Too vs. Enough

Too and enough both talk about quantity, but they work in opposite ways — and they appear in different places in a sentence.

When to use “too”

Too means “more than needed” or “more than is good.” It has a negative idea.

• This coffee is too hot to drink. (hot = bad)
• She’s too tired to go out tonight.

Use “too” before an adjective or adverb:

• It’s too late now.
• He runs too quickly for me to keep up.

When to use “enough”

Enough means “as much as needed.” It can be positive or negative.

• We have enough chairs for everyone.
• She didn’t study enough to pass the exam.

Use “enough” after adjectives/adverbs, but before nouns:

• She is tall enough to play basketball. (adjective)
• He didn’t speak clearly enough. (adverb)
• Do we have enough time? (noun)