<p>未 - not quite</p>
<p>免 - exempt</p>
<p>未免 --&gt; not quite exempt (can't avoid being considered) = rather</p>
<p>Saying 未免 makes a statement less assertive</p>
<p>Example:</p>
<p>現在攻擊<strong>實在</strong>太冒險了 = It is <strong>certainly</strong> too risky to attack now (assertive)</p>
<p>現在攻擊<strong>未免</strong>太冒險了 = It is <strong>rather</strong> risky to attack now (less assertive)</p>
<p>Sometimes people don't want to sound too assertive, Brunt people may say &quot;It is stupid&quot; but more tactful people would say &quot;It may be a little bit unthoughtful&quot;</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-08-03T07:36:55.497Z
2023-08-03T08:16:10.223Z
2023-08-03T08:16:10.223Z
Tang Ho
<p>The meanings of &quot;rather&quot; and &quot;quite&quot; are difficult enough to explain in English.<br />
Translation of 未免 as &quot;rather&quot; is idiomatic.</p>
<p>&quot;rather&quot; is from Old English hraðe, meaning &quot;quick&quot; or &quot;soon&quot;.<br />
&quot;quite&quot; originally meant &quot;completely, thoroughly&quot; but the sense shifted to &quot;fairly&quot; later.</p>
<p>未免：实在是: indeed, really, truly<br />
未免：不能不说是: have to say that</p>
<p>例句： 你这样做未免太过分了。Like that is a bit too much.</p>
<p>For etymology you need to look at 未、免 separately.</p>
<p>免：Original meaning 本义: Meaning (orig- ceremonial cap) now to evade.<br />
未：Original meaning 本义: Meaning future, not yet.</p>
<p>I have always wondered what the connection between 免 and兔 is!</p>
<p>这个价格未免太贵了吧。<br />
I have to say that price is expensive.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-08-03T16:49:54.813Z
大和太，王和玉，木和术，etc. they are just different signifiers, as b and d, g and q, E and F.
PdotWang
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-08-03T17:47:26.153Z
“Rather” itself is rather difficult to understand. Therefore I rather use very, most likely, a little bit, etc. instead.
PdotWang
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-08-03T13:54:03.767Z
2023-08-03T13:54:03.767Z
Pedroski
<p>未免 is a negation of negation, means most likely, which is a pretty strong confirmation. 未免 has the same meaning as 真是, and the two words can be used together if you like.</p>
<p>一个苹果卖十块钱，未免太贵了吧？</p>
<p>一个苹果卖十块钱，真是太贵了啊！</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-08-03T10:52:26.830Z
2023-08-03T10:52:26.830Z
PdotWang
<p>未免太贵了 =  有点太贵了 ，语气不重的双重否定，就是一个不重的肯定表达。</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-08-05T00:11:10.237Z
2023-08-05T00:11:10.237Z
showkey
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?wdqb=%E6%9C%AA%E5%85%8D" rel="nofollow noreferrer">CC-CEDICT</a> 未免 (wèi miǎn) unavoidably / can't help / really / rather</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The word 未免 is often translated to &quot;a bit too&quot; or &quot;rather&quot; when used in sentences such as 这个价格未免太贵了吧 or 他未免太紧张了 (sentence source: <a href="https://poe.com/Assistant" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Assistant</a>).</p>
<p>However, the characters individually are <a href="https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?wdqb=%E6%9C%AA" rel="nofollow noreferrer">未</a> = &quot;not yet; etc.&quot; and <a href="https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?wdqb=%E5%85%8D" rel="nofollow noreferrer">免</a> = &quot;to avoid; to exempt; etc.&quot; which doesn't seem to directly relate to the given translation. <a href="https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?wdqb=%E4%B8%8D%E5%85%8D" rel="nofollow noreferrer">不免</a> = &quot;inevitably&quot; and <a href="https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?wdqb=%E9%9A%BE%E5%85%8D" rel="nofollow noreferrer">难免</a> = &quot;hard to avoid&quot; seem to directly make sense.  This leaves me puzzled about...</p>
<p><strong>Question</strong>: What's the logic and etymology behind 未免 = &quot;rather&quot;?</p>
<p>The etymology isn't listed on <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E6%9C%AA%E5%85%8D" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Wiktionary</a>, and honestly I'm not sure where else to look (I don't usually study etymology).</p>

<etymology><word>
What's the logic and etymology behind 未免 = "rather", such as in 未免太贵了?
# What's the logic and etymology behind 未免 = "rather", such as in 未免太贵了?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-08-03)

> [CC-CEDICT](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?wdqb=%E6%9C%AA%E5%85%8D) 未免 (wèi miǎn) unavoidably / can't help / really / rather

The word 未免 is often translated to "a bit too" or "rather" when used in sentences such as 这个价格未免太贵了吧 or 他未免太紧张了 (sentence source: [Assistant](https://poe.com/Assistant)).

However, the characters individually are [未](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?wdqb=%E6%9C%AA) = "not yet; etc." and [免](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?wdqb=%E5%85%8D) = "to avoid; to exempt; etc." which doesn't seem to directly relate to the given translation. [不免](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?wdqb=%E4%B8%8D%E5%85%8D) = "inevitably" and [难免](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?wdqb=%E9%9A%BE%E5%85%8D) = "hard to avoid" seem to directly make sense. This leaves me puzzled about...

**Question**: What's the logic and etymology behind 未免 = "rather"?

The etymology isn't listed on [Wiktionary](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E6%9C%AA%E5%85%8D), and honestly I'm not sure where else to look (I don't usually study etymology).

**Tags:** etymology, word


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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2023-08-03. Score: 4

未 - not quite

免 - exempt

未免 --> not quite exempt (can't avoid being considered) = rather

Saying 未免 makes a statement less assertive

Example:

現在攻擊**實在**太冒險了 = It is **certainly** too risky to attack now (assertive)

現在攻擊**未免**太冒險了 = It is **rather** risky to attack now (less assertive)

Sometimes people don't want to sound too assertive, Brunt people may say "It is stupid" but more tactful people would say "It may be a little bit unthoughtful"


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### Answer by username_2 on 2023-08-03. Score: 3

The meanings of "rather" and "quite" are difficult enough to explain in English.  
Translation of 未免 as "rather" is idiomatic.

"rather" is from Old English hraðe, meaning "quick" or "soon".  
"quite" originally meant "completely, thoroughly" but the sense shifted to "fairly" later.

未免：实在是: indeed, really, truly  
未免：不能不说是: have to say that

例句： 你这样做未免太过分了。Like that is a bit too much.

For etymology you need to look at 未、免 separately.

免：Original meaning 本义: Meaning (orig- ceremonial cap) now to evade.  
未：Original meaning 本义: Meaning future, not yet.

I have always wondered what the connection between 免 and兔 is!

这个价格未免太贵了吧。  
I have to say that price is expensive.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: 大和太，王和玉，木和术，etc. they are just different signifiers, as b and d, g and q, E and F.  
> **username_3**: “Rather” itself is rather difficult to understand. Therefore I rather use very, most likely, a little bit, etc. instead.  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2023-08-03. Score: 2

未免 is a negation of negation, means most likely, which is a pretty strong confirmation. 未免 has the same meaning as 真是, and the two words can be used together if you like.

一个苹果卖十块钱，未免太贵了吧？

一个苹果卖十块钱，真是太贵了啊！


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### Answer by username_4 on 2023-08-05. Score: 1

未免太贵了 = 有点太贵了 ，语气不重的双重否定，就是一个不重的肯定表达。


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