How to Use "Enough" Like a Native Speaker

"Enough" is used often in daily conversations, so understanding its different forms will give your English fluency a big boost. This article will cover its basic usage and introduce some common expressions that use it. Let's get started!

“Enough” as an Adjective

As an adjective, "enough" means "necessary" or "sufficient," and is usually placed before a noun.

I don't have enough eggs to make pancakes for everyone.

Here, "enough eggs" means the necessary amount of eggs.

We have enough time to get to the train station if we leave now.

Here, the speaker has the time needed to arrive at the station in order to catch the train.

 Is there enough room for everyone?

Here, the meaning is "Does everyone have the necessary space?" 

Notice that in all of these examples, "enough" appears before a noun (enough eggs, enough time, enough room).

“Enough” as a Pronoun

When "enough" is used as a pronoun, the nuance is "no more is needed." Unlike the adjective usage, it is generally used alone as a pronoun.

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I've had enough of your bad attitude!

In some cases, like in the above example, "enough" has a nuance of "too much." It's often used in negative situations when the speaker is annoyed or angry about something. Here's another example:

That's enough! Put away your phone and go to bed now!

“Enough” as an Adverb

The adverb usage of "enough" means "as much as is necessary." This usage is placed after the word it modifies, like in the example below.

My car isn't big enough for all six of you.

In other words, the car is not as big as it needs to be for everyone to ride.

He speaks English fluently enough to work overseas.

Here, "enough" modifies "fluently," so "fluently enough" is another way to say "as fluent as is needed" (to work overseas).

Expressions with “Enough”

"Enough" appears in many common English expressions. Here are a few examples:

Enough is enough

This expression is a stronger version of the negative pronoun usage we introduced earlier. It's used when someone is angry over a situation that has continued for too long.

For example, at Black Lives Matter demonstrations, it was common to see signs with this phrase. Demonstrators were angry about the fact that African-American people are being killed, mostly by police officers.

Here's another example:

They've been playing loud music late at night every day this week. Enough is enough! I'm going to say something to them.

Fair enough

You can use this expression to agree with someone's idea or suggestion.

Oddly enough

This is used when the speaker is surprised by a strange or unusual situation.

Enough said

This short expression means there is no need to say more about a topic because it is clear and easy to understand. It's often used as a reply.

Sometimes this expression is shortened to just "'Nuff said," which is much more casual.

Related article: "Take it Easy!" 10 English Expressions for Relaxing

A Few More Points

“Enough” as an adjective

As we mentioned earlier, "enough" usually comes before the noun, but it can also come after the noun. However, this usage sounds a bit formal and isn't commonly used in most situations.

I finally have time enough to sit down and enjoy my book.

“Enough” as a pronoun

As a pronoun, "enough" can be used alone, but you need to be careful in some cases. If the subject is a noun, "enough" cannot be used to complete a clause.

For example, "The milk is not enough" would be incorrect; instead, you should say, "There isn't enough milk."

x I want cereal, but the milk is not enough. 

o I want cereal, but there isn't enough milk.

Wrap-up

Mastering the different ways to use "enough" will have a big impact on your English fluency. You can use it to ask about what's necessary, to express satisfaction, and even to say "no more" in a strong way. 

Book a lesson with an Engoo tutor and practice using it in a real conversation today!

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