not necessarily; hardly
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 4 examplesadverb
not necessarily (used before a negative to indicate that something is actually acceptable, possible, or not wrong)
formalCommonly used in formal or literary contexts, typically preceding negative words such as 不, 无, 非, or 没有 to soften the negation and suggest that the opposite may actually be true.
Zhè这
yàng样
zuò做
wèi未
shǐ始
bù不
kě可
。
Doing it this way is not necessarily a bad idea; this approach is quite acceptable.
Tā他
de的
guān观
diǎn点
wèi未
shǐ始
méi没
yǒu有
dào道
li理
。
His viewpoint is not entirely without merit.
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Cǐ此
shuō说
wèi未
shǐ始
fēi非
yě也
。
This statement is not necessarily wrong.
Bǎo保
shǒu守
wèi未
shǐ始
bù不
shì是
yī一
zhǒng种
cè策
lüè略
。
Being conservative is not necessarily a bad strategy.