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= Expressing &quot;not very&quot; with &quot;bu zenme&quot; =


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<li>[https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Asking_why_with_%22zenme%22 Asking why with &quot;zenme&quot;] (A2)</li>
<li>[https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22not_often%22_with_%22bu_zenme%22 Expressing &quot;not often&quot; with &quot;bu zenme&quot;] (B1)</li></ul>


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[https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%B8%8D%E6%80%8E%E4%B9%88 不怎么], [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%B8%8D 不], [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E6%80%8E%E4%B9%88 怎么]

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[https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Not_very not very]

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When you use 不怎么 (bù zěnme) before an adjective, it means &quot;not very.&quot; This structure is similar to how English speakers may say something is &quot;not very good.&quot;

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== Contents ==

<span class="toctoggle"> [[[#|hide]]] </span>

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* [[#Structure|<span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">Structure</span>]]
* [[#Examples|<span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Examples</span>]]
* [[#See_also|<span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">See also</span>]]
* [[#Sources_and_further_reading|<span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">Sources and further reading</span>]]
** [[#Books|<span class="tocnumber">4.1</span> <span class="toctext">Books</span>]]


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== <span id="Structure" class="mw-headline">Structure</span> ==

When used together with an adjective, 不怎么 becomes similar to [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%22Not_very%22_with_%22bu_tai%22 不太], which means that the degree of the adjective is not very high.

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Subj. + 不怎么 + Adj. / [Psychological Verb]


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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.

== <span id="Examples" class="mw-headline">Examples</span> ==

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* 最近 ''不 怎么'' 忙 。<span class="pinyin">Zuìjìn ''bù zěnme'' máng.</span><span class="trans">It hasn't been very busy lately.</span>
* 这里 的 冬天 ''不 怎么'' 冷 。<span class="pinyin">Zhèlǐ de dōngtiān ''bù zěnme'' lěng.</span><span class="trans">It's not very cold here in winter.</span>
* 他们 好像 ''不 怎么'' 高兴 。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen hǎoxiàng ''bù zěnme'' gāoxìng.</span><span class="trans">They don't seem to be very happy.</span>
* 这个 学生 ''不 怎么'' 努力 。<span class="pinyin">Zhège xuéshēng ''bù zěnme'' nǔlì.</span><span class="trans">This student isn't very hard-working.</span>
* 那 家 餐厅 ''不 怎么'' 干净 。<span class="pinyin">Nà jiā cāntīng ''bù zěnme'' gānjìng.</span><span class="trans">That restaurant isn't very clean.</span>
* 这个 老师 ''不 怎么'' 专业 。<span class="pinyin">Zhège lǎoshī ''bù zěnme'' zhuānyè.</span><span class="trans">This teacher isn't very professional.</span>
* 你 是 不 是 昨天 睡 得 ''不 怎么'' 好 ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ shì bú shì zuótiān shuì de ''bù zěnme'' hǎo?</span><span class="trans">Did you not sleep very well last night?</span>
* 我 ''不 怎么'' 喜欢 咖啡 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ ''bù zěnme'' xǐhuan kāfēi.</span><span class="trans">I'm not very into coffee.</span>
* 他 跟 他 父母 长 得 ''不 怎么'' 像 。<span class="pinyin">Tā gēn tā fùmǔ zhǎng de ''bù zěnme'' xiàng.</span><span class="trans">He and his parents don't look very much alike.</span>
* 他 去 美国 一 年 多 了 ，不过 ''不 怎么'' 想家 。<span class="pinyin">Tā qù měiguó yì nián duō le, búguò ''bù zěnme'' xiǎngjiā.</span><span class="trans">He's been in America for more than one year, but he's not very homesick.</span>


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Remember that to make 不怎么 mean &quot;not very&quot; use it with an adjective. Using it with a verb will give it [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%22Not_often%22_with_%22bu_zenme%22 the meaning of &quot;not often.&quot;]

== <span id="See_also" class="mw-headline">See also</span> ==

* [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%22Not_often%22_with_%22bu_zenme%22 &quot;Not often&quot; with &quot;bu zenme&quot;]

== <span id="Sources_and_further_reading" class="mw-headline">Sources and further reading</span> ==

=== <span id="Books" class="mw-headline">Books</span> ===

* [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/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) Short-term Spoken Chinese: Elementary (汉语口语速成基础篇)] (pp. 139) [ →buy]

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