How to use 死了
Adj. + 死了
After an adjective, 死了 can express an extreme degree with an emotional, conversational tone. Many familiar uses concern uncomfortable states such as hunger, heat, tiredness, or annoyance. The reference to death is usually exaggerated rather than literal, so a natural English translation depends on the particular adjective and situation.
The subject may be left out when everyone knows what is being described. Keep 死了 after the adjective rather than putting it in the position of a degree adverb such as 很. Positive descriptions also occur in lively informal speech, although not every adjective combines equally naturally with this ending. Its expressive force makes it different from a neutral factual description.
Examples with pinyin and English
我饿死了。
I'm starving!
今天累死了。
Today was so exhausting!
热死了！
It's ridiculously hot!
这几天忙死了。
It's been so terribly busy these days!
What to remember
- Put 死了 after the adjective.
- Read the degree as conversational exaggeration.
- Positive uses exist in informal speech.
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Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
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