(不) 太... softens degree or negates it.
Soft negative - Polite, less direct tone
Not very - Weaker than 不 + adj
See examples below for varied real-world usage.
Softens tone
- ✅ 不太清楚。
- ❌ 太不清楚（strong/harsh）
Often used for polite refusal
- ✅ 不太方便。
- ❌ 不方便（more direct）
This restaurant is not very expensive.
I feel not very well today.
He is not very sure about this matter.
There is not enough time now, let us do the key parts first.
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