<p>You may be familiar with using <a href="Expressing_"excessively"_with_tai" title="wikilink">太 (tài) to express "too,"</a> such as when something is "too expensive" or "too hot." 不太 (bù tài) is a similar pattern for the negative, which just means "not very" or "not so" (literally "not too"). Note that this pattern does not normally use 了 (le).</p> <h2 id="不太-bù-tài-with-adjectives">不太 (bù tài) with Adjectives</h2> <h3 id="structure">Structure</h3> <div class="jiegou"> <p>Subj. + 不太 + Adj.</p> </div> <p>Note: This pattern can also be used with non-adjectives. See below for more info.</p> <h3 id="examples">Examples</h3> <div class="liju"> <ul> <li>我 家 <em>不 太</em> 大。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ jiā <em>bù tài</em> dà.</span><span class="trans">My house is not too big.</span></li> <li>那 个 地方 <em>不 太</em> 远。<span class="pinyin">Nàge dìfang <em>bù tài</em> yuǎn.</span><span class="trans">That place is not very far away.</span></li> <li>老板 今天 <em>不 太</em> 高兴。<span class="pinyin"> Lǎobǎn jīntiān <em>bù tài</em> gāoxìng.</span><span class="trans">The boss is not very happy today.</span></li> <li>这 个 店 的 衣服 <em>不 太</em> 贵。<span class="pinyin">Zhège diàn de yīfu <em>bù tài</em> guì. </span><span class="trans">The clothes in this shop are not too expensive.</span></li> <li>我 觉得 他 <em>不 太</em> 聪明。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ juéde tā <em>bù tài</em> cōngming.</span><span class="trans">I think he is not too smart.</span></li> </ul> </div> <h2 id="不太-bù-tài-with-verbs">不太 (bù tài) with Verbs</h2> <h3 id="structure-1">Structure</h3> <p>This pattern can be used with some <a href="psychological_verb" title="wikilink">psychological verbs</a> (e.g. 喜欢 (xǐhuan), 想 (xiǎng), 明白 (míngbai)), as is the case with the next examples. These verbs are relatively limited.</p> <div class="jiegou"> <p>Subj. + 不太 + Verb</p> </div> <h3 id="examples-1">Examples</h3> <div class="liju"> <ul> <li>我 <em>不 太</em> 懂 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>bù tài</em> dǒng.</span><span class="trans">I don't really understand.</span></li> <li>我 <em>不 太</em> 会 说 英语 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>bù tài</em> huì shuō Yīngyǔ.</span><span class="trans">I can't really speak English.</span></li> <li>他们 <em>不 太</em> 想 去 。 <span class="pinyin">Tāmen <em>bù tài</em> xiǎng qù.</span><span class="trans">They don't really want to go.</span></li> <li>我 哥哥 <em>不 太</em> 喜欢 他 的 工作 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ gēge <em>bù tài</em> xǐhuan tā de gōngzuò.</span><span class="trans">My older brother doesn't really like his job.</span></li> <li>他 <em>不 太</em> 明白 老板 的 意思 。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>bù tài</em> míngbai lǎobǎn de yìsi. </span><span class="trans">He didn't really understand what the boss meant.</span></li> </ul> </div> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul> <li><a href="Expressing_"excessively"_with_tai" title="wikilink">Expressing "excessively" with tai</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and further reading</h2> <h3 id="books">Books</h3> <ul> <li><a href="Chinese:_An_Essential_Grammar,_Second_Edition" title="wikilink">Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition</a> (pp. 200) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415372615/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0415372615">→buy</a></li> <li><a href="Integrated_Chinese:_Level_1,_Part_1" title="wikilink">Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1</a> (pp. 180-181) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276385/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276385">→buy</a></li> <li><a href="A_Practical_Chinese_Grammar_For_Foreigners_(外国人实用汉语语法)" title="wikilink">A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法)</a> (pp. 109) <a href="http://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001J0ADWA&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001J0ADWA">→buy</a></li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><a href="Category:A2_grammar_points" title="wikilink">Category:A2 grammar points</a> <a href="Category:Adverbs" class="uri" title="wikilink">Category:Adverbs</a></p>