HSK 1
(不) 太 A
( bù) tài A
not too A
Structure
Subject + 不太 + Adjective (A)
How it works
The structure '不太 + Adjective' is used to express that something is 'not very' or 'not too' much of a certain quality. It is a common way to soften a negative statement, making it sound more polite or less extreme.
Examples
这种苹果不太甜。
Zhè zhǒng píngguǒ bù tài tián.
This kind of apple is not too sweet.
今天不太热。
Jīntiān bù tài rè.
Today is not very hot.
那个电影不太好。
Nàge diànyǐng bù tài hǎo.
That movie is not very good.
Common mistakes
Do not add '很' (hěn) before '不太'; saying '我很不太好' is grammatically incorrect.
Tip
Think of '不太' as a polite 'no'. Instead of saying something is 'bad' (不好), saying '不太好' sounds much more natural and gentle in Chinese conversation.
More HSK 1 grammar
See (不) 太 A in real Chinese
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