Adverbs with AdjectivesHSK 3
Expressing 'not very' with 不太
Use 不太 before an adjective or certain verbs to express a mild 'not very' or 'not too'. It softens the negation, making the statement less absolute than using 不 alone.
Structure
Subj. + 不太 + Adj.
This pattern can also be used with non-adjectives, such as psychological verbs like 喜欢 or 想.
Examples
- 我家不太大。Wǒ jiā bú tài dà.My house is not too big.
- 那个地方不太远。Nà ge dì fāng bú tài yuǎn.That place is not very far away.
- 老板今天不太高兴。Lǎo bǎn jīn tiān bú tài gāo xìng.The boss is not very happy today.
- 这个店的衣服不太贵。Zhè ge diàn de yī fu bú tài guì.The clothes in this shop are not too expensive.
- 我觉得他不太聪明。Wǒ jué de tā bú tài cōng ming.I think he is not too smart.