Expressing "not very" with "bu zenme"

When you use 不怎么 (bù zěnme) before an adjective, it means "not very." This structure is similar to how English speakers may say something is "not very good."

Structure

When used together with an adjective, 不怎么 becomes similar to 不太, which means that the degree of the adjective is not very high.

Subj. + 不怎么 + Adj. / Psychological Verb

Using this grammar structure is a way to indirectly or mildly state something. Instead of saying "他不聪明" (tā bù cōngming) you can say "他不怎么聪明" (tā bù zěnme cōngming), turning a very direct statement to a milder, more wayward statement.

Examples

• 最近 不 怎么 忙 。Zuìjìn bù zěnme máng.It hasn't been very busy lately.
• 我 觉得 这个 菜 不 怎么 好吃。Wǒ juéde zhège cài bù zěnme hǎochī.I don't think this dish is really tasty.
• 这里 的 冬天 不 怎么 冷 。Zhèlǐ de dōngtiān bù zěnme lěng.It's not very cold here in winter.
• 他们 好像 不 怎么 高兴 。Tāmen hǎoxiàng bù zěnme gāoxìng.They seem not very happy.
• 这 个 学生 不 怎么 努力 。Zhège xuéshēng bù zěnme nǔlì.This student isn't very hard-working.
• 她 家 不 怎么 干净 。Tā jiā bù zěnme gānjìng.Her house isn't clean.
• 这个 老师 不 怎么 专业 。Zhège lǎoshī bù zěnme zhuānyè.This teacher isn't really professional.
• 我 不 怎么 喜欢 咖啡 。Wǒ bù zěnme xǐhuan kāfēi.I don't like coffee very much.
• 他 去 美国 一 年 多 了 ，不过 不 怎么 想家 。Tā qù Měiguó yī nián duō le, bùguò bù zěnme xiǎng jiā.He's been in America for more than one year, but he's not really homesick.
• 她 男朋友 好像 不 怎么 关心 她 。Tā nánpéngyou hǎoxiàng bù zěnme guānxīn tā.Her boyfriend doesn't seem to care about her very much.

Remember that to make 不怎么 mean "not very" use it with an adjective. Using it with a verb will give it the meaning of "not often."

See Also

• "Not often" with "bu zenme"

Sources and further reading

Books

• Short-term Spoken Chinese: Elementary (汉语口语速成基础篇) (pp. 139) →buy