Adjectives: general rules Never use shì 是 be - Cchatty

Adjectives: general rules

Never use shì 是 before adjectives!

He is tall.
Tā hěn gāo
✔ CC: 他很高
✖ BC: 他是很高!
(noun + adjective)

BUT;
He is a student.
Tā shì xuésheng.
他是学生。
(noun = noun)

We generally put hěn 很 (very) in front of all monosyllabic adjectives, even when we don’t mean “very ___,” although it isn’t absolutely necessary:

We’re busy.
Wǒmen hěn máng.
我们很忙。

Some Americans are fat
Yǒude Měiguó rén hěn pàng.
有的美国人很胖。

EXCEPTIONS: è 饿 (hungry), kě 渴 (thirsty), bìng 病 (sick), which all take le 了after them rather than hěn 很 in front of them:

We’re hungry.
Wǒmen è le.
我们饿了。

They’re thirsty.
Tāmen kě le.
他们渴了。

She’s ill.
✔ CC: Tā bìng le.
她病了。
✖ BC: Tā hěn bìng.
她很病。
Literally: “She is very ill/sick.”

When adjectives come before a noun and are more than one syllable, including a single-syllable adjective with hěn 很, there is always a de 的 between the adjective and the noun:

very good students
hěn hǎo de xuésheng
很好的学生

pretty women
piàoliang de nǚde
漂亮的女的

handsome men
yīngjùn de nánde
英俊的男的

BUT:
good person/people
hǎo rén
好人