Expressing "not very" with "bu tai"
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Level
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Similar to
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Used for
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Keywords
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).
Contents
Structure
Subject + 不 + 太 + Adjective
Note: This pattern can also be used with non-adjectives. See below for more info.
Examples
| Subject | 不 太 | Adj | Translation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 他 | 不 太 | 高兴 | 。 | He is not too happy. |
| 她 | 不 太 | 漂亮 | 。 | She is not too pretty. |
| 老师 | 不 太 | 友好 | 。 | The teacher is not too friendly. |
Structure with Modal 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 last two examples.
Subject + 不 + 太 + Verb
Examples
| Subject | 不 太 | V | Translation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 我 | 不 太 | 喜欢 | 。 | I don't really like (it). |
| 他 | 不 太 | 想去 | 。 | He doesn't really want to go. |
See also
Sources and further reading
Books
- Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 200) →buy
- Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (pp. 180-1) →buy
