Learn Hardcore Chinese: wǒ bù tài xǐhuan zhème dà de chéngshì.

This is softer and less absolute than 我不喜欢这么大的城市。 (“I don’t like cities that are this big.”)
不太喜欢 suggests mild dislike or weak liking, not strong rejection.

I learned 太 means “too (much)”, like 太大了 = too big. Why here is it “not really like”, not “don’t like it too much”?

The meaning of 太 changes when it’s inside 不太….

Positive sentence:
- 太大了。 = “It’s too big.” (excessive)
- 太贵了。 = “It’s too expensive.”
With 不:
- 不太大。 ≈ “not very big / not that big”
- 不太贵。 ≈ “not very expensive”
- 不太喜欢。 ≈ “don’t really like”

In the pattern 不太 + verb/adjective, 太 loses the “too (excessive)” meaning and becomes “very/so” in the sense of degree, and 不太… overall means “not very / not so / not really …” rather than “not too …” in the English sense.

What does 这么 add here? How is 这么大的城市 different from just 大的城市?

大的城市 = “big cities” (no emotional emphasis; just a size description)
这么大的城市 = “cities that are this big / so big / such big cities”

这么 indicates degree and often carries a sense of “to this extent” or “like this (in size/degree)”. It usually refers to something already known in the context (physically seen, mentioned before, or understood from situation):

You’re in Shanghai and say:
我不太喜欢这么大的城市。
→ “I don’t really like cities that are this big (like Shanghai).”

So 这么 makes the sentence more specific and expressive: it’s not just “big cities” in general, but “cities that are this big (as we’re talking about / experiencing).”

What’s the difference between 这么 and 那么?

Both 这么 and 那么 can mean “so / that / this (…ly)” when describing degree:

这么大 = this big / so big (usually closer, present, or “what we’re dealing with now”)
那么大 = that big / so big (often more distant, or something not immediately present)

Typical tendencies:

这么: “this (kind of/degree)” — often for what’s near you in time/space or current topic.
- 为什么这么贵？ “Why is it so expensive (like this)?”
那么: “that (kind of/degree)” — can feel a bit more distant, hypothetical, or story-like.
- 他怎么那么忙？ “How come he’s so busy?”

In practice, in many spoken contexts, either can work and the difference is subtle.
In your sentence, using 那么大的城市 instead of 这么大的城市 would usually sound like you’re talking about big cities somewhat “out there” rather than the one you’re currently in or clearly focusing on.

Why do we need 的 in 这么大的城市? Can I say 这么大城市?

You need 的 here; 这么大城市 is not natural.

Structure:

这么大 = an adjectival phrase (“this big / so big”)
To use that phrase before a noun, you link it with 的:
- 这么大的城市 = “cities that are this big / such big cities”

General pattern:

[degree word] + adjective + 的 + noun
- 很大的房子 – a very big house
- 不太好的地方 – a not-very-good place
- 这么大的城市 – such big cities

So 的 is the linker that turns the whole 这么大 phrase into an attributive modifier before 城市.

But I’ve seen 大城市 without 的. Why is 大城市 okay but 这么大城市 is not?

Good observation: both exist, but the grammar pattern is different.

Single-syllable adjective directly before the noun:
- 大城市 – big city
- 小孩子 – little kid
  Here the adjective (one syllable) can directly modify the noun without 的.
Adjective with a degree word (like 这么, 很, 非常, 不太…):
- 这么大 – this big
- 很大 – very big
  These are full adjective phrases. To put them before a noun, you must add 的:
- 这么大的城市 – a city that’s this big
- 很大的城市 – a very big city
- 不太大的房子 – a not-very-big house

So:

大城市 ✅
这么大的城市 ✅
这么大城市 ❌ (missing the linker 的)

Why is there no measure word, like 个, in 这么大的城市? Shouldn’t it be 这么大的一个城市?

Both are possible, but they’re used a bit differently.

No measure word (your sentence):
- 这么大的城市
  Here, 城市 is more like a general type or category: “cities that are this big / such big cities (in general).”
- 我不太喜欢这么大的城市。
  → “I don’t really like cities that are this big (as a type).”
With a measure word:
- 这么大的一个城市 = “a city that is this big / such a big city (one specific city)”
- 我不太喜欢这么大的一个城市。
  → “I don’t really like a city that’s this big.” (more clearly about one particular city)

So:

Talking about a type or group in general → often no 个: 这么大的城市
Emphasizing a single specific city → 这么大的一个城市

Is 城市 here singular or plural? How do I know?

Chinese nouns usually don’t mark plural vs singular explicitly. 城市 by itself can be understood as either:

“a (big) city”
“(big) cities”

In context:

我不太喜欢这么大的城市。
Most natural interpretation: “I don’t really like cities that are this big” (plural / general).

If you want it clearly singular, you can add 一个:

我不太喜欢这么大的一个城市。
→ “I don’t really like a city that is this big.”

So you determine singular vs plural mostly from context or by adding words like 一个, 这些, 很多, etc.

Why is it 喜欢 and not 爱? Can 我不太爱这么大的城市 work?

喜欢 and 爱 both relate to liking/loving, but their usage differs:

喜欢 = to like, to be fond of
- Natural for things, activities, people, etc.
- 我不太喜欢这么大的城市。
  → “I don’t really like cities that are this big.”
爱 = to love (strong emotion), to be devoted to; also “to be keen on” in some set phrases
- Sounds stronger or different in tone if you say 爱城市.
- 我不太爱这么大的城市。 is understandable but less common/less natural; it might sound slightly unusual or literary. For “like/dislike (a city type)”, 喜欢 is the default verb.

So in everyday speech about preferences (cities, food, hobbies), 喜欢 is what you use.

Can I say 我太不喜欢这么大的城市? How is that different from 我不太喜欢这么大的城市?

These two are very different:

我不太喜欢这么大的城市。
- Mild: “I don’t really like cities that are this big.”
- Degree of like is low, but not necessarily strong dislike. Polite and soft.
我太不喜欢这么大的城市。
- Strong: literally “I really don’t like cities that are this big.”
- Emphasizes how much you dislike them, almost like “I really can’t stand cities that are this big.”
- Sounds emotional/intense and is much less common in neutral speech.

Pattern:

不太 + V/Adj → “not very / not really …” (soft negative)
太 + 不 + V/Adj → “really/very much not …” (strong negative; often emotional)

So for a natural, moderate, everyday statement, you want 不太喜欢, not 太不喜欢.

Does 这么大 here mean “too big”, like “I don’t like cities that are too big”?

Not exactly. 这么大 itself is neutral in terms of “too” vs “just that big”; it means “this big / so big”.

The idea of “too big” would normally be expressed explicitly with 太 in a different pattern:

太大了。 – It’s too big.
城市太大了。 – The city is too big.

Your sentence:

这么大 = “this big / so big (like this)”
这么大的城市 = “cities that are this big”

You can translate the whole sentence as “I don’t really like cities that are too big” in natural English, but that’s because English often uses “too” where Chinese uses a neutral degree word plus context. Literally, the Chinese is “cities that are this big (as we’re talking about)”, not explicitly “too big” in the sense of excess.

Could I also say 我不太喜欢这么大的城 or do I have to use 城市?

In modern standard Mandarin:

城市 is the normal, correct word for “city”.
城 by itself is more literary or refers to a “walled city”, “town”, or appears in compounds (like 长城, “Great Wall”).

So in everyday speech, you should say:

我不太喜欢这么大的城市。 ✅

Using 这么大的城 would sound non-standard or old-fashioned in most modern contexts.