Chinese Word
Archive
← Today's word Archive
adverb HSK 5
Traditional 頗
pō
quite · rather · considerably

Meaning

颇 is a formal literary adverb meaning 'quite' or 'rather' that expresses a notable degree or extent of something. It's commonly used in written Chinese and more formal spoken contexts to indicate that something is considerable or significant.

Usage

颇 typically appears before adjectives or verbs to emphasize degree. It's more formal and literary than 很 (hěn) or 挺 (tǐng), and often used in written language, news reports, or formal speech. Common with words like 颇为 (pō wéi, quite/rather), 颇有 (pō yǒu, have quite a bit of), and 颇感 (pō gǎn, feel rather).

Examples

  1. 01
    这本书颇受读者欢迎。
    Zhè běn shū pō shòu dúzhě huānyíng.
    This book is quite popular among readers.
  2. 02
    他对中国历史颇有研究。
    Tā duì Zhōngguó lìshǐ pō yǒu yánjiū.
    He has quite a bit of knowledge about Chinese history.

Common collocations

  • 颇为
    pō wéi
    quite, rather
  • 颇有
    pō yǒu
    have quite a bit of
  • 颇感
    pō gǎn
    feel rather
  • 颇受欢迎
    pō shòu huānyíng
    quite popular

Origin

The traditional form 頗 originally meant 'inclined' or 'slanted' (from the head radical 頁), which evolved to mean 'not straight/unbalanced' and eventually came to express degree and extent.

Related