Level 3 · Intermediate
Quite: 比较 and 挺…的
比较 + Adj. / 挺 + Adj. + 的 · Traditional: 比較 + Adj. / 挺 + Adj. + 的
For "quite / rather" — more than a little, less than 太 — Chinese has two everyday tools. 比较 (bǐjiào) sounds measured and neutral: 这家饭馆比较贵 "this restaurant is on the expensive side". 挺 (tǐng) is warmer and chattier, and it usually closes with 的: 这个电影挺好看的 "this movie's pretty good".
Register is the main difference: 挺…的 belongs to casual speech, while 比较 is fine anywhere, spoken or written. One rule covers both: they already set the degree, so neither one combines with 很.
Examples
这家饭馆比较贵，我们去别的吧。
這家飯館比較貴，我們去別的吧。
zhè jiā fàn guǎn bǐ jiào guì wǒ men qù bié de ba
This restaurant is rather expensive — let's go to a different one.
今天比较热，你多喝水。
今天比較熱，你多喝水。
jīn tiān bǐ jiào rè nǐ duō hē shuǐ
It's quite hot today — drink plenty of water.
这个电影挺好看的。
這個電影挺好看的。
zhè ge diàn yǐng tǐng hǎo kàn de
This movie is pretty good.
她最近挺忙的，别打电话了。
她最近挺忙的，別打電話了。
tā zuì jìn tǐng máng de bié dǎ diàn huà le
She's been pretty busy lately — don't call her.
Common mistakes
✗ 这个电影很挺好看的。
✓ 这个电影挺好看的。
挺 and 比较 already set the degree — never stack 很 on top of them.
Related grammar points
Practice this pattern in graded stories like Old Place or New Place? (Part 1) inside the Literate Chinese app.
