未必 wèibì

未必（wèibì）means “未必: not necessarily; a tentative, softened denial of a conclusion”. 未必 means not necessarily / not for sure. Formation: 未必 + 动词/形容词/小句

未必: not necessarily; a tentative, softened denial of a conclusion

HSK5

Formation

未必 + 动词/形容词/小句

Explanation

未必 means not necessarily / not for sure. It gently denies a claim the speaker thinks may be false, expressing it may not be the case that…. It is more formal/written than the spoken 不见得, but the meaning is the same. It is placed before the verb or adjective whose truth it calls into question.

Examples

贵的 未必 好。
guì de wèibì hǎo.
Expensive things aren't necessarily good.
他 未必 知道这件事。
tā wèibì zhīdào zhè jiàn shì.
He doesn't necessarily know about this.

Note

More formal than 不见得. Often pairs with 好/对/会 etc.: 贵的未必好.

FAQ

未必 — what does it mean and how is it used?

未必: not necessarily; a tentative, softened denial of a conclusion. 未必 means not necessarily / not for sure. It gently denies a claim the speaker thinks may be false, expressing it may not be the case that…. It is more formal/written than the spoken 不见得, but the meaning is the same. It is placed before the verb or adjective whose truth it calls into question.

未必 — how do you form it?

未必 + 动词/形容词/小句

未必 — any usage notes?

More formal than 不见得. Often pairs with 好/对/会 etc.: 贵的未必好.

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