得不能再de bùnéng zài

Complex Degree Complement: 得不能再... – Could Not Be Any More...

Meaning: Structure expressing an absolute extreme degree that cannot be surpassed

Pattern

The complex degree complement structure {Adj} + 得不能再 + {Adj} + 了 is an emphatic rhetorical construction used at the HSK 5 level to depict an unsurpassable extreme.
Syntactically, the particle 得 is obligatory after the initial adjective or verb.
Most commonly, the identical adjective is duplicated before and after 不能再 (e.g., 简单得不能再简单了 - as simple as it can possibly get; 高兴得不能再高兴了 - couldn't be happier).
In spoken Chinese, related colloquial exaggerations of extreme degree include 热得要命 (scorching hot) or 累得不行.

1
这个问题简单得不能再简单了。
Zhè ge wèntí jiǎndān de bùnéng zài jiǎndān le.
This question is as simple as it can possibly be.
2
他高兴得不能再高兴了。
Tā gāoxìng de bùnéng zài gāoxìng le.
He was as happy as could possibly be.
3
今天热得要命，根本不想出门。
Jīntiān rè de yàomìng, gēnběn bù xiǎng chūmén.
Today it is terribly hot; I don't feel like stepping outside at all.

•Must include the structural particle “得”; usually repeats the identical adjective before and after “不能再”; do not mix different adjectives.

⚠️ Common Mistakes:

•Incorrect: 简单不能再简单 → Correct: 简单得不能再简单了 (the structural particle 得 is required before 不能再).

•Incorrect: 累得不能再忙 → Correct: 累得不能再累了 (the identical adjective must be repeated rather than mixing two distinct adjectives).

Combine Vocabulary, Grammar, Reading Practice, Listening, Hanzi Writing, and Mock Exams at HSK 5 to master all skills together.