Too vs enough: the difference, when to use each one and examples

When you move up the ladder of the English language, sooner or later you come across too and enough, which are almost always presented together. And it is no coincidence: they are used in a very similar way. Both words can go with nouns, adjectives and adverbs, and both structures can be followed by for someone to do something. But despite those similarities, they mean different things, and if you mix them up (or put them in the wrong place) the sentence stops sounding natural.

In Spanish we solve it with «demasiado» and «suficiente», which go before the adjective or the noun without us stopping to think about it. In English, however, enough changes position depending on what it goes with, and too doesn’t mean «muy». In this guide I explain the difference, the structures of each one with examples, the difference with very, too much and too many, the most typical mistakes, how it helps you in the Cambridge exams and thirty sentences of exercises with answers. Let’s get started! 🙂

What each one means

• Too: more than is desirable. It always has a negative nuance. I owe the bank too much money.
• Enough: as much as is needed. I don’t have enough money to pay the bank.

How to use TOO

Too usually appears in these three structures (with for someone and to do something as optional extras):

1. too + adjective + (for someone) + (to do something): I am simply too tired to go out. / Those earrings were too important for her to give away.
2. too + adverb + (for someone) + (to do something): The teacher spoke too quickly for me to take notes. / He simply drove too dangerously for me to feel safe.
3. too + much / little / many / few + noun + (for someone) + (to do something): That’s too much homework for me to do in a weekend. (too much + uncountable) / The story has too many characters for me to remember their names. (too many + countable)

With too much and too little we use uncountable nouns (money, time, homework, effort), and with too many and too few, countable ones (people, cars, characters): There are too few people to throw a real party.

How to use ENOUGH

In a similar way, enough appears in these three structures:

1. adjective + enough + (for someone) + (to do something): It was cold enough to freeze a glass of water. / The print wasn’t big enough for me to be able to read.
2. adverb + enough + (for someone) + (to do something): The buses ran frequently enough for us to return on the same day. / If you ask politely enough, your dad will allow you to go out.
3. enough + noun + (for someone) + (to do something): There were enough people pushing the car to tip it over. / If I had enough money, I’d buy a house on the beach.

Notice the difference in order: we say cold enough or politely enough (after the adjective or adverb), but enough money (before the noun). The order is the same for adjectives and adverbs, but different for nouns. And remember that enough is pronounced /ɪˈnʌf/: the -gh sounds as in tough or laugh. More about this in my guide to GH pronunciation.

If you want to know why too and enough are followed by the to-infinitive, it is explained in my guide to gerund or infinitive in English.

Too vs very, too much and too many

A very common mistake is to translate both «demasiado» and «muy» as too. They are not the same:

And too much and too many only go before nouns. With an adjective you say plain too: too tired, not too much tired.

Not enough vs too: two ways of saying the same thing

Many sentences with not … enough can also be said with too and the opposite adjective, and this comes up a lot in exams:

Common mistakes with too and enough

Too and enough in the Cambridge exams

These two words are very common in the Use of English paper of B2 First and C1 Advanced, especially in Part 4 (key word transformation), with the key words TOO or ENOUGH. The original sentence often uses so… that or not… enough. For example:

• The box was so heavy that I couldn’t lift it. TOO
  The box was ______ me to lift. → too heavy for
• He isn’t tall enough to reach the shelf. TOO
  He is ______ reach the shelf. → too short to

In both you have to remember where each word goes (too before, enough after the adjective) and the for someone to do something structure.

Summary table

Can I use «very» instead of «too»?

Not always. Very only gives intensity (very tired); too expresses that there is a problem (too tired to go out: so tired that I can’t go out).

Too much or too many?

Too much with uncountable nouns (time, money, homework) and too many with countable ones (people, cars, friends).

Does too also mean «also»?

Yes: too at the end of a sentence means «also» (I like it too), which is a different use from «excessively». You tell them apart by position and context.

Too and enough exercises

Thirty sentences to check that you’ve got it. Below you have three interactive exercises that mark themselves, so you will know straight away how you did.

And if you prefer a version in text that you can copy and paste, you have it down here 👇

Exercise 1: too or enough?

Choose the correct option to complete each sentence.

Exercise 2: complete the second sentence

Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first. Use too or enough, and write only the missing words.

Exercise 3: correct or incorrect?

Decide whether each sentence is correct. If it is incorrect, rewrite it correctly.

Conclusion

To sum up in three ideas: too means «excessively» (more than desirable) and enough means «sufficiently»; too goes before the adjective and enough after it (too tired, old enough), although with nouns enough goes before (enough money); and too doesn’t mean «very»: it expresses a problem.

If you like these pairs of words that get confused, have a look at my posts on say and tell, win and beat and suggest and recommend.

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See you in the next post. Until then, don’t forget to keep smiling! 🙂