| Let's take a closer look at the conversation. | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Do you remember how Karen says, | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | "It's really hot today." | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | 今天真热。 (Jīntiān zhēn rè.) | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | First is 今天 (jīntiān). "Today." 今天. 今天. | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Next is 真 (zhēn). "Really" or "truly." 真. 真. | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | After that is 热 (rè), "hot." 热 热。 | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | All together, it's 今天真热 (Jīntiān zhēn rè). Literally "today really hot," but it translates as "It's really hot today." | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | 今天真热。 (Jīntiān zhēn rè.) | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Note when describing something in Chinese, you can think of the adverb as "linking" the subject and adjective. | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | In this sentence, the adverb, 真 (zhēn), acts as a linking word for the subject, 今天 (Jīntiān), and the adjective, 热 (rè). | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Let's take a closer look at the response. | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Do you remember how the neighbor says, "Yeah, really hot?" | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | 是啊,真热。 (Shì a, zhēn rè.) | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | First is 是 (shì), translating as, "yes," in this context. 是是。 | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Next is 啊 (a), the modal particle, which here adds emphasis to the response. 啊 啊。 | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Together, 是啊 (shì a) translates as a colloquial and emphatic "yeah," or "yes!" in this context. 是啊。 | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | After that, Zhenzhen repeats, 真热 (zhēn rè), "really hot." 真热。 | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | All together, it's 是啊,真热。"Yeah, really hot." | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | 是啊,真热。 | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | The pattern is | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | 今天 (Jīntiān)  真  (zhēn) {weather-related adjective}。 | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | "It's really {weather-related adjective} today." | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | 今天 (Jīntiān)  真  (zhēn) {weather-related adjective}。 | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | To use this pattern, simply replace {weather-related adjective} with another weather-related adjective. | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Imagine it's cold, 冷 (lěng). 冷 (lěng). 冷 (lěng) | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Say | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | "It's really cold today." | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Ready? | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | 今天真冷。(Jīntiān zhēn lěng.) | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | "It's really cold today." | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | 今天真冷。(Jīntiān zhēn lěng.) | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | When the modal particle, 啊 (a), follows a phrase, sentence or statement, it adds emphasis or enthusiasm. | 
                                                                    
                                                        
                     
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