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

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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).
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{{Grammar Box}}
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You may be familiar with using [[Expressing "excessively" with tai|太 (tài) to express "too,"]] such as when something is "too expensive" or "too hot." 不太 (bù tài) is a similar pattern for the negative, which just means "not very" or "not so" (literally "not too").  Note that this pattern does not normally use 了 (le).
  
==Structure==
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== 不太 (bù tài) with Adjectives ==
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=== Structure ===
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
  
Subject + + 太 + Adjective
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Subj. + 不太 + Adj.
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
Note:  
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Note: This pattern can also be used with non-adjectives.  See below for more info.
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=== Examples ===
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<div class="liju">
  
==Examples==
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*我 家 <em>不 太</em> 大。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ jiā <em>bù tài</em> dà.</span><span class="trans">My house is not too big.</span>
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*那 个 地方 <em>不 太</em> 远。<span class="pinyin">Nàge dìfang <em>bù tài</em> yuǎn.</span><span class="trans">That place is not very far away.</span>
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*老板 今天 <em>不 太</em> 高兴。<span class="pinyin"> Lǎobǎn jīntiān <em>bù tài</em> gāoxìng.</span><span class="trans">The boss is not very happy today.</span>
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*这 个 店 的 衣服 <em>不 太</em> 贵。<span class="pinyin">Zhège diàn de yīfu <em>bù tài</em> guì.  </span><span class="trans">The clothes in this shop are not too expensive.</span>
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*我 觉得 他 <em>不 太</em> 聪明。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ juéde tā <em>bù tài</em> cōngming.</span><span class="trans">I think he is not too smart.</span>
  
Some examples:
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</div>
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== 不太 (bù tài) with Verbs ==
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=== Structure ===
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This pattern can be used with some [[psychological verb]]s (e.g. 喜欢 (xǐhuan), 想 (xiǎng), 明白 (míngbai)), as is the case with the next examples. These verbs are relatively limited.
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<div class="jiegou">
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Subj. + 不太 + Verb
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</div>
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=== Examples ===
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
{| class="wikitable"
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*我 <em>不 太</em> 懂 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>bù tài</em> dǒng.</span><span class="trans">I don't really understand.</span>
|+Negative 太 ... 了 sentences
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*我 <em>不 </em> 会 说 英语 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>bù tài</em> huì shuō Yīngyǔ.</span><span class="trans">I can't really speak English.</span>
|-
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*他们 <em>不 </em> 想 去 <span class="pinyin">Tāmen <em>bù tài</em> xiǎng qù.</span><span class="trans">They don't really want to go.</span>
! Subject !! <em>不</em> !! 太 !! Adjective !!
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*哥哥 <em>不 </em> 喜欢 他 的 工作 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ gēge <em>bù tài</em> xǐhuan tā de gōngzuò.</span><span class="trans">My older brother doesn't really like his job.</span>
|-
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*他 <em>不 </em> 明白 老板 的 意思 <span class="pinyin">Tā <em>bù tài</em> míngbai lǎobǎn de yìsi.  </span><span class="trans">He didn't really understand what the boss meant.</span>
| 我 || <em></em> || 太 || 高兴 ||。
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|-
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</div>
| 他 || <em>不</em> || 太 || 好看 ||
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|-
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==See also==
| 老师 || <em></em> || 太 || 友好 ||。
 
|-
 
| || <em>不</em> || 太 || 喜欢 ||
 
|-
 
| 她 || <em>不</em> || 太 || 想 || 去
 
|}
 
  
'''Note:''' 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 last two examples.
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* [[Expressing "excessively" with tai]]
  
</div>
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== Sources and further reading ==
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=== Books ===
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{{Source|Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition|200}}
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{{Source|Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1|180-181) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276385/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276385 →buy]
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{{Source|A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法)|109}}
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[[Category:A2 grammar points]]
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{{HSK|HSK1}}{{2021-HSK|HSK1}}
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[[Category:Adverbs]]
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{{Basic Grammar|太|A2|不太 + Adj.|他 <em>不太</em> 高兴 。我 <em>不太</em> 喜欢。|grammar point|ASGUNMHU}}
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{{Rel char|不}}
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{{Similar|Expressing "excessively" with tai}}
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{{Used for|Adding more explanation}}
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{{POS|Adverbs with Adjectives}}
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{{Translation|not}}
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{{Translation|too}}

Latest revision as of 09:20, 20 April 2021

Chinese-grammar-wiki-bu.jpg

You may be familiar with using 太 (tài) to express "too," such as when something is "too expensive" or "too hot." 不太 (bù tài) is a similar pattern for 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 (bù tài) with Adjectives

Structure

Subj. + 不太 + Adj.

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

Examples

  • 我 家 不 太 大。Wǒ jiā bù tài dà.My house is not too big.
  • 那 个 地方 不 太 远。Nàge dìfang bù tài yuǎn.That place is not very far away.
  • 老板 今天 不 太 高兴。 Lǎobǎn jīntiān bù tài gāoxìng.The boss is not very happy today.
  • 这 个 店 的 衣服 不 太 贵。Zhège diàn de yīfu bù tài guì. The clothes in this shop are not too expensive.
  • 我 觉得 他 不 太 聪明。Wǒ juéde tā bù tài cōngming.I think he is not too smart.

不太 (bù tài) with Verbs

Structure

This pattern can be used with some psychological verbs (e.g. 喜欢 (xǐhuan), 想 (xiǎng), 明白 (míngbai)), as is the case with the next examples. These verbs are relatively limited.

Subj. + 不太 + Verb

Examples

  • 不 太 懂 。bù tài dǒng.I don't really understand.
  • 不 太 会 说 英语 。bù tài huì shuō Yīngyǔ.I can't really speak English.
  • 他们 不 太 想 去 。 Tāmen bù tài xiǎng qù.They don't really want to go.
  • 我 哥哥 不 太 喜欢 他 的 工作 。Wǒ gēge bù tài xǐhuan tā de gōngzuò.My older brother doesn't really like his job.
  • 不 太 明白 老板 的 意思 。bù tài míngbai lǎobǎn de yìsi. He didn't really understand what the boss meant.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

{{Source|Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1|180-181) →buy