How to Say “Extremely” with 极了 (jíle)
极了 (jíle) intensifies an adjective to “extremely / incredibly”: Subject + Adjective + 极了 — 好极了 (“wonderful”), 累极了 (“exhausted”), 难吃极了 (“disgusting”). It’s colloquial, works for positive and negative adjectives, and — unlike 真/太 — it goes AFTER the adjective. Always keep the 了.
Why this trips learners up
极了 (jíle) is a punchy, spoken way to crank an adjective up to the max — “extremely,” “incredibly,” “absolutely.” 极 means “extreme / utmost,” and the pattern is simply Subject + Adjective + 极了: 这个蛋糕甜极了 (“this cake is incredibly sweet”), 我累极了 (“I’m exhausted”), 这家餐厅的菜难吃极了 (“this restaurant’s food is disgusting”).
The big thing that surprises learners: 极了 goes after the adjective, not before. The intensifiers you’ve met so far — 真 (真好), 太…了 (太好了), 很, 非常 — all sit in front. 极了 is a degree complement: it trails the adjective like a tail (好极了), and it’s one of the few that needs no 得. So your instinct to put “extremely” first has to flip: it’s 好极了, not 极了好.
Two rules to lock in. First, the 了 is obligatory — 极了 is a fixed unit, and 好极 on its own is wrong; it’s always 好极了. Second, 极了 already maxes out the degree, so you don’t pile another intensifier on top: it’s 好极了, never 很好极了 or 太好极了. One intensifier, and you’re done.
A nice bonus: 极了 works for both positive and negative adjectives — 漂亮极了 (“gorgeous”) and 无聊极了 (“so boring”) are equally natural. (Its cousin 死了, as in 累死了, leans almost entirely negative — 极了 is the even-handed one.)
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.
zhège dàngāo 这个蛋糕 Subject tián 甜 Adjective jí le 极了 Pattern
This cake is incredibly sweet (甜 + 极了, positive).
tā jīntiān chuān de qúnzi 她今天穿的裙子 Subject piàoliang 漂亮 Adjective jí le 极了 Pattern
The dress she’s wearing today is gorgeous (漂亮极了).
tīngdào zhège xiāoxi 听到这个消息 Time wǒ 我 Subject gāoxìng 高兴 Adjective jí le 极了 Pattern
When I heard the news, I was overjoyed (高兴极了).
pǎo wán bù 跑完步 Time wǒ 我 Subject lèi 累 Adjective jí le 极了 Pattern
After my run, I’m exhausted (累极了, negative).
zhè jiā cāntīng de cài 这家餐厅的菜 Subject nánchī 难吃 Adjective jí le 极了 Pattern
This restaurant’s food is disgusting (难吃极了 — a two-syllable adjective).
wàimiàn 外面 Place lěng 冷 Adjective jí le 极了 Pattern duō chuān diǎn 多穿点 Verb
It’s freezing outside — dress warmly (冷极了).
wǎngshàng mǎi dōngxi 网上买东西 Subject fāngbiàn 方便 Adjective jí le 极了 Pattern
Shopping online is super convenient (方便极了).
nà jiàn shì 那件事 Object wǒ 我 Subject xiànzài xiǎng qǐlái 现在想起来 Time hái 还 Adverb hòuhuǐ 后悔 Adjective jí le 极了 Pattern
Even now, when I think back on it, I still deeply regret it (后悔极了).
Common mistakes
Why it happens: 极了 is a fixed unit and the 了 is required — 好极了, not 好极. Drop the 了 and it sounds unfinished.
Why it happens: 极了 follows the adjective, unlike 真/太, which come before it. It’s 好极了 (a degree complement after the adjective), never 极了好. Flip your instinct to front “extremely”.
Why it happens: 极了 already pushes the degree to the max, so don’t stack another intensifier in front: 好极了, not 很好极了 or 太好极了. One is enough.
Compare & contrast
| Adjective + 极了 — after the adjective | 真 / 太 + Adjective — before the adjective | The difference |
|---|---|---|
| 好极了hǎo jí le | 真好 / 太好了zhēn hǎo / tài hǎo le | 好极了 puts the intensifier after the adjective. 真好 / 太好了 put it before. Same idea, opposite position — and you pick one, not both. |
| 累极了lèi jí le | 真累 / 太累了zhēn lèi / tài lèi le | 累极了 vs 真累 / 太累了 — “extremely tired” either way, but 极了 trails the adjective while 真/太 lead it. |
Try it yourself
Say “This cake is incredibly sweet.” — adjective first, then 极了.
Related patterns
Quick reference card
How to Say “Extremely” with 极了 (jíle) grammar.merrymandarin.com A pocket summary — print it and keep it by your desk.