Meaning of 非常
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- very; really
- unusual; extraordinary
How to use 非常
非常 is placed directly before adjectives or some verbs to show a strong degree, and it sounds stronger than 很 (hěn). It can also mean "unusual" or "extraordinary," as in 非常时期 (fēicháng shíqī) "an extraordinary period." Example: 今天非常冷。(Jīntiān fēicháng lěng.) It is very cold today.
非 (fēi) means "not" and 常 (cháng) means "usual" or "common," so 非常 is literally "not usual." Something that goes beyond the usual is very much so, which is why it means "very" or "extremely."
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 非常 with 常常 (chángcháng) or 经常 (jīngcháng) because they share 常. But 常常 and 经常 mean "often" and describe frequency, while 非常 means "very" and describes degree.
非常 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
非 fēi · to not be · 8 strokes
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常 cháng · always · 11 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 非常.
| 常常 | chángcháng | frequently; often |
| 正常 | zhèngcháng | normal; regular |
| 经常 | jīngcháng | frequently; constantly; regularly; often; day-to-day; everyday; daily |
| 平常 | píngcháng | ordinary; common |
| 常见 | cháng jiàn | commonly seen; common |
| 常用 | cháng yòng | in common usage |
| 通常 | tōngcháng | regular; usual; normal; usually; normally |
| 日常 | rìcháng | day-to-day; daily; everyday |
| 常识 | chángshí | common sense; general knowledge |
| 除非 | chúfēi | only if (..., or otherwise, ...); only when |
| 时常 | shícháng | often; frequently |
| 异常 | yìcháng | unusual; abnormal; extremely; exceptionally |
Questions about 非常
What does 非常 mean?
非常 (fēicháng) means "very; really; unusual; extraordinary" and is used as a adverb.
How do you write 非常?
非常 is made of 2 characters: 非 (8 strokes), 常 (11 strokes). That is 19 strokes in total.
Is 非常 an HSK word?
Yes. 非常 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 非常 and 很?
Both mean "very" and go before adjectives, but 很 (hěn) is often used just to link a subject and adjective with little real emphasis. 非常 always adds real emphasis, so 我非常高兴 (wǒ fēicháng gāoxìng) is stronger than 我很高兴 (wǒ hěn gāoxìng).
Can I say 非常很好 or put 非常 after the adjective?
No. Do not stack 非常 with 很, and do not place it after the adjective. Say 非常好 (fēicháng hǎo), not 非常很好 or 好非常.