不大
bùdà · HSK 1
not very/too
不 (not) + 大 (big) = not big → not very/too much
Literal compound: 不 negates, 大 means big or great. Together 不大 hedges a quality or frequency — not very, not too, not often. Think of it as dialing something down from 大 rather than flat negation.
不 — single pictograph; bird flying upward
Originally a pictograph in oracle bone script, traditionally interpreted as a bird flying up toward the sky and unable to come down, suggesting negation or refusal. Over time it became the standard negation word in Chinese, used before verbs and adjectives to mean 'not'.
大 — pictograph of a person with arms outstretched
大 is a pictograph showing a person standing with arms and legs spread wide. The outstretched arms suggest 'big' or 'great', extending from the literal image of a large stance to abstract meanings like important or grand. It is one of the oldest characters, found on oracle bones.