<p>很 sometime may interchange with 太 . however,  很 mostly carry out and descriptive meaning. While 太 are mean to show something exaggerate</p>

<p>if you use   太....  了, it will add extra expressive complaining tones.<br>
For example : </p>

<pre><code># 很 versus 太
my dog is [very big](for the breed) 我的狗[个子*很*大] 
my dog is too big(for the house) 我的狗[个子*太*大]

# 太....  了
my dog is [just too big!] 我的狗[个子太大了!] or 我的狗[太大只了!] 
</code></pre>

<p>The word  <code>大</code>,  carry a few meaning : <code>larger</code> OR <code>greater</code> OR <code>older</code></p>

<p>When describe with living subject, you must put additional care , i.e. put an extra description.  Thus : </p>

<pre><code>高大  : tall
肥大  : Fat and tall
强大  ：strong and powerful (more appropriate to use 强壮 for masculine） 
年纪大 ：old
</code></pre>

<p>我的狗很大, 我的狗太大了 is a confusing term.  Is it older? taller? Stronger? </p>

<pre><code>我的狗很高大 -&gt; my dog is tall
我的狗长大了 -&gt; my dog grow up (,at last)
</code></pre>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-09T19:33:21.083Z
2016-11-09T19:39:59.957Z
2016-11-09T19:39:59.957Z
mootmoot
<p>Instead of interpreting 我的狗太大了 as "stronger" than 我的狗很大, the former one has more of a negative tone in it. If I exaggerate the first phrase a little bit more, it will be my dog is way too big. It has nuances of a complaint as compared to the mere description of 我的狗很大 </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-06T09:43:01.157Z
2016-11-06T09:43:01.157Z
taytay
<p>In my understanding, 很(hěn) means "very" while 太... 了 (tài... le) means "over(ly)". So, the second is more stronger (over the limit).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-09T02:32:31.853Z
2016-11-09T02:32:31.853Z
RainerJ
<p>"太" is roughly translated as "too", while "很" is "very". In terms of the emotional senses, "太" has some stronger personal feelings in it, while "很" is normally objective and neutral</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-10T01:00:17.203Z
2016-11-10T01:00:17.203Z
Haowei  Yu
<p>From my own point of view, 太...了 does convey a stronger feeling towards the thing you are describing than 很. You can consider 太 as meaning "very much" or "a lot", whereas 很 means "really". </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-07T13:58:03.547Z
2016-11-07T13:58:03.547Z
Cynthia Tong
<p>Are 太... 了 (tài... le) and 很(hěn) grammatically equivalent?</p>

<p>My feeling is that semantically 太... 了 (tài... le) is somehow "stronger" then 很(hěn), that is: 太... 了 (tài... le) seems "exceptionally, extremely", while 很(hěn) is just "very". Is it correct?</p>

<p>Summing up both questions with an example:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>may I say (apart of changes in meaning):</p>

<ul>
<li>我的狗很大 Wǒ de ɡǒu hěn dà</li>
<li>我的狗太大了 Wǒ de ɡǒu tài dà le</li>
</ul></li>
</ol>

<p>?</p>

<ol start="2">
<li>Is the meaning of the second sentence is somehow "stronger" ?

<ul>
<li>我的狗很大 Wǒ de ɡǒu hěn dà -> my dog is very big)</li>
<li>我的狗太大了 Wǒ de ɡǒu tài dà le -> my dog is so big! / my dog is too big!</li>
</ul></li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-04T12:16:02.307Z
If you have looked up 很 and 太 in dictionary, you wouldn't have to ask this question.
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-06T10:44:30.113Z
太 is often recommended to use instead of 很 in the case of negative adjectives (or verbs)  很好，太坏；很高，太矮，verbs： 很喜欢，太麻烦
user6065
<grammar>
太... 了 (tài... le) vs 很(hěn)
# 太... 了 (tài... le) vs 很(hěn)

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-11-04)

Are 太... 了 (tài... le) and 很(hěn) grammatically equivalent?

My feeling is that semantically 太... 了 (tài... le) is somehow "stronger" then 很(hěn), that is: 太... 了 (tài... le) seems "exceptionally, extremely", while 很(hěn) is just "very". Is it correct?

Summing up both questions with an example:

1. may I say (apart of changes in meaning):

   * 我的狗很大 Wǒ de ɡǒu hěn dà
   * 我的狗太大了 Wǒ de ɡǒu tài dà le

?

2. Is the meaning of the second sentence is somehow "stronger" ?
   * 我的狗很大 Wǒ de ɡǒu hěn dà -> my dog is very big)
   * 我的狗太大了 Wǒ de ɡǒu tài dà le -> my dog is so big! / my dog is too big!

**Tags:** grammar
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: If you have looked up 很 and 太 in dictionary, you wouldn't have to ask this question.  
> **username_2**: 太 is often recommended to use instead of 很 in the case of negative adjectives (or verbs)  很好，太坏；很高，太矮，verbs： 很喜欢，太麻烦  

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## 5 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2016-11-09. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

很 sometime may interchange with 太 . however,  很 mostly carry out and descriptive meaning. While 太 are mean to show something exaggerate
if you use   太....  了, it will add extra expressive complaining tones.
For example : 
# 很 versus 太
my dog is [very big](for the breed) 我的狗[个子*很*大] 
my dog is too big(for the house) 我的狗[个子*太*大]

# 太....  了
my dog is [just too big!] 我的狗[个子太大了!] or 我的狗[太大只了!] 

The word  大,  carry a few meaning : larger OR greater OR older
When describe with living subject, you must put additional care , i.e. put an extra description.  Thus : 
高大  : tall
肥大  : Fat and tall
强大  ：strong and powerful (more appropriate to use 强壮 for masculine） 
年纪大 ：old

我的狗很大, 我的狗太大了 is a confusing term.  Is it older? taller? Stronger? 
我的狗很高大 -> my dog is tall
我的狗长大了 -> my dog grow up (,at last)


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### Answer by username_4 on 2016-11-06. Score: 3

Instead of interpreting 我的狗太大了 as "stronger" than 我的狗很大, the former one has more of a negative tone in it. If I exaggerate the first phrase a little bit more, it will be my dog is way too big. It has nuances of a complaint as compared to the mere description of 我的狗很大


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### Answer by username_5 on 2016-11-09. Score: 1

In my understanding, 很(hěn) means "very" while 太... 了 (tài... le) means "over(ly)". So, the second is more stronger (over the limit).


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### Answer by username_6 on 2016-11-10. Score: 1

"太" is roughly translated as "too", while "很" is "very". In terms of the emotional senses, "太" has some stronger personal feelings in it, while "很" is normally objective and neutral


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### Answer by username_7 on 2016-11-07. Score: 1

From my own point of view, 太...了 does convey a stronger feeling towards the thing you are describing than 很. You can consider 太 as meaning "very much" or "a lot", whereas 很 means "really".


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