不
bù
No, not
How to say “not very” in Chinese with 不太 (bù tài)
不太 (bù tài) + Adj.
不太 (bù tài) — not very
HSK 1Adverbs with Adjectives
不太 (bù tài) + Adj.
HSK 1Adverbs with Adjectives不太 (bù tài) — not very
Rule structure
The construction 不太 (bù tài) + Adjective is used for a softened negation of a quality. It conveys the meaning of "not very," "not too," or "not particularly," making the statement less absolute and more polite compared to the direct negation using 不 (bù). 不太 (bù tài) is placed directly before the adjective it refers to.
Rule structure
The construction 不太 (bù tài) + Adjective is used for a softened negation of a quality. It conveys the meaning of "not very," "not too," or "not particularly," making the statement less absolute and more polite compared to the direct negation using 不 (bù). 不太 (bù tài) is placed directly before the adjective it refers to.
Examples
我今天不太舒服。
Wǒ jīntiān bù tài shūfu.
I don't feel very well today.
他不太高。
Tā bù tài gāo.
He is not very tall.
我不太高兴。
Wǒ bù Tàigāoxìng.
I am not very happy.
Examples
我今天不太舒服。
Wǒ jīntiān bù tài shūfu.
I don't feel very well today.
他不太高。
Tā bù tài gāo.
He is not very tall.
我不太高兴。
Wǒ bù Tàigāoxìng.
I am not very happy.
Practice
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Frequently asked questions
How do you say “not very” in Chinese with 不太?
Use the structure: 不太 (bù tài) + Adj.. For example: 我今天不太舒服。 — “I don't feel very well today”.
What is an example sentence with this grammar rule?
我今天不太舒服。 — “I don't feel very well today”.
Which HSK level includes this grammar rule?
This grammar rule is part of HSK 1.
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