Modifiers

We can add in extra modifiers like 好, 少少(siu2 siu2) or 非常(fei1 soeng4) in front of adjectives to fine-tune the degree of the adjective, including 不(bat1) in writing and 唔(m4) in speech for negating the adjective. For example:

• 便宜的蘋果
  Cheap apples
• 好便宜的蘋果
  Very cheap apples
• 非常便宜的蘋果
  Extremely cheap apples
• 不便宜的蘋果
  Not cheap apples

Some of the more common modifiers for adjectives are found in the table below. Of course this is by no means exhaustive, but it should be enough for you to get started:

Modifier	Meaning	Example
不(bat1) (in writing) / 唔(m4)(in speech)	Not	不貴(gwai3) / 唔貴 Not expensive
那麼(naa5 mo1) (in writing) / 咁(gam3) (in speech)	So, such	那麼貴 / 咁貴 So expensive
好(hou2) / 很(han2)	Very	好貴 / 很貴 Very expensive
幾(gei2)	Quite	幾貴 Quite expensive
非常(fei1 soeng4) / 非常之(zi1)	Extremely	非常貴 / 非常之貴 Extremely expensive
太(taai3) / 太過(taai1 gwo3)	Too	太貴 / 太過貴 Too expensive
少少(siu2 siu2)	Little bit	少少貴 Little bit expensive
比較(bei2 gaau3)	Relatively	比較貴 Relatively expensive
最(zeoi3)	The most	最貴 The most expensive

If we are to negate an adjective that’s been modified (such as 太貴) then we need some help with the verb 是/係 by negating the verb and putting it in front of the modified adjective, giving you this pattern:

不是 + Modified Adjective (in writing)
唔係 + Modified Adjective (in speech)

So going back to the 太貴 example, negating it gives you:

不是太貴 (in writing) / 唔係太貴 (in speech)
Not too expensive

Using Reduplication with Modifiers

Advanced

In speech, there is another way to do lessen up the degree of single-syllable adjectives using reduplication (ie. repeating or doubling up). Reduplication itself is a technique used with all sorts of things, each to achieve different meanings, so it definitely needs its own page explaining this in depth. But for now, reduplication for adjectives will be covered in more detail later but we’ll cover this specific use case here. ?

In this particular usage, the adjective gets doubled-up, and followed by the word 地(dei2) (be careful of the tone). So using 貴 is an example (because we’ve been already), it becomes: 貴貴地
Rather expensive

Be careful with the word 地 when saying this though: not only the word 地 changes tone depending on the tone of the original word, the doubled word may also have a different tone compared to the original.

Remember this form is only used for single-syllable adjectives. Don’t do this to multi-syllable adjectives like 新鮮(san1 sin1) (fresh) because it would make no sense at all (新新鮮鮮地) and people will look at you all very confused.

To use this pattern to directly modify the noun we can replace the adjective with this doubled-up form:

我想搵啲平平地嘅嘢食。
I want to find some rather cheap food.