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

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*最近 <em>不 怎么</em> 忙 。<span class="pinyin">Zuìjìn <em>bù zěnme</em> máng.</span><span class="trans">It hasn't been very busy lately.</span>
 
*最近 <em>不 怎么</em> 忙 。<span class="pinyin">Zuìjìn <em>bù zěnme</em> máng.</span><span class="trans">It hasn't been very busy lately.</span>
*我 觉得 这个 菜 <em>不 怎么</em> 好吃。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ juéde zhège cài <em>bù zěnme</em> hǎochī.</span><span class="trans">I don't think this dish is very tasty.</span>
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*我 觉得 这个 菜 <em>不 怎么</em> 好吃。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ juéde zhège cài <em>bù zěnme</em> hǎochī.</span><span class="trans">I don't think this dish is really tasty.</span>
 
*这里 的 冬天 <em>不 怎么</em> 冷。<span class="pinyin">Zhèlǐ de dōngtiān <em>bù zěnme</em> lěng.</span><span class="trans">It's not very cold here in winter.</span>
 
*这里 的 冬天 <em>不 怎么</em> 冷。<span class="pinyin">Zhèlǐ de dōngtiān <em>bù zěnme</em> lěng.</span><span class="trans">It's not very cold here in winter.</span>
 
*他们 好像 <em>不 怎么</em> 高兴。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen hǎoxiàng <em>bù zěnme</em> gāoxìng.</span><span class="trans">They seem not very happy.</span>
 
*他们 好像 <em>不 怎么</em> 高兴。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen hǎoxiàng <em>bù zěnme</em> gāoxìng.</span><span class="trans">They seem not very happy.</span>
 
*这 个 学生 <em>不 怎么</em> 努力。<span class="pinyin">Zhège xuéshēng <em>bù zěnme</em> nǔlì.</span><span class="trans">This student isn't very hard-working.</span>
 
*这 个 学生 <em>不 怎么</em> 努力。<span class="pinyin">Zhège xuéshēng <em>bù zěnme</em> nǔlì.</span><span class="trans">This student isn't very hard-working.</span>
*她 家 <em>不 怎么</em> 干净。<span class="pinyin">Tā jiā <em>bù zěnme</em> gānjìng.</span><span class="trans">Her house isn't very clean.</span>
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*她 家 <em>不 怎么</em> 干净 。<span class="pinyin">Tā jiā <em>bù zěnme</em> gānjìng.</span><span class="trans">Her house isn't clean.</span>
*<em>不 怎么</em> 喜欢 咖啡 。<span class="pinyin"><em>bù zěnme</em> xǐhuan kāfēi.</span><span class="trans">.</span>
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*这个 汉语 老师 <em>不 怎么</em> 专业 。<span class="pinyin"> <em>bù zěnme</em> .</span><span class="trans">This Chinese teacher isn't really professional.</span>
*我 父母 <em>不 怎么</em> 爱 玩 微信 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ fùmǔ <em>bù zěnme</em> ài wán Wēi xìn.</span><span class="trans">My parents doesn't like playing with WeChat a lot.</span>
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*我 <em>不 怎么</em> 喜欢 咖啡 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>bù zěnme</em> xǐhuan kāfēi.</span><span class="trans">I don't like coffee very much.</span>
*我 觉得 你 男朋友 <em>不 怎么</em> 关心 你 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ juéde nǐ nánpéngyou <em>bù zěnme</em> guānxīn nǐ.</span><span class="trans">I don't think your boyfriend care about you a lot.</span>
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*他 去 美国 一 年 多 了 ,不过 <em>不 怎么</em> 想家 。<span class="pinyin">Tā qù Měiguó yī nián duō le, bùguò <em>bù zěnme</em> xiǎng jiā.</span><span class="trans">He's been in America for more than one year, but he's not really homesick.</span>
*他 去 美国 一 年 多 了 ,不过 <em>不 怎么</em> 想家 。<span class="pinyin">Tā qù Měiguó yī nián duō le, bùguò <em>bù zěnme</em> xiǎng jiā.</span><span class="trans">He's been in America for more than one year, but he doesn't miss home much.</span>
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*我 觉得 你 男朋友 <em>不 怎么</em> 关心 你 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ juéde nǐ nánpéngyou <em>bù zěnme</em> guānxīn nǐ.</span><span class="trans">I don't think your boyfriend care about you very much.</span>
  
 
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Remember that to make 不怎么 mean "not very" use it with an adjective. Using it with a verb will give it [["Not_often"_with_"bu_zenme" |the meaning of "not often."]]  
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Remember that to make 不怎么 mean "not very" use it with an adjective. Using it with a verb will give it [["Not_often"_with_"bu_zenme" |the meaning of "not often."]]
  
 
== See Also ==
 
== See Also ==

Revision as of 03:20, 5 September 2017

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 汉语 老师 不 怎么 专业 。 bù zěnme .This Chinese teacher isn't really professional.
  • 不 怎么 喜欢 咖啡 。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.
  • 我 觉得 你 男朋友 不 怎么 关心 你 。Wǒ juéde nǐ nánpéngyou bù zěnme guānxīn nǐ.I don't think your boyfriend care about you 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

Sources and further reading

Books