别提了 / 别提(有)多X了: don't ask, you can't imagine how…
【高69】【高135】固定短语、口语格式 / fixed patterns
Tone colorsā tone 1á tone 2ǎ tone 3à tone 4a neutral
别提了 (“don't mention it”) says that the matter is too painful to talk about; it is the stock answer to “so, how did it go?” when it went badly, and the story often follows: 别提了，我根本不认识那个人，他硬拉着我不让我走。
别提(有)多 X 了 is an exclamation of extreme degree: “you can't imagine how X it is”. X is an adjective or a feeling verb (好看, 高兴, 兴奋, 难受), and the final 了 is part of the pattern; 有 is optional. The sentence can be happy (别提多好看了) or sad (别提有多难受了).
Compare 太……了 and 得不得了 (levels 1 and 3): they state the degree; 别提多X了 claims that words fail, which makes it more expressive. Spoken register.
Examples
甲：考试怎么样？乙：别提了，我连题目都没看完。
Jiǎ: Kǎoshì zěnmeyàng? Yǐ: Bié tí le, wǒ lián tímù dōu méi kàn wán.A: How was the exam? B: Don't ask. I didn't even finish reading the questions.
别提了，我根本不认识那个人，他硬拉着我不让我走。
Bié tí le, wǒ gēnběn bú rènshi nàge rén, tā yìng lā zhe wǒ bú ràng wǒ zǒu.Don't get me started: I didn't know that man at all, and he kept pulling me back so I couldn't leave.
刚才买的那件衣服，别提多好看了。
Gāngcái mǎi de nà jiàn yīfu, bié tí duō hǎokàn le.That piece of clothing I just bought, you can't imagine how nice it looks.
听到爸爸的声音，她别提有多兴奋了。
Tīngdào bàba de shēngyīn, tā bié tí yǒu duō xīngfèn le.When she heard her father's voice, she was beside herself with excitement.
看着空荡荡的店，他心里别提有多难受了。
Kàn zhe kōngdàngdàng de diàn, tā xīn li bié tí yǒu duō nánshòu le.Looking at the empty shop, he felt more wretched than words can say.
暑假一到，孩子们别提多开心了。
Shǔjià yí dào, háizimen bié tí duō kāixīn le.As soon as the summer holidays arrive, the children are over the moon.
Common mistakes
✗ 别提多好看。 → ✓ 别提多好看了。 (the final 了 is part of the pattern).
✗ 别提有多问题了。 → ✓ 别提有多麻烦了。 (X is an adjective or a feeling verb, not a noun).
✗ 谢谢你！ 别提了。 → ✓ 谢谢你！ 不客气。 (别提了 says “that's a sad story”, not “don't mention it”).