It's not quite what I had in mind
Neutral Polite
What it really means
Usually means "this is very different from what I wanted" or simply "I don't like it". The word "quite" softens what is often real disappointment.
Chinese explanation
通常表示"这和我想要的差得很远"，或者干脆就是"我不喜欢"。quite 一词软化了往往相当真实的失望。
Example conversation
A: Here's the birthday cake you ordered!
B: Ah. It's… not quite what I had in mind.
A: You did order a dinosaur cake?
B: For my grandmother, yes.
A：这是您订的生日蛋糕！
B：啊。这个……跟我想的不太一样。
A：您订的是恐龙蛋糕没错吧？
B：没错，是给我奶奶的。
What you could say back
Related phrases
All Politeness Decoder
Reviewed by the UK Decoded editorial team
· Last checked 24 July 2026 · Report a mistake