他太忙了，甚至没有时间吃午饭 (tā tài máng le, shènzhì méiyǒu shíjiān chī wǔfàn) — "He's so busy, he doesn't even have time to eat lunch." That sentence shows what 甚至 (shènzhì) does in Mandarin: it pushes a statement to an extreme, adding the detail that makes your listener think "Really?!"
甚至 means "Even (To the Extent That)." The structure is simple: Subject + 甚至 + Extreme Case. You place it after a setup statement to introduce a surprising or extreme example — the part that escalates the situation. Another example: 他甚至不知道她的名字 (tā shènzhì bù zhīdào tā de míngzi) — "He doesn't even know her name." Here 甚至 emphasizes how little he knows, going beyond what you'd expect.
Use this pattern when a situation is so extreme or surprising that a plain statement wouldn't capture it — "This is so easy, even kids know it" or "He's so busy, he doesn't even eat lunch."
This 10-minute live conversation lesson targets one grammar pattern: 甚至. You talk out loud with AI teacher Mei Lin in real time — voice, not typing. Mei Lin corrects your grammar and pronunciation in the flow of conversation and adapts to your level. You'll practice building setup statements and adding extreme cases with 甚至, getting feedback on word order and tone as you speak.
The first lesson can be tried free; no credit card required to start talking. To reinforce what you learn, print handwriting worksheets with the free printable Chinese worksheet generator (ready-made packs cover HSK 1–3 words).
For more at this level, browse the HSK 4 lessons hub page. You might also try another HSK 4 live lesson on correcting misunderstandings or another HSK 4 live lesson on highlighting favorites.
甚至 means "Even (To the Extent That)." You use it to emphasize how extreme or surprising a situation is by introducing an extreme case — like saying "He doesn't even have time to eat lunch" when describing someone who's very busy. It pushes a setup statement further than a listener would expect.
甚至 follows the structure Subject + 甚至 + Extreme Case. Place it after a setup statement to push the idea further. For example: 他太忙了，甚至没有时间吃午饭 — "He's so busy, he doesn't even have time to eat lunch." The setup comes first, then 甚至 introduces the surprising detail.
You'll practice building setup statements and adding extreme cases with 甚至 in real-time conversation with AI teacher Mei Lin. The lesson focuses on this single HSK 4 grammar pattern and takes about 10 minutes, with corrections on pronunciation and word order as you speak.
Yes — this is an HSK 4 grammar lesson designed for intermediate learners. Mei Lin adapts to your level during the conversation, so you can practice 甚至 at a pace that matches your current speaking ability.