Expressing Sufficiency in Mandarin: Using 够 (gòu) for 'Enough' and 'Not Enough'
Learn to say whether something is enough or not enough in Mandarin using 够 (gòu), with the negative 不够 (bù gòu) and the pattern 够 + verb. Includes a dialogue and practice.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In Mandarin, sufficiency is expressed with the word 够 (gòu), which means 'enough' or 'sufficient.' This lesson focuses on how to state that you have enough of something, that you do not have enough, and that something is sufficient for a particular purpose. You will learn the basic pattern with 够, its negative form 不够, and how to combine 够 with verbs to say things like 'enough to eat' or 'not enough time.' The focus is on sufficiency, not necessity, so you will not be learning 'must' or 'need' here. By the end, you will be able to talk about whether time, money, food, or other resources are sufficient for your needs.
By the end, you can…
- say that something is enough or not enough using 够 and 不够.
- use 够 with verbs to express sufficiency for an action.
- ask and answer questions about whether there is enough of something.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
够
enough; sufficient
gòu
Basic word for sufficiency. Can stand alone as an answer or precede a noun or verb.
不够
not enough; insufficient
bù gòu
Negative form. Used to say something is not sufficient.
够吗？
Is it enough?
gòu ma
Yes/no question with 吗. Used to ask if something is sufficient.
够了
That's enough; it's enough
gòu le
With 了 to indicate a change of state or that a sufficient amount has been reached. Often used as a response meaning 'That's enough.'
够用
enough to use; sufficient for use
gòu yòng
Common combination meaning 'enough for practical use'.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is: Subject + 够 + (了). For example, 钱够了 (qián gòu le) means 'The money is enough.' To say 'not enough,' use 不够: 钱不够 (qián bù gòu) means 'The money is not enough.' You can also combine 够 with a verb to say 'enough to do something': 够吃 (gòu chī) means 'enough to eat.' For example, 这些菜够吃 (zhè xiē cài gòu chī) means 'These dishes are enough to eat.' To say 'not enough to do something,' use 不够 + verb: 时间不够用 (shíjiān bù gòu yòng) means 'There is not enough time.' Note that 够 can also precede a noun directly: 够时间 (gòu shíjiān) means 'enough time.'
When to use it
Use 够 when you want to comment on whether an amount meets a requirement. It is neutral and common in everyday speech. For example, if someone asks 水够吗？ (shuǐ gòu ma? 'Is the water enough?'), you can answer 够了 (gòu le 'It's enough') or 不够 (bù gòu 'Not enough'). Use 不够 to express a shortage: 我们时间不够 (wǒmen shíjiān bù gòu 'We don't have enough time'). When you want to specify what the sufficiency is for, add a verb: 钱够买书吗？ (qián gòu mǎi shū ma? 'Is the money enough to buy books?'). The negative 不够买书 (bù gòu mǎi shū) means 'not enough to buy books.' Avoid using 够 for necessity; for 'must' or 'need,' use 需要 (xūyào) or 得 (děi).
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
我们时间够吗？
Do we have enough time?Wǒmen shíjiān gòu ma?不够，我们只有十分钟。
Not enough, we only have ten minutes.Bù gòu, wǒmen zhǐ yǒu shí fēnzhōng.那钱够吗？
Then is the money enough?Nà qián gòu ma?钱够了，但是时间不够用。
The money is enough, but there isn't enough time.Qián gòu le, dànshì shíjiān bù gòu yòng.A little context goes a long way
In Mandarin, 够 is neutral and widely used in both formal and informal contexts. When responding to an offer, saying 够了 (gòu le) can politely mean 'I've had enough' or 'That's enough,' but tone matters: a flat tone is neutral, while a sharp tone might sound abrupt. In service situations, 不够 (bù gòu) is a straightforward way to indicate a shortage without being rude. Unlike some languages, Mandarin does not require a subject in every sentence, so 够了 can stand alone as a complete response.
One thing to watch for
Using 够 to mean 'must' or 'need,' as in 我够走 (wǒ gòu zǒu) to mean 'I must go.'
Try this instead: 够 expresses sufficiency, not necessity. For 'must' or 'need,' use 需要 (xūyào) or 得 (děi). For example, 我需要走 (wǒ xūyào zǒu) or 我得走 (wǒ děi zǒu) means 'I need to go.' To say 'I have enough time to go,' use 我有足够的时间去 (wǒ yǒu zúgòu de shíjiān qù).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'The food is not enough' in Mandarin?
Show a sample answer
食物不够 (shíwù bù gòu)
This uses the negative 不够 after the noun 食物 (food). Alternatively, 菜不够 (cài bù gòu) is also correct if referring to dishes.
2Translate into Mandarin: 'Is there enough water to drink?'
Show a sample answer
水够喝吗？ (shuǐ gòu hē ma?)
This uses 够 + verb 喝 (to drink) + 吗 for a yes/no question. Another valid form is 水够不够喝？ (shuǐ gòu bù gòu hē?), which is more colloquial.
3What does 够了 mean in the sentence 钱够了？
Show a sample answer
It means 'The money is enough.'
够了 indicates a sufficient amount has been reached. The 了 here shows a change of state, implying it has become enough.
Use 够 (gòu) to say something is enough, 不够 (bù gòu) for not enough, and combine 够 with verbs to specify what the sufficiency is for. Remember it's about sufficiency, not necessity.
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