Enough and Too in English: How to Use Them Correctly

Q: Does enough go before or after an adjective?

Enough goes after an adjective or adverb. We say old enough, tall enough, warm enough, and quickly enough, not enough old or enough tall. The pattern is adjective/adverb + enough. However, enough goes before a noun: enough money, enough time, enough chairs. So the position depends on the word it describes: after adjectives and adverbs, but before nouns.

Q: What is the difference between enough and too?

Enough means a sufficient amount — just the right quantity or degree. Too means more than is needed or wanted, and usually signals a problem. Compare: The coffee is hot enough (good, it is the right temperature) with The coffee is too hot (bad, I cannot drink it). Enough is positive or neutral; too is almost always negative.

Q: How do I use enough with to and an infinitive?

Use the pattern adjective/adverb + enough + to + infinitive, or enough + noun + to + infinitive. For example: She is old enough to drive. He ran quickly enough to win. We have enough money to buy the tickets. The infinitive explains the result or purpose. You can add for + person: The box is light enough for a child to carry.

Q: Where does too go in a sentence?

Too goes directly before the adjective or adverb it modifies: too hot, too expensive, too slowly, too carefully. We say This bag is too heavy, not This bag is heavy too (in that position, too would mean also). With nouns, use too much, too many, too little or too few instead of too on its own.

Q: What is the difference between too much and too many?

Use too much before uncountable nouns: too much sugar, too much traffic, too much noise. Use too many before plural countable nouns: too many cars, too many people, too many mistakes. Both mean more than is wanted. Their opposites are too little (uncountable) and too few (countable): too little time, too few chairs.

Q: What is the difference between too and very?

Very simply makes an adjective stronger and is neutral: It is very hot today is a normal, acceptable statement. Too means excessive — more than is acceptable — and signals a problem: It is too hot to go outside means the heat stops us doing something. Use very to describe a high degree, and too only when there is a negative result.

Q: Can I use too with a negative meaning of also?

Too has two different uses. At the end of a clause it means also: I would like a coffee too. Before an adjective or adverb it means excessively: This coffee is too strong. The position changes the meaning, so be careful. In the excessive sense, too always comes before the word it modifies, never at the end.

Q: How do I use too with an infinitive?

Use the pattern too + adjective/adverb + to + infinitive. For example: I am too tired to walk. The tea is too hot to drink. He spoke too quickly to understand. This means the degree is so high that the action is impossible or difficult. You can add for + person: The problem is too hard for me to solve.

Q: Is it correct to say not enough?

Yes. Not enough means less than is needed, and it follows the same word order as enough. With adjectives and adverbs it comes after: This room is not big enough. With nouns it comes before: We do not have enough chairs. Not enough often expresses a problem, similar in feeling to too little or too few.

Grammar A2–B2 9 min read Updated 15 June 2026

Part of the Grammar Series

This article is part of our Complete English Grammar Practice Guide — explore all grammar topics with interactive exercises, including enough and too.

Enough and too are small words that learners use every day, yet they cause endless confusion. The trouble is twofold: their position in the sentence changes depending on what they describe, and their meaning is almost the opposite. Get them right and you sound natural; get them wrong and the sentence either breaks or says something you did not mean.

This guide explains exactly where enough and too go, how they combine with to + infinitive, the difference between too much, too many, too little and too few, and why too and very are not the same. Every rule comes with clear British English examples.

Key Takeaways

Enough means sufficient; too means more than wanted — usually a problem.
Enough goes after adjectives and adverbs (old enough, quickly enough) but before nouns (enough money).
Too always goes before an adjective or adverb (too hot, too slowly).
Use too much / too little with uncountables and too many / too few with countables.
Very is neutral (very hot); too signals an excess (too hot to drink).

Where Does Enough Go?

The position of enough is the single most common mistake learners make. The rule is simple once you see the pattern: enough comes after adjectives and adverbs, but before nouns.

After adjectives and adverbs

When enough describes an adjective or an adverb, it follows the word: adjective/adverb + enough.

adjective + enough — old enough, tall enough, warm enough

adverb + enough — quickly enough, clearly enough, well enough

She is old enough to vote.

The water is warm enough for a swim.

He didn't run quickly enough to catch the bus.

She is enough old to vote.

Before nouns

When enough describes a noun — an amount or a number — it comes before the noun: enough + noun.

enough + noun — enough money, enough time, enough chairs

We have enough money to pay the bill.

There isn't enough time to finish today.

Are there enough chairs for everyone?

We have money enough to pay the bill.

Quick Test

Ask yourself: am I describing a quality (adjective/adverb) or an amount (noun)? Quality → after (tall enough). Amount → before (enough food).

Enough + of + determiner

When the noun comes with the, my, this or another determiner, add of after enough: enough of the…

We didn't eat enough of the cake.

I've had enough of this noise.

We didn't eat enough the cake.

Enough + to + infinitive

To show a result, follow enough with to + infinitive. This works after adjectives, adverbs and nouns.

adjective + enough + to + infinitive — old enough to drive

enough + noun + to + infinitive — enough money to buy a car

He is old enough to drive.

She spoke slowly enough for us to follow.

We have enough money to buy the tickets.

You can add for + person to say who the result applies to: The box was light enough for a child to carry.

Not enough

Not enough means less than needed, and it keeps the same word order — after adjectives, before nouns.

This room is not big enough for the class.

We don't have enough chairs.

How to Use Too

Too means more than is needed or wanted, and it usually points to a problem. Unlike enough, its position is fixed: too always comes before the adjective or adverb it modifies.

Too + adjective or adverb

too + adjective — too hot, too expensive, too small

too + adverb — too slowly, too quietly, too often

This soup is too hot.

The jacket is too expensive.

You're speaking too quietly.

This soup is hot too. (this means also hot, not excessively hot)

Watch Out

At the end of a clause, too means also: I'd like a coffee too. Before an adjective it means excessively: This coffee is too strong. Position changes everything.

Too much, too many, too little, too few

You cannot put too directly before a noun. Instead, use a quantifier. Choose it by asking whether the noun is countable or uncountable.

Quantifier	Use with	Meaning	Example
too much	uncountable nouns	more than wanted	too much sugar, too much traffic
too many	plural countable nouns	more than wanted	too many cars, too many mistakes
too little	uncountable nouns	not enough	too little time, too little money
too few	plural countable nouns	not enough	too few chairs, too few staff

There is too much noise in here.

You've made too many mistakes.

We had too little time to prepare.

There is too noise in here.

Too + adjective + to + infinitive

To show that something is impossible or difficult because of the excess, use too + adjective/adverb + to + infinitive.

too + adjective + to + infinitive — too tired to walk

I'm too tired to walk home.

The tea is too hot to drink.

He spoke too quickly to understand.

As with enough, you can name the person with for + someone + to + infinitive: The problem was too hard for me to solve. This pattern, too…for someone to…, is very common in spoken British English.

Too vs Very — A Key Difference

Many learners use too when they mean very. The two are not interchangeable. Very simply makes an adjective stronger and is neutral. Too means excessively — the degree is so high that there is a negative result.

Very (neutral, fine)

It's very hot today. — a simple description
She's very tired, but she'll manage.
The film was very long.

Too (excess, problem)

It's too hot to go outside. — the heat stops us
She's too tired to work.
The film was too long to watch in one sitting.

Rule of Thumb

If there is no problem, use very. If the quality prevents or spoils something, use too. Very hot is just a warm day; too hot means you can't cope.

Enough vs Too — Opposite Meanings

Finally, keep the core contrast clear. Enough means a sufficient amount or degree — just right. Too means more than is needed — an excess. The same situation can be described with either word, and the feeling changes completely.

Situation	With enough (good)	With too (problem)
temperature of coffee	The coffee is hot enough.	The coffee is too hot.
size of a room	The room is big enough.	The room is too small.
speed of speaking	She spoke slowly enough.	She spoke too quickly.
amount of time	We have enough time.	We have too little time.

The bag is light enough to carry. I'm happy.

The bag is too heavy to carry. I have a problem.

Practise Enough and Too

Fix the word order and choose the right quantifier with these interactive exercises.

Try the Exercises

Exercises to Practise on LexFizz

Flash Cards — review the patterns with spaced repetition
Quiz — multiple-choice questions on enough and too
Complete the Sentence — fill the gap with enough or too
Cloze Dropdown — pick too much, too many, too little or too few
Match Up — match each sentence half to its correct ending

Frequently Asked Questions

Does enough go before or after an adjective?

Enough goes after an adjective or adverb. We say old enough, tall enough, warm enough, and quickly enough, not enough old or enough tall. The pattern is adjective/adverb + enough. However, enough goes before a noun: enough money, enough time, enough chairs. So the position depends on the word it describes: after adjectives and adverbs, but before nouns.

What is the difference between enough and too?

Enough means a sufficient amount — just the right quantity or degree. Too means more than is needed or wanted, and usually signals a problem. Compare: The coffee is hot enough (good, it is the right temperature) with The coffee is too hot (bad, I cannot drink it). Enough is positive or neutral; too is almost always negative.

How do I use enough with to and an infinitive?

Use the pattern adjective/adverb + enough + to + infinitive, or enough + noun + to + infinitive. For example: She is old enough to drive. He ran quickly enough to win. We have enough money to buy the tickets. The infinitive explains the result or purpose. You can add for + person: The box is light enough for a child to carry.

Where does too go in a sentence?

Too goes directly before the adjective or adverb it modifies: too hot, too expensive, too slowly, too carefully. We say This bag is too heavy, not This bag is heavy too (in that position, too would mean also). With nouns, use too much, too many, too little or too few instead of too on its own.

What is the difference between too much and too many?

Use too much before uncountable nouns: too much sugar, too much traffic, too much noise. Use too many before plural countable nouns: too many cars, too many people, too many mistakes. Both mean more than is wanted. Their opposites are too little (uncountable) and too few (countable): too little time, too few chairs.

What is the difference between too and very?

Very simply makes an adjective stronger and is neutral: It is very hot today is a normal, acceptable statement. Too means excessive — more than is acceptable — and signals a problem: It is too hot to go outside means the heat stops us doing something. Use very to describe a high degree, and too only when there is a negative result.

Can I use too with a negative meaning of also?

Too has two different uses. At the end of a clause it means also: I would like a coffee too. Before an adjective or adverb it means excessively: This coffee is too strong. The position changes the meaning, so be careful. In the excessive sense, too always comes before the word it modifies, never at the end.

How do I use too with an infinitive?

Use the pattern too + adjective/adverb + to + infinitive. For example: I am too tired to walk. The tea is too hot to drink. He spoke too quickly to understand. This means the degree is so high that the action is impossible or difficult. You can add for + person: The problem is too hard for me to solve.

Is it correct to say not enough?

Yes. Not enough means less than is needed, and it follows the same word order as enough. With adjectives and adverbs it comes after: This room is not big enough. With nouns it comes before: We do not have enough chairs. Not enough often expresses a problem, similar in feeling to too little or too few.

How can I practise enough and too in English?

Practise by: (1) Writing pairs of sentences with enough and too about the same situation, such as warm enough and too warm. (2) Checking word order — enough after adjectives but before nouns, too always before adjectives. (3) Using LexFizz’s Flash Cards, Quiz, Complete the Sentence, Cloze Dropdown and Match Up exercises for instant feedback. (4) Reading real English and noticing the patterns enough to and too to with infinitives.

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