Learn Hardcore Chinese: tā shuō de hěn hǎo.

It links the verb to a degree/manner complement. Pattern: Subject + Verb + 得 + degree description. Here: 她说得很好 = “She speaks to a very good degree.” More examples:

他跑得快。= He runs fast.
你写得很漂亮。= You write beautifully.

Does 很 (hěn) really mean “very” here?

Often it does mean “quite/very,” but in everyday speech it can also feel like a natural softener. Compare:

她说得好 = She speaks well (plain praise; also can mean “She put it well” in a specific instance).
她说得很好 = Stronger: She speaks very well / quite well (more about general ability).

Why is it 得, not 的 or 地?

Mandarin has three common “de” particles:

的: attributive marker (before nouns). 我朋友的书。
地: adverbial marker (before verbs). 他认真地学习。
得: complement marker (after verbs). 他学习得很努力。 In this sentence we need the complement marker 得.

Is 好 functioning as “good” or “well”?

Grammatically it’s the adjective 好 (good), but in a degree complement after a verb it corresponds to English “well.” So 说得好 ≈ “speak well.”

How do I pronounce the whole sentence naturally?

Pinyin: Tā shuō de hěn hǎo. In fluent speech:

得 is neutral tone: de.
很
- 好 triggers 3rd-tone sandhi: hěn + hǎo → “hén hǎo.” So: Tā shuō de hén hǎo.

How do I negate this?

Use 不 for degree:

她说得不好。 = She doesn’t speak well.
Softer: 她说得不太好。 = She doesn’t speak very well. For a comparison: 她说得没有他好。 = She doesn’t speak as well as him. Avoid using 没 with this degree pattern; if you mean “didn’t manage to say it well (that time),” use a resultative: 她没说好。

How do I make it a question?

Several options:

Yes–no: 她说得很好吗？
A-not-A: 她说得好不好？
Open-ended: 她说得怎么样？

How do I express past or future?

Add time words or auxiliaries (Chinese doesn’t inflect tense):

Past: 她昨天说得很好。 = She spoke very well yesterday.
Future/ability: 她明天会说得很好。 = She will speak very well tomorrow (or “will be able to speak well”).

What’s the difference between 她说得好 and 她说得很好?

她说得好: neutral “speaks well,” or contextually “She put it well (what she just said).”
她说得很好: stronger praise, often about general speaking ability or overall performance.

Can I mention the language, like “She speaks Chinese very well”?

Yes. Common patterns:

她汉语说得很好。 / 她中文说得很好。
If you use the verb-object form: 她说汉语说得很好。 (acceptable but a bit repetitive) For Mandarin specifically: 她普通话说得很好。

What’s the difference between 说 and 讲 here?

说 is the general “to speak/say.”
讲 leans toward “to talk about; to explain; to give (a speech/lecture).” Both can take the 得-complement: 她讲得很好 (she’s a good presenter/explainer).

Can I use 说话 instead of 说?

Yes. With the verb–object compound 说话, you often see the duplication pattern:

她说话说得很好。 = She speaks well. Also natural: 她说话很清楚。 / 她很会说话。 (she’s good at speaking, tactful).

How do I compare two people?

Use 比:

她说得比我好。 = She speaks better than me.
她汉语说得比英语好。 = Her Chinese is better than her English.

Can I strengthen or soften the degree?

Yes:

Stronger: 她说得非常好/特别好/好极了。
Softer: 她说得挺好/还不错/不太好。

Could this sentence mean “She said it very well” (referring to one remark)?

Yes, context decides. 她说得很好 can describe overall ability or praise a specific utterance. Add time/context to clarify:

Specific: 刚才她说得很好。
General: 她平时说得很好。

Is there a more formal/academic way to say “speaks well (fluently/clearly)”?

Use a more specific complement:

她说得很流利。 = fluent
她说得很清楚。 = clear
她口才很好。 = she has excellent eloquence/oratory skills.