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不大 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
不大bùdànot veryHSK 1, unknown, 7 strokes, rank #7552, Easy
不大bùdànot tooHSK 1, unknown, 7 strokes, rank #7552, Easy
不大bùdànot oftenHSK 1, unknown, 7 strokes, rank #7552, Easy
bùdà(bu4da4)bu da T4
  1. 1not very
  2. 2not too
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March 24, 2026

不大bùdà(bu4da4)

不大 (bù dà) means 'not very' or 'not too,' typically used to express a moderate degree of something. It conveys a sense of understatement and is often used in informal contexts to describe quantity, size, or frequency.

Strokes7Frequency#7552DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, modesty is valued, and expressions like 不大 are used to downplay achievements or possessions, reflecting a cultural tendency to avoid boasting.

Memory Tip

Imagine a small dog that is not very big, represented by '不' (bù) which looks like a person walking away, signifying 'not,' and '大' (dà) which is a big character. Visualize the small dog saying 'I’m not very big!' to remember the meaning.

Meanings of 不大

bùdà(bu4da4)
1not very
2not too
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 不大

不大Simplified
7Strokes
—Radical
#—Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L1ElementaryTOCFLL1YCTL2HSKKL1CEFRA1

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Podcast: 不大

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AI Study Notes for 不大

Quick Contrast

不太 (bù tài) - use 不大 when emphasizing a moderate degree that implies a lesser extent, while 不太 suggests a more casual or conversational tone.

Usage Notes

Be cautious with tone; '不' (bù) can change to 'bú' before a 4th tone, affecting pronunciation. It's commonly used in conversational Chinese, but may sound too casual in formal writing. For example, instead of saying '不大' in a business report, consider using '不太大' (not too big) for clarity.

HSK Study Tips

While 不大 is not an HSK word, understanding its components can help learners recognize similar expressions in HSK vocabulary. Focus on using it in context with adjectives to enhance fluency.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 不大 with 不多 (not many) when describing quantities. For example, saying '我不大有钱' (I’m not very rich) should be corrected to '我不太有钱' for clarity.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 不大

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Component Characters

不bù(negative prefix)
HSK 14 strokes一
View full entry
大dàbig
HSK 13 strokes大
View full entry

How to say not very in Chinese

“not very” in Chinese is不大bùdà

不大 (bù dà) means 'not very' or 'not too,' typically used to express a moderate degree of something. It conveys a sense of understatement and is often used in informal contexts to describe quantity, size, or frequency.

When to use 不大

Be cautious with tone; '不' (bù) can change to 'bú' before a 4th tone, affecting pronunciation. It's commonly used in conversational Chinese, but may sound too casual in formal writing. For example, instead of saying '不大' in a business report, consider using '不太大' (not too big) for clarity.

不大 or something close to it

不太 (bù tài) - use 不大 when emphasizing a moderate degree that implies a lesser extent, while 不太 suggests a more casual or conversational tone.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 不大 with 不多 (not many) when describing quantities. For example, saying '我不大有钱' (I’m not very rich) should be corrected to '我不太有钱' for clarity.

Write 不大

不
大

Practice writing 不大 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Usage Notes for 不大

Usage of 不大Grammar Tip

不大 is often used to express a degree of something being not very large or significant.

1

这个问题不大。

This problem is not very big.

Exercise 1 of 1

Get it right

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

这个问题____。

This problem is not very big.

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Cultural Notes for 不大

💡Did you know?

In Chinese culture, modesty is valued. Saying something is '不大' can reflect a humble attitude, especially when talking about personal achievements or possessions.

Frequently Asked Questions about 不大

Yes, 不大 is commonly used in everyday conversations among Chinese speakers. It's a casual way to express that something is not as much or as big as one might think. You might hear it when discussing opinions, sizes, or frequencies.

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