形容词 + 得 + 不行／要命／要死
extremely; unbearably (spoken)
Structure
形容词／心理动词 得 不行／要命／要死
What it means
“Extremely; unbearably”: spoken degree complements that push a feeling or a bodily state to the limit.
How it is built
Adjective／mental verb + 得 + 不行／要命／要死: 连着训练了一整天，大家都累得要死 (after training all day, everyone was dead tired). Also 高兴得不行, 疼得要命.
When to use it
Casual speech; 要命 and 要死 sound more dramatic than 不行. In a news report they appear only inside quotes from ordinary people; the written equivalent is 极其 or 十分 + adjective.
Watch out
得 is required and no 很 goes before the adjective. ✗ 累要死 ✗ 很累得要死 ✓ 累得要死.
Examples
看到她拿下最后一分，我激动得不行。
When I saw her win the last point I was beside myself.
连着训练了一整天，大家都累得要死。
After training all day long everyone was dead tired.
比赛打到抢七，我紧张得要命，都不敢看了。
When it went to a tiebreak I was so nervous I could not watch.
Learn this in Lesson 115 · HSK 7–9: 郑钦文巴黎夺金 (Sport: gold in Paris)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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