HSK 7

未免

wèi miǎn

未免 (wèi miǎn) - Rather too, a bit excessive

Explanation

未免 (wèimiǎn) is a modal adverb (an adverb expressing the attitude or nuance of the sentence) used to make the judgment that something "is arguably a bit too much, can hardly avoid being seen as excessive." The speaker expresses a mild, tactful criticism.

Structure

… 未免 (wèimiǎn) + (也) 太 (tài) + [adjective] + 了 (le) + (吧/点儿). It very often goes with 太…了 to emphasize that a threshold has been exceeded.

When to use

when you want to make a criticizing remark politely and gently, along the lines of "that's a bit too much"; it can be used in both speech and writing.

Distinguish

未免 = a subjective judgment "arguably too much," carrying mild criticism; 难免 (nánmiǎn, "hard to avoid") = states something inevitable, without any criticism. Do not confuse these two similar-sounding words.

Common mistakes

using 未免 with praise (wrong, since 未免 always implies criticism/excess); confusing 未免 with 难免; omitting 太…了, which weakens the tone of mild reproach.

Examples

这道题未免也太难了吧。
zhèdàowèimiǎntàinánleba

This problem is really a bit too difficult, isn't it.

你这样说她,未免也太过分了。
zhèyàngshuōwèimiǎntàiguòfènle

For you to speak of her like that is really going a bit too far.

Practice

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Learn “未免” effectively

The grammar point “未免” (未免 (wèi miǎn) - Rather too, a bit excessive) is one of the key structures at HSK 7. To use it fluently, you need to understand the contexts where it's used and practice regularly.

Study tip: read the examples aloud many times to build a natural reflex. Then try making your own sentences for your own situations. Use the audio button to hear and practice accurate pronunciation.

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