is 随分 of a higher degree than なかなか (with positive verb)?


my dictionary shows both 随分 and なかなか (with positive verb) as
**"very/considerably"**

I was wondering is it true that 随分 is of a higher _degree_ than なかなか?

Like

> あんた **なかなか** 勇敢だな。= 75%

and

> あんた **随分** 勇敢だな。 = 85%?




Yes. `なかなか` means mildly, moderately. The origin is `中中`, 'middle-middle'. It
is lower in degree than `随分`.

* * *

Below is slightly technical.

Elaborating on rintaun's point, `なかなか` has another usage: used with a negative
expression. There are words that can be only used within negative environments
(and some other environments, subsumed under what are technically called
downward entailment environments).

> **決して** 食べない [Japanese example]  
>  **全然** 食べない [Japanese example]  
>  おかず **しか** 食べない [Japanese example]  
>  He does not study **at all** [English example]  
>  I am not paying **a red cent** [English example]

Sometimes, a word can be used either under this usage or under a different
usage:

> He cannot eat **any** -thing. [Negative usage]  
>  He can eat **any** -thing. [Different usage]

Depending on the usage, the scale differs. `なかなか` is an instance of such word.
It has a usage that requires a negative environment.

> 彼は **なかなか** 食べない [Negative usage]  
>  彼は **なかなか** よく食べる [Different usage]

In this negative usage, the degree of `なかなか` is stronger.




Yes. `なかなか` means mildly, moderately. The origin is `中中`, 'middle-middle'. It
is lower in degree than `随分`.

* * *

Below is slightly technical.

Elaborating on rintaun's point, `なかなか` has another usage: used with a negative
expression. There are words that can be only used within negative environments
(and some other environments, subsumed under what are technically called
downward entailment environments).

> **決して** 食べない [Japanese example]  
>  **全然** 食べない [Japanese example]  
>  おかず **しか** 食べない [Japanese example]  
>  He does not study **at all** [English example]  
>  I am not paying **a red cent** [English example]

Sometimes, a word can be used either under this usage or under a different
usage:

> He cannot eat **any** -thing. [Negative usage]  
>  He can eat **any** -thing. [Different usage]

Depending on the usage, the scale differs. `なかなか` is an instance of such word.
It has a usage that requires a negative environment.

> 彼は **なかなか** 食べない [Negative usage]  
>  彼は **なかなか** よく食べる [Different usage]

In this negative usage, the degree of `なかなか` is stronger.

