Grammar Rules · Too vs. very
Too vs. very.
"Very" makes an adjective stronger and stays neutral: "very tall". "Too" means more than is good or possible, and signals a problem: "too tall to fit through the door". In a compliment, use "very"; apart from a few set phrases like "you're too kind", "too" reads as a complaint.
Wrong → right
| Common mistake | Corrected |
|---|---|
| The box was very heavy to carry alone. | The box was too heavy to carry alone. |
| I love this city. It's too beautiful. | I love this city. It's very beautiful. |
| She was very tired to drive, so she took a taxi. | She was too tired to drive, so she took a taxi. |
| My new laptop is too fast. I'm happy with it. | My new laptop is very fast. I'm happy with it. |
| The soup was very hot to eat right away. | The soup was too hot to eat right away. |
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