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The typical 很 + adjective phrase example is:

俄罗斯女人很漂亮。

In these sentences, is it OK to add 了 to the end of the sentence, to emphasize the adjective?

俄罗斯女人很漂亮了。

I understand that if you like to emphasize it, usually what you should use is 太, not 很. The correct sentence should be:

俄罗斯女人太漂亮了。

However, if you use 很, is it also OK to add 了? Or is it not correct grammatically?

The Chinese grammar wiki on 太~了 page writes the following, but it doesn't include 很.

Note for the more advanced learner: This pattern can be used with modal verbs (e.g. 会 (huì), 能 (néng)) as well as psychological verbs (e.g. 喜欢 (xǐhuan), 想 (xiǎng), 爱 (ài)) to intensify the degree.

So, I would like to know:

  1. Is it OK to use 了 along with 很?

  2. If 1 is true, then if there is any difference on the meaning between the with and without 了?

  3. Does it make a confusion with the 了 as a completion particle?

1 Answer 1

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很...了 is not that common. When you say 俄罗斯女人很漂亮了, it could mean either 俄罗斯女人确实很漂亮(truly beautiful) or 俄罗斯女人已经很漂亮了(beautiful enough already).

But if you add 已经, it will be natural. 俄罗斯女人已经很漂亮了,which implies 俄罗斯女人 is beautiful enough already, (and you might not have to look for other women.)

Maybe, you could take 已经很...了 as a structure, meaning it's already ... enough. For example, 已经很好了(it's already good enough),已经很强了(It's already strong enough),已经很喜欢了('I' already liked it enough),....

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