Not bad means fine, quite good, and often even really good. People use it to answer How are you? and How's it going?, and to rate food, a film, a price or someone's work. It's a friendly, conversational phrase, and it works well in IELTS Speaking.
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Not bad (, thanks); not bad at all; not bad for + noun (not bad for a beginner); not too bad; that's not bad
- — How was your first week at the new job? — Not bad, the team is really friendly.
- Ninety pounds for a return flight to Rome? That's not bad at all.
- Your drawing is not bad for someone who started a month ago.
What changed
First version— How are you? — Normal, thanks.
Revision— How are you? — Not bad, thanks.
When someone asks How are you?, Normal can seem like a natural reply. But normal means “ordinary, not unusual”. Answering Normal sounds as if you're assuring the other person that you're not strange and your health is fine. To say how you are, use Not bad, Fine or OK.
A lot depends on intonation. Said with admiration, especially not bad at all, it means “really good”: You got 7.5 on your first try? Not bad at all! Not too bad is usually more modest, “OK, it could be worse”: Work's busy, but not too bad.
Your turn
— How's the new flat? — ___, it's a bit small, but the area is lovely.
Show the answer
Not bad — The flat is a bit small, but the area is lovely: that's a reserved, positive verdict, Not bad. Normal means “ordinary, not unusual” and doesn't sound like an opinion in reply to How's…?
Write a short dialogue: a friend asks how your exam or interview went. Reply with not bad and name one good thing and one bad thing.
— How did your interview go? — Not bad, they liked my portfolio, but I got nervous when they asked about salary.
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