太……了 and 不太 — too, so, and not very

It's too hot!

• It is 38 °C in July. You step outside and want to say how hot it is.
• today今天jīntiāntoo太tàito warm up热rè(completed / change)了le！ Jīntiān tài rè le! — "It's too hot today!"

too太tài + adjective + (completed / change)了le

• too太tài……(completed / change)了le means “too …” or “so …”: too太tàiexpensive贵guì(completed / change)了le, too expensive; very good太好了tài hǎo le, that's great!
• (completed / change)了le at the end is part of the pattern and makes it sound natural and emotional.

this这个zhègetoo太tàiexpensive贵guì了le。

Good or bad

• With a negative word, it complains: too太tàicold冷lěng(completed / change)了le, it's too cold; too太tàito distance oneself from…远yuǎn(completed / change)了le, it's too far.
• With a positive word, it praises: very good太好了tài hǎo le！ Tài hǎo le! — "Great!" too太tàipretty漂亮piào liàng(completed / change)了le, so beautiful!

so太tàigood好hǎo了le！

not very不太bú tài: not very

• not very不太bú tài + adjective softens: not very不太bú tàito warm up热rè, not very hot; not so good不太好bù tài hǎo, not very good. No (completed / change)了le here.

today今天jīntiānnot very不太bú tàicold冷lěng。

Watch out

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