別に

べつに · betsuni · JLPT N3 · adverb

particularly

別 = separate, apart + に: nothing set apart, nothing special

別 means separate or different, as in 別々 (separately) and 特別 (special). 別に literally says 'in a separate way'. With a negative it means not particularly, and on its own it means nothing much. A sulky 別に! is a classic teen brush-off.

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