<p>Can “未” modify descriptive adjectives？ I think so.</p>

<p>我把油画平放以防止未干的颜料流动。未干的颜料 not (yet) dry paint</p>

<p>那家公司已被卖掉，具体售价未公开。未公开 not public</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-21T16:11:28.750Z
more examples in iciba 未熟（大多数未熟的水果都是酸的），（天）未亮（当他醒来时, 天还未亮, 月光明亮地从树上撒了下来），（天）未黑 （趁天未黑 风还在吹 要和你告别），未满意 web：山西大同副市长遭妻兄杀戮 因未满意调工作请求 ，however 未满意 only occurs in the headline， not in text itself，the question still is whether 未 can be used freely before adjectives，
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-21T17:20:02.753Z
未公开=not yet publicized. So here I think it is a verb. 干=dry, it can be verb or adj, it is still not a clear example. 亮，黑，熟 as examples have the similar issue. They are OK examples but it could because of the adj+verb properties.
FortCpp
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2015-05-21T06:51:37.940Z
2015-05-21T06:51:37.940Z
Pedroski
<p>Yes, definitely.</p>

<p><strong>Disclaimer</strong><br>
I am not nearly as proficient in classical Chinese, so my answer is limited to modern Chinese. </p>

<p>IMHO, 未 is more commonly seen in formal context and is often used with 曾 or 從, as in 未曾 or 從未.</p>

<p>For example,</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>單純的你，<strong>未曾憂鬱</strong>過。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>You're such a simple person; you'<strong>ve never been depressed</strong>.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>人生自古以來，<strong>從未順利</strong>。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Since the ancient times, life (of a human) <strong>has never been smooth</strong>.</p>

<p>Note that the adjectives act similarly to a verb, as suggested by WangYudong above. I don't think 長 and 短 are verbs per se.</p>

<p><strong>EDIT:</strong><br>
FYI, as FortCpp explained below, adjectives in such construct may actually be verbs.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-21T17:12:23.383Z
I don't think 順遂 is simply an adj as "smooth". 順遂 is roughly "follow your heart" or something. So still verb. I don't think 忧郁 is an adj. 忧郁=忧伤+郁结. Seems to be "heavyhearted".
FortCpp
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2015-05-21T17:40:15.563Z
@FortCpp Well, according to Wiktionary, [忧郁](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E6%86%82%E9%AC%B1) is an adjective. I can't find 順遂 so I've changed it to 順利. Thanks for bringing it up though!
Thomas Hsieh
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2015-05-21T17:49:21.707Z
Wiktionary is OK here. But you can also use 我正在忧郁. Clearly, it is a verb. So I think for the specific words like this, it is not very clear whether it is a verb or adj or noun. Hope this is helpful to explain my point to you.
FortCpp
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-21T18:38:04.917Z
@FortCpp Hmm, I thought 我正在忧郁 is "I am being depressed", in which 忧郁 still acts as an adjective, and any adjective for a person can be used to replace 忧郁 here. But I am not a grammar geek so I can't be sure. You might be right. :)
Thomas Hsieh
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-20T20:40:03.943Z
2015-05-21T18:40:52.970Z
2015-05-21T18:40:52.970Z
Thomas Hsieh
<p>未=not yet</p>

<p>So it would be safe to use with verbs. For example, 未来=(the time which has) not come yet=future. 未知=not known yet. I don't think you can use it with adjs.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-20T18:40:46.123Z
2015-05-20T18:40:46.123Z
FortCpp
<p>The original text is 游览路线也依旧如故，未长未短。Here 长 and 短 are verbs. The tour routes are same as before, not (become) longer, not (become) shorter.</p>

<p>I think in grammatical analysis, there is no syntactic difference in Chinese verbs and adjectives (only semantic difference). You can think 未 as always modifying verbs, because all Chinese adjectives are grammatical verbs.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-23T03:56:55.507Z
2015-05-23T03:56:55.507Z
Danke Xie
<p>Can “未” modify descriptive adjectives (in either classical or modern Chinese)?</p>

<p>I've previously asked about the correctness of the phrase "未長未短", but I think 長 and 短 are used as verbs (instead of adjectives) in this case.</p>

<p><a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/13561/is-%E6%9C%AA%E9%95%B7%E6%9C%AA%E7%9F%AD-grammatically-correct-in-classical-chinese">Is 未長未短 grammatically correct (in classical Chinese)?</a></p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-20T15:31:53.530Z
I feel “长” and “短” are used as verbs here because “未（变）长未（变）短” explains “未长未短” properly. Not sure about if “未” can modify adjectives. However, it's common to use “未” plus a verb together, i.e. “他今天未出现”。Also，use ～必、～曾、～尝。
WangYudong
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-20T21:35:31.707Z
agree, much like 未白 / "not yet becoming white".  I can't think of any examples where you can't simply claim the adjective is being repurposed as a verb.  I'm also not sure what 未 would even mean paired with a "real" adjective, so the answer to your question is probably no.
Master Sparkles
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-21T05:19:25.597Z
In which classical Chinese literature did you find "未長未短"?
Henry HO
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-21T16:20:17.970Z
I found it in a modern article:
http://www.hainan-today.com/2012/201201/web/201201_28.htm
Christmas Bunny
<grammar><usage><classical-chinese><syntax><adjectives>
Can “未” modify descriptive adjectives?
# Can “未” modify descriptive adjectives?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-05-20)

Can “未” modify descriptive adjectives (in either classical or modern Chinese)?

I've previously asked about the correctness of the phrase "未長未短", but I think 長 and 短 are used as verbs (instead of adjectives) in this case.

[Is 未長未短 grammatically correct (in classical Chinese)?](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/13561/is-%E6%9C%AA%E9%95%B7%E6%9C%AA%E7%9F%AD-grammatically-correct-in-classical-chinese)

Thank you!

**Tags:** grammar, usage, classical-chinese, syntax, adjectives

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I feel “长” and “短” are used as verbs here because “未（变）长未（变）短” explains “未长未短” properly. Not sure about if “未” can modify adjectives. However, it's common to use “未” plus a verb together, i.e. “他今天未出现”。Also，use ～必、～曾、～尝。  
> **username_2**: agree, much like 未白 / "not yet becoming white".  I can't think of any examples where you can't simply claim the adjective is being repurposed as a verb.  I'm also not sure what 未 would even mean paired with a "real" adjective, so the answer to your question is probably no.  
> **username_3**: In which classical Chinese literature did you find "未長未短"?  
> **username_0**: I found it in a modern article: http://www.hainan-today.com/2012/201201/web/201201_28.htm  

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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2015-05-21. Score: 3

Can “未” modify descriptive adjectives？ I think so.

我把油画平放以防止未干的颜料流动。未干的颜料 not (yet) dry paint

那家公司已被卖掉，具体售价未公开。未公开 not public

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: more examples in iciba 未熟（大多数未熟的水果都是酸的），（天）未亮（当他醒来时, 天还未亮, 月光明亮地从树上撒了下来），（天）未黑 （趁天未黑 风还在吹 要和你告别），未满意 web：山西大同副市长遭妻兄杀戮 因未满意调工作请求 ，however 未满意 only occurs in the headline， not in text itself，the question still is whether 未 can be used freely before adjectives，  
> **username_6**: 未公开=not yet publicized. So here I think it is a verb. 干=dry, it can be verb or adj, it is still not a clear example. 亮，黑，熟 as examples have the similar issue. They are OK examples but it could because of the adj+verb properties.  

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### Answer by username_7 on 2015-05-20. Score: 3

Yes, definitely.

**Disclaimer**  
I am not nearly as proficient in classical Chinese, so my answer is limited to modern Chinese.

IMHO, 未 is more commonly seen in formal context and is often used with 曾 or 從, as in 未曾 or 從未.

For example,

> 單純的你，**未曾憂鬱**過。

You're such a simple person; you'**ve never been depressed**.

> 人生自古以來，**從未順利**。

Since the ancient times, life (of a human) **has never been smooth**.

Note that the adjectives act similarly to a verb, as suggested by username_1 above. I don't think 長 and 短 are verbs per se.

**EDIT:**  
FYI, as username_6 explained below, adjectives in such construct may actually be verbs.

> **Comments:**
> **username_6**: I don't think 順遂 is simply an adj as "smooth". 順遂 is roughly "follow your heart" or something. So still verb. I don't think 忧郁 is an adj. 忧郁=忧伤+郁结. Seems to be "heavyhearted".  
> **username_7**: @username_6 Well, according to Wiktionary, [忧郁](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E6%86%82%E9%AC%B1) is an adjective. I can't find 順遂 so I've changed it to 順利. Thanks for bringing it up though!  
> **username_6**: Wiktionary is OK here. But you can also use 我正在忧郁. Clearly, it is a verb. So I think for the specific words like this, it is not very clear whether it is a verb or adj or noun. Hope this is helpful to explain my point to you.  
> **username_7**: @username_6 Hmm, I thought 我正在忧郁 is "I am being depressed", in which 忧郁 still acts as an adjective, and any adjective for a person can be used to replace 忧郁 here. But I am not a grammar geek so I can't be sure. You might be right. :)  

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### Answer by username_6 on 2015-05-20. Score: 2

未=not yet

So it would be safe to use with verbs. For example, 未来=(the time which has) not come yet=future. 未知=not known yet. I don't think you can use it with adjs.


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### Answer by username_8 on 2015-05-23. Score: 0

The original text is 游览路线也依旧如故，未长未短。Here 长 and 短 are verbs. The tour routes are same as before, not (become) longer, not (become) shorter.

I think in grammatical analysis, there is no syntactic difference in Chinese verbs and adjectives (only semantic difference). You can think 未 as always modifying verbs, because all Chinese adjectives are grammatical verbs.


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