<!DOCTYPE html> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head> <meta name="generator" content= "HTML Tidy for HTML5 for Linux version 5.2.0" /> <title></title> </head> <body> <p>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."</p> <h2 id="structure">Structure</h2> <p>When used together with an adjective, 不怎么 becomes similar to <a href=""Not_very"_with_"bu_tai"" title= "wikilink">不太</a>, which means that the degree of the adjective is not very high.</p> <div class="jiegou"> <p>Subj. + 不怎么 + Adj. / Psychological Verb</p> </div> <p>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.</p> <h2 id="examples">Examples</h2> <div class="liju"> <ul> <li>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></li> <li>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></li> <li>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></li> <li>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></li> <li>那 家 餐厅 <em>不 怎么</em> 干净 。<span class="pinyin">Nà jiā cāntīng <em>bù zěnme</em> gānjìng.</span><span class="trans">That restaurant isn't very clean.</span></li> <li>这个 老师 <em>不 怎么</em> 专业 。<span class="pinyin">Zhège lǎoshī <em>bù zěnme</em> zhuānyè.</span><span class="trans">This teacher isn't very professional.</span></li> <li>你 是 不 是 昨天 睡 得 <em>不 怎么</em> 好 ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ shì bu shì zuótiān shuì de <em>bù zěnme</em> hǎo?</span><span class= "trans">Did you not sleep very well last night?</span></li> <li>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'm not very into coffee.</span></li> <li>他 跟 他 父母 长 得 <em>不 怎么</em> 像 。<span class="pinyin">Tā gēn tā fùmǔ zhǎng de <em>bù zěnme</em> xiàng.</span><span class="trans">He and his parents don't look very much alike.</span></li> <li>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> xiǎngjiā.</span><span class="trans">He's been in America for more than one year, but he's not very homesick.</span></li> </ul> </div> <p>Remember that to make 不怎么 mean "not very" use it with an adjective. Using it with a verb will give it <a href= ""Not_often"_with_"bu_zenme"" title= "wikilink">the meaning of "not often."</a></p> <h2 id="see-also">See Also</h2> <ul> <li><a href=""Not_often"_with_"bu_zenme"" title="wikilink">"Not often" with "bu zenme"</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and further reading</h2> <h3 id="books">Books</h3> <ul> <li><a href= "Short-term_Spoken_Chinese:_Elementary_(%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%8F%A3%E8%AF%AD%E9%80%9F%E6%88%90%E5%9F%BA%E7%A1%80%E7%AF%87)" title="wikilink">Short-term Spoken Chinese: Elementary (汉语口语速成基础篇)</a> (pp. 139) <a href= "http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00326U9MS/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B00326U9MS"> →buy</a></li> </ul> </body> </html>