別（べつ）に～ない (betsu ni~nai)
別に～ない — not particularly ～
Pattern
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別に ＋ 〜ない（動詞・形容詞の否定）別に行きたくない / 別に珍しくない -
別に。（答えとして単独で）alone as a reply: 「別に。」 (Nothing in particular.)
Meaning
別に weakens or denies the degree: there is nothing special or no particular reason. 別に行きたくない means “I don't especially want to go.” In answer to a question, 「別に。」 alone means “not really / no particular reason.”
Tone
Because it plays down the question, it can sound cold, shy or uninterested, especially in the one-word form. In polite or business situations, use 特に～ありません instead. It does not go with a positive sentence.
Examples
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別（べつ）に行（い）きたくない。
Betsu ni ikitaku nai.
I don't particularly want to go.
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その話（はなし）は別（べつ）に珍（めずら）しくない。
Sono hanashi wa betsu ni mezurashikunai.
That story isn't particularly unusual.
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「怒（おこ）ってる？」「別（べつ）に。」
「Okotteru?」「Betsu ni.」
“Are you angry?” “Not particularly.”
Common mistakes
- Use it with a negative or as a short reply, never with a positive statement like 別に行きたい.
- As a one-word answer it can sound cold, so avoid it toward a superior.
More grammar points
- あまり あまりの～に — so ～ that ～
- あまりにも あまりにも — far too ～, excessively
- ば～ほど ～ば～ほど — the more ～, the more ～
- だけ だけ — only, just; as much as ～
- どうしても どうしても — no matter what, absolutely
- ほど ～ほど — to the extent of ～
- ほど～ない A ほど～ない — not as ～ as A
- 決（けっ）して～ない 決して～ない — never ～
- くらい / ぐらい くらい／ぐらい — about ～, to the extent of ～
- めったに～ない めったに～ない — rarely ～
- なかなか なかなか — quite / (not) easily
- なるべく なるべく — as much as possible
- に比（くら）べて ～に比べて — compared with ～
- さえ ～さえ — even ～
- せいぜい せいぜい — at most / at best
- 数量（すうりょう） + は 数量＋は — “at least (amount)”
- とても～ない とても～ない — “can't possibly ～”
- よりも ～よりも — “more than ～ / rather than ～”
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