eric
/
ChineseGrammarWiki


			
				
					
						
						
							1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738394041
							
<p>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;</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 &quot;他不聪明&quot; (tā bù cōngming) you can say &quot;他不怎么聪明&quot; (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 &quot;not very&quot; 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 &quot;not often.&quot;</a></p>
<h2 id="see-also">See Also</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="&quot;Not_often&quot;_with_&quot;bu_zenme&quot;" title="wikilink">&quot;Not often&quot; with &quot;bu zenme&quot;</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_(汉语口语速成基础篇)" 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>