Difference between revisions of "Expressing "not very" with "bu tai""

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You may be familiar with using [[Expressing "excessively" with tai|太 (tài) to express "too"]] in the sense of "too expensive."  There's a similar pattern in the negative, which just means "not very" or "not so" (literally "not too").  Note that this pattern does not normally use 了 (le).
 
You may be familiar with using [[Expressing "excessively" with tai|太 (tài) to express "too"]] in the sense of "too expensive."  There's a similar pattern in the negative, which just means "not very" or "not so" (literally "not too").  Note that this pattern does not normally use 了 (le).
  
== Structure ==
+
== “不太”后跟形容词 ==
 +
 
 +
=== Structure with Adjective ===
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
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Note: This pattern can also be used with non-adjectives.  See below for more info.
 
Note: This pattern can also be used with non-adjectives.  See below for more info.
  
== Examples ==
+
=== Examples with Adjective ===
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%"
+
* 他 <em>不 太</em> 高兴。<span class="spaced">He is not too happy.</span>
|+不太 sentences
+
* 她 <em>不 太</em> 漂亮。<span class="spaced">She is not too pretty.</span>
|-
+
* 老师 <em>不 太</em> 友好。<span class="spaced">The teacher is not too friendly.</span>
! Subject !! <em>不 太</em> !! Adj !!  !!  Translation
+
* 北京 <em>不 太</em> 舒服。<span class="spaced"></span>
|-
+
* 这 个 店 的 衣服 <em>不 太</em> 贵。<span class="spaced"></span>
| || <em>不 太</em> || 高兴 ||。|| <span class="spaced">He is not too happy.</span>
+
* 我 觉得 他 <em>不 太</em> 聪明。<span class="spaced"></span>
|-
+
* 这 个 房间 <em>不 太</em> 大。<span class="spaced"></span>
| 她 || <em>不 太</em> || 漂亮 ||。|| <span class="spaced">She is not too pretty.</span>
+
* 那 个 地方 <em>不 太</em> 远。<span class="spaced"></span>
|-
+
* 这 个 苹果 <em>不 太</em> 好吃。<span class="spaced"></span>
| 老师 || <em>不 太</em> || 友好 ||。|| <span class="spaced">The teacher is not too friendly.</span>
+
* 现在 <em>不 太</em> 热。<span class="spaced"></span>
|}
 
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
==Structure with Modal Verbs==
+
==“不太”后跟动词==
 +
 
 +
===Structure with Verbs===
  
This pattern can be used with modal verbs (e.g. 会, 能) as well as psychological verbs (e.g. 喜欢, 崇拜), as in the next two examples.
+
This pattern can be used with some psychological verbs (e.g. 喜欢, 想,明白), as in the next two examples.这些动词比较有限,例句中列出的都是常用的。当然“不太”也可以跟能愿动词一起用,但是这个用法是用于对某事发生的可能性的推测。
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
Line 40: Line 43:
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
== Examples==
+
=== Examples with Verbs ===
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%"
+
* 我 <em>不 太</em> 喜欢 我 的 工作。<span class="spaced">I don't really like my job.</span>
|+不太 sentences
+
* 他 <em>不 太</em> 想 去 。<span class="spaced">He doesn't really want to go.</span>
|-
+
* 我 <em>不 太</em> 想 我 的 家人。<span class="spaced"></span>
! Subject !! <em>不 太</em> !! V !!  !!  Translation
+
* 我 <em>不 太</em> 理解 你 的 做法。<span class="spaced"></span>
|-
+
* 女人 <em>不 太</em> 关心 政治。<span class="spaced"></span>
| || <em>不 太</em> || 喜欢 || 。|| <span class="spaced">I don't really like (it).</span>
+
* 我觉得你 <em>不 太</em> 了解 我们 公司。<span class="spaced"></span>
|-
+
* 我 <em>不 太</em> 相信 他 已经 结婚 了。<span class="spaced"></span>
| 他 || <em>不 太</em> || 想去 || 。|| <span class="spaced">He doesn't really want to go.</span>
+
* 我 <em>不 太</em> 明白 你 的 意思。<span class="spaced"></span>
|}
 
  
 
</div>
 
</div>

Revision as of 07:09, 11 September 2013

Chinese-grammar-wiki-bu.jpg

You may be familiar with using 太 (tài) to express "too" in the sense of "too expensive." There's a similar pattern in the negative, which just means "not very" or "not so" (literally "not too"). Note that this pattern does not normally use 了 (le).

“不太”后跟形容词

Structure with Adjective

Subject + 不太 + Adjective

Note: This pattern can also be used with non-adjectives. See below for more info.

Examples with Adjective

  • 不 太 高兴。He is not too happy.
  • 不 太 漂亮。She is not too pretty.
  • 老师 不 太 友好。The teacher is not too friendly.
  • 北京 不 太 舒服。
  • 这 个 店 的 衣服 不 太 贵。
  • 我 觉得 他 不 太 聪明。
  • 这 个 房间 不 太 大。
  • 那 个 地方 不 太 远。
  • 这 个 苹果 不 太 好吃。
  • 现在 不 太 热。

“不太”后跟动词

Structure with Verbs

This pattern can be used with some psychological verbs (e.g. 喜欢, 想,明白), as in the next two examples.这些动词比较有限,例句中列出的都是常用的。当然“不太”也可以跟能愿动词一起用,但是这个用法是用于对某事发生的可能性的推测。

Subject + 不太 + Verb

Examples with Verbs

  • 不 太 喜欢 我 的 工作。I don't really like my job.
  • 不 太 想 去 。He doesn't really want to go.
  • 不 太 想 我 的 家人。
  • 不 太 理解 你 的 做法。
  • 女人 不 太 关心 政治。
  • 我觉得你 不 太 了解 我们 公司。
  • 不 太 相信 他 已经 结婚 了。
  • 不 太 明白 你 的 意思。

See also

Sources and further reading

Books