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ChineseGrammarWiki


			
				
					
						
						
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<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="&quot;Not_very&quot;_with_&quot;bu_tai&quot;" 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=
"&quot;Not_often&quot;_with_&quot;bu_zenme&quot;" title=
"wikilink">the meaning of "not often."</a></p>
<h2 id="see-also">See Also</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="&quot;Not_often&quot;_with_&quot;bu_zenme&quot;"
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&amp;tag=allset-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399373&amp;creativeASIN=B00326U9MS">
→buy</a></li>
</ul>
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