Questions & Answers about wǒ hěn ài wǒ de jiārén.
In English we can just say I love my family. Why do we add 很 in 我很爱我的家人? Can I say 我爱我的家人 instead?
Yes, you can definitely say 我爱我的家人. It is grammatically correct and very natural.
Adding 很 makes the feeling sound stronger or more emotional, closer to I really love my family or I love my family very much.
Without 很, it is a straightforward statement of fact; with 很, it sounds a bit more expressive or emphatic.
So both are fine:
- 我爱我的家人。 – I love my family.
- 我很爱我的家人。 – I really / very much love my family.
Does 很 always mean very here, or is it sometimes just a linking word like am?
In this sentence, 很 is a real degree adverb, and it does carry the meaning of very, really, so much, etc.
The “just a linking word” use of 很 mainly happens with adjectives, e.g.:
- 我很高兴。 – I am (very) happy.
Often this 很 doesn’t feel strongly like very; it just makes the sentence sound natural.
But 爱 is a verb, not an adjective, so 我很爱… is not a neutral linking pattern. It clearly adds intensity, like:
- 我很爱我的家人。 ≈ I really love my family.
Why is 很 placed before 爱? Could I say 我爱很我的家人 or put 很 after 爱?