不
bù
No, not
不 (bù) — neither… nor… pattern
不 (bù) + A + 不 (bù) + B
HSK 33.0
Pattern diagram
不Adjective不Adjective
Rule structure
In 不 (bù)A不 (bù)B expressions, 不 (bù) is repeated, and A and B are often opposite qualities: 不冷不热 (bù lěng bú rè), “neither cold nor hot.” Such combinations can describe an intermediate state. The meaning depends on the particular expression; any two words cannot be combined freely.
Rule structure
In 不 (bù)A不 (bù)B expressions, 不 (bù) is repeated, and A and B are often opposite qualities: 不冷不热 (bù lěng bú rè), “neither cold nor hot.” Such combinations can describe an intermediate state. The meaning depends on the particular expression; any two words cannot be combined freely.
Examples
今天不冷不热。
Jīntiān bù lěng bú rè.
It is neither cold nor hot today.
这些苹果不多不少。
Zhèxiē píngguǒ bù duō bù shǎo.
There are neither too many nor too few apples.
Examples
今天不冷不热。
Jīntiān bù lěng bú rè.
It is neither cold nor hot today.
这些苹果不多不少。
Zhèxiē píngguǒ bù duō bù shǎo.
There are neither too many nor too few apples.
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Words from this rule
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “neither… nor… pattern” in Chinese with 不?
Use the structure: 不 (bù) + A + 不 (bù) + B. For example: 今天不冷不热。 — “It is neither cold nor hot today”.
What is an example sentence with this grammar rule?
今天不冷不热。 — “It is neither cold nor hot today”.
Which HSK level includes this grammar rule?
This grammar rule is part of HSK 3.0 Level 3.
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More HSK 3.0 Level 3 grammar rules
不一会儿 — soon afterwards
不一会儿 (bù yíhuìr) + Subject + (就 (jiù)) + Verb + 了 (le)
不怎么样 — not so good, so-so
Subj. + 不怎么样 (bù zěnmeyàng)
该 — it's time to
该 (gāi) + Verb + 了 (le)
不是……吗？ — rhetorical questions
不 (bù) 是 (shì)…… 吗 (ma)？
极了 — extremely, very
Adj. + 极了 (jí le)
得很 — very, extremely
Adj. + 得很 (de hěn)
先 — first… then…
先 (xiān)……, 再 (zài)……
一边 — doing two things at once
一边 (yìbiān) + Verb 1, 一边 (yìbiān) + Verb 2