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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 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.

Words that use this