"He speaks very fast. I do not understand."
Translation:他说得很快，我不明白。
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说 is the basic verb of "to speak" or "to say". 我说 = I speak, 他说= he speaks, etc. the character 得 is a degree modifier, meaning it is expressing the degree to which you "speak". you only use 得 when you want to use an adverb to modify the verb. to translate 得 into English It could be "to the extent of being". so 我说得很快 = I speak (to the extent of being) fast. the word 快 is describing how you speak, and so you use the character 得 to show that. you can use 得 with any verb. examples:
- 你吃得很快 = you eat very fast/ you eat quickly
- 她喝得很慢 = she drinks very slow/ she drinks slowly
得 always goes after the verb you are modifying and before the adverb that is modifying it. without the 得 the sentences would just be 你吃, (you eat) 她喝, (she drinks) 我说 (I speak) Does that help?
Two reasons why this is wrong.
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You omitted 得 which changes the 非常快 to be an indicator of the way he is speaking. The sentence you supplied would be more like: He said "extremely fast."
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非常 (extraordinarily/extremely) is a different degree to 很 (very). In this kind of sentence 很 doesn't really indicate much.
说 is the basic verb of "to speak" or "to say". 我说 = I speak, 他说= he speaks, etc. the character 得 is a degree modifier, meaning it is expressing the degree to which you "speak". you only use 得 when you want to use an adverb to modify the verb. to translate 得 into English It could be "to the extent of being". so 我说得很快 = I speak (to the extent of being) fast. the word 快 is describing how you speak, and so you use the character 得 to show that. you can use 得 with any verb. examples:
- 你吃得很快 = you eat very fast/ you eat quickly
- 她喝得很慢 = she drinks very slow/ she drinks slowly
得 always goes after the verb you are modifying and before the adverb that is modifying it. without the 得 the sentences would just be 你吃, (you eat) 她喝, (she drinks) 我说 (I speak) Does that help?
To imply emphasis. Like very. Used with verbs and adjectives. Very fast, very beautiful. Etc..
copying from @teriyagi above: "说 is the basic verb of "to speak" or "to say". 我说 = I speak, 他说= he speaks, etc. the character 得 is a degree modifier, meaning it is expressing the degree to which you "speak". you only use 得 when you want to use an adverb to modify the verb. to translate 得 into English It could be "to the extent of being". so 我说得很快 = I speak (to the extent of being) fast. the word 快 is describing how you speak, and so you use the character 得 to show that. you can use 得 with any verb. examples:
你吃得很快 = you eat very fast/ you eat quickly 她喝得很慢 = she drinks very slow/ she drinks slowly 得 always goes after the verb you are modifying and before the adverb that is modifying it. without the 得 the sentences would just be 你吃, (you eat) 她喝, (she drinks) 我说 (I speak) Does that help?"
I found this very useful response and link by Yomalyn (fellow student (?) on an earlier discussion: The Three De's https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggPbyZN96ss (This character specifically is discussed at 6:55)
他说得很快。我不明白。 Tā shuō dé hěn kuài。Wǒ bù míng bái。 He speaks very fast. I do not understand.
The two should be acceptable alternatives. Duolingo is a great resource but there are numerous inconsistencies.
I just successfully entered "他說得很快。我聽不懂。" Not sure if the 聽(听) is strictly necessary to get marked correct in this exercise, but either ...我不懂 or ...我聽不懂 would be okay in conversation because from the context the listener can already tell that you're referring to listening (not reading) comprehension.
That's all great that it shows one of the possible correct answers after a wrong answer is given. But I require immediate review and explanation or else the app is just acting like a smartass. The review must show what they mean or they are just a bunch of similar shapes and I'm playing memory match instead of learning a language. My second requirement is the option to review and correct any wrong answer immediately. Not at the end and not a new step in the lesson. I want to change what's incorrect. Once you meet these very basic educational standards, you'll have access to my full respect.
The correct answer is different than what has been taught so far. I'm having reall trouble memorizing all those shapes that I don't understand and you won't tell me.