Very vs Really vs Absolutely - English In A Minute

Welcome to BBC Learning English.

I'm Sam and today I'm happy.

In fact, I'm very happy.

I'm really happy.

Thrilled!

I'm really thrilled!

I'm absolutely thrilled!

My happiness keeps getting bigger and bigger.

I started with the word 'happy'.

'Happy' is a gradable adjective, so I can be happy – here.

Quite happy – here.

Very or really happy – here.

What's another way to say 'very' or 'really happy'?

Thrilled!

'Thrilled' is not a gradable adjective.

It's an extreme adjective.

It's already up here.

So, can we make it stronger?

Yes!

You can use 'really'. I'm really thrilled.

Or 'absolutely'. I'm absolutely thrilled.

But you can't use 'very'.