A2 adjective

甜的

tian de

When you're describing something as sweet in Chinese, you'll often use 甜的 (tián de). The character 甜 (tián) means sweet, and 的 (de) is a common particle used to connect adjectives to nouns, or to simply form an adjective phrase like this. You can use it for flavors, like 'this cake is sweet,' or sometimes more figuratively. Just remember, when you want to say something tastes sweet, 甜的 is your go-to phrase.

When we want to describe something as 'sweet' in Chinese, we often use the adjective 甜的 (tián de). The character 甜 (tián) means 'sweet', and 的 (de) is a common structural particle that often follows adjectives to modify a noun, or when the adjective stands alone as a predicate. For example, you might say '这个蛋糕很甜的' (Zhège dàngāo hěn tián de) meaning 'This cake is very sweet'. While 的 can sometimes be omitted in spoken Chinese after adjectives, including it here often makes the sentence sound more complete and descriptive, particularly when 甜 is describing a characteristic.

How Formal Is It?

Formal

"这种水果味甜,口感极佳。(Zhè zhǒng shuǐguǒ wèi tián, kǒugǎn jí jiā.) - This fruit tastes sweet, and its texture is excellent."

Neutral

"这个蛋糕是甜的。(Zhège dàngāo shì tián de.) - This cake is sweet."

Informal

"哇,这西瓜超甜的!(Wa, zhè xīguā chāo tián de!) - Wow, this watermelon is super sweet!"

Child friendly

"宝宝喜欢吃甜甜的糖果。(Bǎobǎo xǐhuān chī tián tián de tángguǒ.) - Baby likes to eat sweet candies."

Slang

"这杯奶茶齁甜,快把我腻死了。(Zhè bēi nǎichá hōu tián, kuài bǎ wǒ nì sǐ le.) - This milk tea is sickeningly sweet, it's almost making me sick."

Test Yourself 6 questions

listening A1

This apple is very sweet.

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: 这个苹果很甜。
Correct! Not quite. Correct answer:
listening A1

Do you like sweet food?

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: 你喜欢甜的食物吗?
Correct! Not quite. Correct answer:
listening A1

This cup of coffee is not sweet.

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: 这杯咖啡不甜。
Correct! Not quite. Correct answer:
speaking A1

Read this aloud:

这个西瓜很甜。

Focus: tián

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer:
speaking A1

Read this aloud:

我喜欢吃甜点。

Focus: tián diǎn

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer:
speaking A1

Read this aloud:

这个菜有点甜。

Focus: yǒu diǎn tián

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer:

/ 6 correct

Perfect score!

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