirmative wants a final 了; the negative is 不够 (不够大) and takes no 了.
Why this trips learners up
To say something is “enough” — meets the bar, is sufficient — Chinese uses 够 (gòu), placed before the verb or adjective it measures: 够 + Verb/Adj. 这些钱够了 (“this is enough money”), 今天够冷了 (“it’s cold enough today”), 这些水够喝吗？(“is this enough water to drink?”). Notice that who needs it for what is usually just understood from context.
The 了 is the tricky part. With an adjective, the affirmative normally closes with 了 — 你够幸运了 (“you’re lucky enough”), 你对我够好了 (“you’ve been good enough to me”) — it carries the “(already) enough” feeling. With a verb the 了 is optional but common (够吃了). The negative, however, is different: it’s 不够 + Adj/Verb and takes no 了 — 这件衣服不够大 (“not big enough”), 椅子不够坐 (“not enough chairs to sit on”), never 不够大了.
One placement rule trips up English speakers: 够 comes before the adjective (够大, 够好), unlike English “enough,” which comes after (“big enough”). 她够漂亮了, not 她漂亮够了. The only time 够 sits after a verb is the colloquial fed-up idiom Verb + 够了 — 我受够了 (“I’ve had enough!”), 这种日子我过够了 (“I’m sick of this life”), and the bare 够了！(“that’s enough — stop it!”).
The structure
Colour key
Each colour marks one grammatical role — and the same colour means the same role on every page in the Lab.
Examples in context
Real-world sentences, easiest first. Toggle pinyin or the translation, tap any word to see its role, or play the audio.
Tap a word to see its grammatical role.
zhèxiē qián 这些钱 Subject gòu 够 Pattern le 了 Pattern wǒmen zǒu ba 我们走吧 Verb
This money is enough, let’s go (够 + 了 on its own).
jīntiān de cài 今天的菜 Subject gòu 够 Pattern là 辣 Adjective le 了 Pattern
Today’s food is spicy enough (够 + Adj + 了).
zhèxiē shuǐ 这些水 Subject gòu 够 Pattern hē 喝 Verb ma 吗 Question
Is this water enough to drink? (够 + Verb in a 吗 question).
nǐ 你 Subject duì wǒ 对我 Adverb gòu 够 Pattern hǎo 好 Adjective le 了 Pattern bié zài kèqì le 别再客气了 Verb
You’ve been good enough to me — stop being so polite (够 + Adj + 了, with attitude).
zhè jiàn yīfu 这件衣服 Subject bú 不 Negation gòu 够 Pattern dà 大 Adjective
This piece of clothing isn’t big enough (negative 不够 + Adj, no 了).
wǒmen zhǔnbèi de yǐzi 我们准备的椅子 Subject bú 不 Negation gòu 够 Pattern zuò 坐 Verb
The chairs we set out aren’t enough to sit on (negative 不够 + Verb).
zhè zhǒng rìzi 这种日子 Other wǒ 我 Subject guò 过 Verb gòu 够 Pattern le 了 Pattern
I’ve had enough of this kind of life (colloquial Verb + 够了 = fed up).
gòu 够 Pattern le 了 Pattern bié zài chǎo le 别再吵了 Verb
That’s enough — stop arguing! (够了 as a standalone “stop it!”).
Common mistakes
Why it happens: With an adjective, the affirmative “enough” needs the final 了: 你够幸运了 (“you’re lucky enough”), not 你够幸运. The 了 carries the “(already) enough” feeling.
Why it happens: The negative 不够 takes NO 了: 这件衣服不够大 (“not big enough”), not 这件衣服不够大了. The 了 lives only on the affirmative side.
Why it happens: 够 comes BEFORE the adjective, not after it like English “enough”: 她够漂亮了 (“she’s pretty enough”), not 她漂亮够了. (Post-verbal 够了 only exists in the fed-up idiom — 受够了.)
Compare & contrast
| 够 — “enough” (meets the bar, takes 了) | 不够 — “not enough” (falls short, no 了) | The difference |
|---|---|---|
| 这些菜够吃zhèxiē cài gòu chī | 这些菜不够吃zhèxiē cài bú gòu chī | 这些菜够吃 = “these dishes are enough to eat.” 这些菜不够吃 = “these dishes aren’t enough to eat” — add 不 before 够, and drop any 了. |
| 时间够了shíjiān gòu le | 时间不够shíjiān bú gòu | 时间够了 = “there’s enough time” (affirmative, with 了). 时间不够 = “there isn’t enough time” (negative, no 了). |
Try it yourself
Say “This money is enough (to use) now.” — Subject + 够 + Verb + 了.
Related patterns
Quick reference card
How to Say “Enough” with 够 (gòu) grammar.merrymandarin.com A pocket summary — print it and keep it by your desk.